Communities In Schools and Road to Hire partner to create continuity in service for Charlotte students
On Sept. 24, dozens of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) students and staff, nonprofit leaders, and community members gathered at West Mecklenburg High School (WMHS). They were there to celebrate the announcement of the new partnership between Communities In Schools of Charlotte-Mecklenburg (CIS-Charlotte) and Road to Hire (R2H).
Dr. Monique Perry-Graves, R2H’s chief executive officer, said the effort “will connect the evidence-based integrated student support model that CIS uses with college and career to the opportunity and ramp that Road to Hire provides. This means helping students that have been supported by Communities In Schools from kindergarten to 12th grade learn about Road to Hire programming early as they plan what comes next.”
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When speaking of the partnership, Perry-Graves expressed that while neither organization can support every aspect of a young adult’s life independently, the partnership allows them to create “a stronger, more connected path,” and move beyond their individual reach.
A joint press release from both organizations explained that by “building on the trusted relationships CIS-Charlotte has established with students and families, the partnership can connect more young adults to Road to Hire’s continued support through college and into the workforce. Together, the organizations can help ensure that graduation leads to a next step — not a gap in support.”
An affiliate of the national CIS network, CIS-Charlotte has been embedded into CMS for four decades with the goal of “surrounding students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.” The organization currently serves 42 schools in CMS, providing targeted case management services to more than 6,000 students and reaching over 30,000 through less intensive schoolwide services such as college and career programming.
Described as the “frontline defense against absenteeism” for CIS, the implementation of site coordinators into schools allows for three-tiered integration of support: school level, targeted, and individual.
As explained by CIS-Charlotte’s president and chief executive officer, Men Tchaas Ari, embedding into schools allows the organization to get to know students beyond grade point averages, test scores, or other data points. The close proximity to students “allows us to truly assess their competing priorities and step in right at the moment that life starts life-ing,” Ari stated.
Overall, CIS-Charlotte is able to encounter students earlier in elementary grades and leverage community resources to support their development along the path to graduation.
However, as expressed in their press release from CIS-Charlotte and R2H, “graduation is a milestone, not a finish line.”
In steps R2H, whose mission is to “invest in the untapped potential of the next generation of leaders by breaking down barriers to career success.”
The organization achieves this by providing long-term wraparound support along a student’s path from high school to career attainment, including academic support, scholarships, mentorship, career preparation, and skill building in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence.
Since 2014, R2H has expanded to nine participating Title I high schools in CMS and has served over 3,300 students who have been awarded more than $25 million in college scholarships.
In all, given CIS and R2H’s service to the same students, Perry-Graves believes that the two organizations can accomplish more if they align their strengths for stronger connections across both systems. “By working seamlessly together around these important transitions, we can make it easier for young adults to navigate the opportunities and support we are already making available to them,” she stated.
Prior to introducing student presenters at the ceremony, WMHS principal Kevin Sudimack summarized the partnership as “an investment in a collective belief that every student deserves access to opportunities, support systems, and experiences that will help them thrive in school and in their careers.”
WMHS seniors Joel Zarsah and Daisy Millard are participants in both CIS and R2H.
After joining CIS sophomore year, Zarsah soon realized that it was a program that surrounded him with people who care and want the best for him to accomplish more in life.
This same sentiment was reflected in Millard’s remarks. Having attended a charter school from middle school to her freshman year, Millard credits CIS with playing a role in her transition to a new setting and exposure to other opportunities through various field trips and events.
Regarding R2H, Zarsah specifically emphasized how participating in the Summer U program helped him build skills such as networking while pushing him to not limit the possibilities for his future.
For Millard, Summer U was “more than just the money we earned, incentives offered, and time spent in classes.” It was a chance for her to explore her personal brand, colleges, careers, and what it means to be in the community.
“There are so many opportunities out there, and sometimes all you need is someone to encourage you and encourage you to take the first step,” Zarsah stated.
Millard and Zarsah are only two examples of thousands of students that the partnership aims to continue to impact in the years to come.
“No single entity can create these possibilities in isolation,” Ari reiterated. “CIS and Road to Hire are forming a partnership today because we cannot allow finances to become the barrier that separates talent from opportunity.”
Perry-Graves emphasized that they “are not beginning two separate journeys with students. We are continuing to connect them into one.”
Editor’s note: Dr. Monique Perry-Graves serves on EdNC’s Board of Directors.