Communities In Schools of Eastern Pennsylvania Receives $121,000 Grant From National Organization

The grant will enable 60 disengaged high school students to successfully re-enter the classroom during the 2021-2022 school year.

Communities In Schools of Eastern Pennsylvania (CISEasternPA), an agency that ensures every student, regardless of race, zip code, or socioeconomic background has what they need to succeed in school and beyond, was recently awarded $121,000 from Communities In Schools National Office. The funds will be used to hire two full-time re-engagement coordinators to work in three high school sites.

The new re-engagement coordinators will work in tandem with CISEasternPA’s site coordinators and serve as the vital connection between at-risk youth and graduation for Liberty High School, Freedom High School, and Lehigh Career & Technical Institute (LCTI). CISEasternPA has been present at each school since 2017 and is expanding its staff to connect with students who may have been case managed in the past but became disengaged during the pandemic.

“Communities In Schools of Eastern Pennsylvania is grateful to receive this contribution from our national organization,” said Tim Mulligan, President and CEO of CISEasternPA.

“With the financial support to employ re-engagement coordinators, we can not only encourage students to return to the classroom but also ensure they are on track to complete their academic pursuits and plan for a successful future.”

Chronic absenteeism and academic failure will be the key components to determine which students CISEasternPA coordinators work with at Bethlehem Area School District’s (BASD) Liberty and Freedom High Schools and LCTI. The site coordinator at each school will use the Student Assistance Program (SAP) to identify and assign students to the re-engagement caseload. The scope of intervention needed is significant. At LCTI alone, Pennsylvania’s largest career and technical school, there are over 470 rising juniors and seniors who meet the threshold of missing 30 or more days of school during the previous academic year. However, coordinators can realistically manage 20 to 30 caseloads each.