Communities In Schools released the results of a comprehensive economic study, conducted by EMSI, one of the nation's leading economic modeling firms. 

The economic model was based on a subset of results from a recent five-year longitudinal national evaluation conducted by another independent research firm, ICF International.  That evaluation concluded:

• Communities In Schools is unique in having a substantively important effect on both reducing dropout rates and increasing on-time graduation rates.
• Communities In School's intensive case management services produce the strongest reduction in dropout rates of any existing fully scaled dropout prevention program that has been rigorously evaluated.
• The Communities In Schools model is effective across states, school settings, grade levels and student ethnicities. 

Using the dropout and graduation results from the ICF school-level study, and basing their calculations only on those Communities In Schools affiliates working in high schools[1], EMSI calculated the costs of the organization, including dollars directly invested and the opportunity costs of labor and capital.  They then calculated the benefits of the increased high school graduation rates attributed to Communities In Schools and their subsequent higher earnings by these graduates, and social and taxpayer savings based on the students' increased academic achievement. 

Among the significant findings of the study for Communities In Schools of Philadelphia are:

• The average annual rate of return to society is 8.6%.
• The benefit/cost ratio is 3.4, which means that every dollar invested in Communities In Schools of Philadelphia creates $3.40 of economic benefit for the community. 
• The payback period or break-even point is 35 years, which means that local graduates will have returned the investment by the time they're 35 years old and will be net contributors to the economy for the rest of their working lives. 

"Our analysis demonstrates that Communities In Schools produces meaningful economic and social impacts," said Tim Nadreau, research economist at EMSI.  "The Communities In Schools model produces lifetime benefits for students who will earn more, businesses who will have access to a more skilled workforce, and taxpayers who will have both a greater contribution and reduced costs from these graduates." 

"Communities In Schools is a proven solution, delivering cost effective results and significant economic impact for the citizens of Philadelphia", said Martin Nock, President & CEO of Communities In Schools of Philadelphia. "The economic future of our children, our families and our community depends on us continuing to address the dropout crisis here in Philadelphia." 

A copy of the full study is available on our website at: http://www.cisphl.org/news-media/resources/the-economic-impact-of-communities-in-schools/

For the students who attended the Ladies of Learning closing ceremony in April, it was an emotional end to a year that was filled with many successes thanks to the Ladies of Learning program. "It's a bitter-sweet moment, I've learned a lot from Ms. Phillips and Ms. Harris they've helped me with so much that it'll be sad not having them," commented Imani Williams, a senior at The Promise Academy. The ceremony took place at Community College of Philadelphia's North Regional Center and was organized by Cheryl Phillips, Assistant Director of the ELECT Ladies of Learning program, in partnership with Community College of Philadelphia.

Ladies of Learning is a mentoring program where select parenting female students gain post-secondary education exposure and access to mentors, speakers and administrators. Students gain awareness in the areas of goal-setting, college essay writing, career exploration, financial aid and more. Participants have the chance to work directly with staff members to understand expectations and enhance college readiness. Students come from various Philadelphia public high schools to interact with Community College and the Communities In Schools staff during the school year. The ceremony began with an introduction from Dr. Anthony Driggers, Director of Community College of Philadelphia's North Regional Center. Driggers commended the young ladies on all of their achievements and encouraged them to pursue higher learning and work towards their goals. He also stressed the importance of post-secondary education, using his family's struggle to attend college to inspire the students.

He reflected, "My family didn't have much money or resources, but my mother told me that I must be successful. That drove me to work hard in school and achieve all the goals I set for myself."

After Dr. Driggers finished his introduction, three students shared the essays they submitted for the Ladies of Learning: Student Voices Essay Competition. Sasha Pearsall, a senior, won first place and $100 worth of gift cards. In her essay, Pearsall shared her goals and why they are important to her. While reading her essay she stated, "One of my goals for the future is to become a registered nurse. To achieve this goal, I plan to attend a four-year university, and work hard so that, one day, I am able to help others." Marquieta Johnson, won 2nd place; and Tanzanelia Barrett was the 3rd place winner. All of the winners attended The Promise Academy at Martin Luther King. Each winner emphasized the importance of completing college and what she hopes to give back to the Ladies of Learning program.

Students that attended the ceremony, received a parting gift bag, which included gift cards and books that will help them prepare for life after Ladies of Learning and high school. This year, over 70% percent of the Ladies of Learning graduates will pursue higher learning.

Cheryl Phillips, ELECT Assistant Director presented Sasha Pearsall with a First Place Award for the Ladies In Learning Essay Competition, "My Goals For The Future". Sasha is a senior at The Promise Academy at Martin Luther King High School.

