Our Mission

To surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.

Our Core Values

Communities In Schools of Tennessee believes that transformative relationships are key to unlocking a student's potential. To best support the students, families, schools, community partners, and our staff members involved in this work, CIS of Tennessee staff and board members center all decisions, actions, and services on the following core values:

Integrity

We openly share how our work is done, and we hold ourselves accountable to the commitments we make.
Empathy

We intentionally build relationships so we can learn about people’s stories, validate their experiences, and deepen our understanding of situations different from our own.
Equal Opportunity

We identify and work towards removing barriers, so everyone has the opportunity to achieve.
Authenticity

We create space for the people we work with, and for, to be their truthful, complete selves without judgement.
Collaboration

We bring people together to plan and take action in our work, understanding we make lasting change in partnership with one another.

Group of five women standing together in a gymnasium, smiling, wearing blue t-shirts with a white tree graphic. They are at an event with tables and booths in the background.

Our History

Communities in Schools of Tennessee (CISTN) is a part of the National Communities In Schools (CIS) network that was founded in 1977 and is known as the leading integrated student support model in the country. The Communities In Schools (CIS) National Office, as well as our partners at the Creative Artists Agency and the Martha O'Bryan Center, were instrumental in launching and charting a course for CIS of Tennessee's work in the East Nashville community in school year 2012-13.

CISTN began serving students in 2012 and has grown today to serve 59 schools with more than 26,000 students across the state—26 schools in Nashville and 33 schools located in 15 rural Tennessee counties. We work to remove the non-academic barriers that prevent student success in the classroom. In partnership with the local school districts, we provide daily school-based interventions to students in grades K–12 to address chronic absenteeism, social service needs, and behavioral and academic challenges.

CIS National

Founder Bill Milliken began CIS in New York City in the 1970’s. He came up with the idea of bringing community resources inside public schools—where they are accessible, coordinated, and accountable. Over forty years into our mission, Bill's principles continue to guide our work. Operating in more than 2,300 schools in the most challenged communities of 25 states and the District of Columbia, CIS serves nearly 1.5 million young people and their families each year.

“It’s relationships, not programs, that change children. A great program simply creates the environment for healthy relationships to form between adults and children. Young people thrive when adults care about them on a one-to-one level, and when they also have a sense of belonging to a caring community.”

– Bill Milliken
Founder & Vice Chairman of Communities In Schools, Inc

Group of students in black graduation gowns and caps with white stoles, along with a few adults, standing in a school hallway celebrating graduation. The background has colorful wall art that says 'together we RISE'.

The 5 Basics

Our work is guided by a set of 5 basic principles that we believe every child needs and deserves to be successful in school and in life. Helping all students succeed builds stronger, healthier and more economically stable communities where every person is capable of reaching their greatest potential.