Communities
In Schools of Puyallup (CISP), a local nonprofit organization that
empowers Puyallup School District students to stay in school and achieve
in life, learned this summer that it has achieved national
accreditation.
The
local organization joins several other Washington state affiliates that
have received national accreditation from among nearly 200 Communities
In Schools (CIS) organizations in 25 states and the District of
Columbia.
“We
are proud to have achieved our accreditation as it underlies the value
of falling in compliance with the high set of standards put in place by
Communities In Schools,” said CISP Executive Director Jan Mauk.
Those
high standards, established by the national CIS office, define
expectations for effective nonprofit business practices and for
implementing the CIS model of integrated student support services at
school sites.
The
National Accreditation Review Team commended CISP in numerous areas,
including financial soundness, board engagement, student board member
involvement, expansion strategy, partnership with the Puyallup School
District, March Gladness coordination, and crisis communications.
In
particular, the review team commended the local affiliate for its
engagement of high school students as voting members on the CISP Board
of Directors.
“We
feel this has made for a more exciting and invigorated board
environment while providing unique insights into the needs of this
community,” the report stated. “Student board members are highly
regarded for their creativity and excitement in supporting the CIS
mission.”
The
review team also commended Mauk for her commitment to “steady and
sustainable growth” and for doing an “exceptional job of integrating the
work of CIS into the everyday goings-on of the school district.”
In
Puyallup, the organization provides a host of supports to help students
succeed, including a reading tutoring program, several after-school
math and reading programs, and the distribution of community resources,
such as school supplies and food, to help students in need.
The
organization also works with junior high and high school student
leaders to coordinate an annual March Gladness community service
program. The program runs from January through March and features
projects ranging from organizing school penny drives to fund cancer
research to preparing meals and feeding the area’s homeless.
During
a recent report to the school board, Mauk and student leaders shared
results of the 2014 March Gladness. The theme this year was “Service is
Supreme in 2014.”
More
than 15,000 students, for example, participated in 84 registered March
Gladness projects throughout the school district. Additionally, more
than 24,000 items were collected during food, penny, clothing, and other
school drives, and nearly $57,000 was raised for charitable
organizations.
The
review team commented on the success of March Gladness, noting, “The
affiliate’s signature community service event is to be commended for its
scope, scale, and creativity in engaging high school students in giving
back to their community … this is a fantastic program that should be
replicated in other communities.”