It was a day full of information when students came out to participate in the Communities In Schools of Philadelphia and the School District of Philadelphia's Week of the Young Child Symposium. The event was dedicated to the Education Leading to Employment and Career Training (ELECT) Teen Parent program. Currently, CIS of Philadelphia's ELECT Teen Parent program serves approximately 885 students in Philadelphia's public schools.

Approximately 122 students participated in the ELECT Week of the Young Child Symposium, which included a roundtable breakfast, a keynote speaker and a series of workshops. During lunch, students received gift bags and spoke with local community service advocates.

Student workshops included: Dr. Dad, Dating and Relationships, Identity Theft and Fraud Prevention, Interactive Literacy: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Play and Your Baby's Brain, Nutrition for a Healthier You/Fun Fitness for Life, The Real Deal, and Birth Control/Pregnancy Prevention.

James Rodgers, an 11th grader from West Philadelphia High School, said he came to the event to get more information about parenting. James is the father of a two-year-old. "I wanted to find out about all the services ELECT offers. I received information that is very helpful in handling a child, health issues and how to respond to certain situations."

"The event was pretty nice today. It gave a lot of insight on babies and how they developed," said Naka Alamo, 11th grader from West Philadelphia High School. Naka, who has an eight-month child, was glad he came to the event. "My teacher told me there would be a lot of information that would be helpful. She was right. I am so glad I came."

The symposium, a collaboration between CIS of Philadelphia, the School District of Philadelphia and other various community partners, was very successful in serving the unique needs of the pregnant and parenting teen students in the city. 

The team of educators and dancers, Rappin About Prevention, encouraged teen mothers to include exercise in their day at least three times a week. They demonstrated some moves while participants joined in.

Each May, the nation observes Law Day to commemorate the rule of law, the judiciary and its place in American society. This year's national theme is "No Courts, No Justice, and No Freedom." While Law Day is officially recognized on May 1, the Pennsylvania Bar Association takes a slightly modified approach. Schools often extend Law Day activities in order to expose youth to the various aspects of the judiciary system.

In Pennsylvania, the 2012 theme is "I Have a Dream ...," which was celebrated by Communities In Schools of Philadelphia's Teen Court Program through several activities, including mock trials and classroom visits by lawyers and judges. Students followed a law-related curriculum designed to educate youth about their legal rights and responsibilities in the new millennium.

Since 1999, CIS of Philadelphia has hosted a Law Week for students that participate in the Teen Court Program. Law Week serves as a forum for students to engage lawyers, judges, and other professionals in the judicial system about career opportunities and college planning. This year, Teen Court participants at Overbrook High School had the opportunity to speak with Thomas Roman for their Law Week event. Mr. Roman previously practiced law and worked with prevention programs for at-risk youth. He is currently serving as the Teen Court Consultant, while sitting on the Teen Court Advisory Board.

The Philadelphia Teen Court Program is a sentencing court run by teens for teens. The program's mission is to provide a service-learning forum that encourages youth to develop their leadership skills, to follow the rules of law and to hold their peers accountable for their anti-social behavior. Students across the city in various high schools run a courtroom that serves the schools by addressing the minor infractions committed by their peers in order to prevent more serious infractions.

Students from the Teen Court program at Frankford High School participated in National Law Day 2012. The students received their official CIS of Philadelphia Teen Court sweaters and wore them proudly.

Bunmi Samuel, Director of Philadelphia Freedom Schools said, "We are immensely proud that for the past three years we have had four Gates Millennium Scholarship scholars within the program: Shaneese Thompson (2010), Ewinka Romulus (2011), Jamil Caldwell and Roebuck Dredden (2012)."

Students were recognized by Mayor Michael Nutter as Gates Millennium Scholars in a ceremony that took place in the Mayor's Reception Room.

In honor of Mother's Day, Barnes & Noble partnered with Communities In Schools of Philadelphia to host the "Continuing the Legacy of Literacy" Book Fair in an effort to promote summer reading and to increase literacy among local youth. The event was free and open to the public.

"For the last few years Barnes & Noble has been a strong supporter of literacy initiatives that promote self-efficacy in reading for the students we serve," stated Sandra Hawkins Dorsey, Director of Development for CIS of Philadelphia. Dorsey continued, "Events such as the Barnes & Noble Book Fair bolster our efforts to strengthen literacy skills for both our students and their families. We all gain from a literate society. We invite everyone to join us in increasing awareness about the importance of literacy that can lead to a path of creativity and employment success."

When customers used the exclusive "Legacy of Literacy" voucher for their purchases, a portion of the proceeds benefited literacy and dropout prevention programs. 

AmeriCorps members Jasmine Leal-Taylor and Linnea McCalla preparing to read at the "Legacy of Literacy" book fair.