21st Century Community Learning Center Awards CIS of Atlanta More Than $1.3 Million

The Grant will Fund “Real World Academy” in Banneker and Creekside High Schools

ATLANTA – Communities In Schools (CIS) of Atlanta, in partnership with Fulton County Schools, has been awarded the FY2018 Georgia Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Center grant. This competitive federal grant program is designed to establish or expand community learning centers that provide students with enrichment opportunities that complement the students’ regular academic program. The $1.3 million grant will allow CIS of Atlanta to provide additional support for at-risk 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade students at Banneker and Creekside high schools. In conjunction with Georgia’s High Demand Career Initiative, school principals, school system staff, and CIS of Atlanta leadership identified Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) as an area of need for these students to reinforce classroom work, learn key job readiness skills, and gain real-world exposure to STEM careers. Therefore, CIS of Atlanta will create an after-school and summer STEM academic and enrichment program called Real World Academy. At each school, the program will serve a total of 120 at-risk students. The program parameters will include: • Participation 12 hours a week after-school for the entire school year • A two-week program during the summer that will include job skills training and job shadowing • Homework help during each session • Mentorship partnerships with local colleges and universities • A comprehensive STEM curriculum implemented each week • Parent University that will meet one time per month during the school year and will follow a designated curriculum. Real World Academy’s hands-on approach to STEM concepts and careers will spark students’ interest in the field, support classroom work, offer access to caring mentors from the community, and increase parent engagement. Locally, CIS of Atlanta empowered more than 30,000 students during the 2016-2017 school year. 4,000 of those students received intensive, individualized support and the nonprofit anticipates that number to increase to 4,700 students during the 2017-2018 school year. CIS of Atlanta is currently serving four school districts, including Atlanta Public Schools and Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton County schools. CIS of Atlanta recently expanded its regular program to serve an additional 10 schools, bringing the total to 18, in partnership with Fulton County Schools. This focus in the South Fulton Learning Community is to further the district’s efforts in providing wraparound support for schools that have high-need students. About Communities In Schools of Atlanta: Communities In Schools (CIS) of Atlanta, established in 1972, is the nation’s first, largest and most effective dropout prevention organization, dedicated to doing whatever it takes to help students succeed in school and achieve in life. Operating in more than 62 schools, mainly in Atlanta Public Schools, as well as Clayton County Public Schools, DeKalb County Schools and Fulton County Schools, CIS of Atlanta supports more than 36,000 students and their families in the 2016-2017 academic year. Based directly inside the schools, CIS of Atlanta connects students and their families to basic and critical educational and community-based resources, tailored to each student’s specific needs. Click here to learn more about CIS of Atlanta. Follow along on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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