Communities In Schools is the nation’s largest and most effective dropout prevention organization, serving over 1.5 million students in 26 states. Our mission is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. CIS of Robeson County was established in 1992 as part of a countywide economic development initiative to address the high dropout rate in Robeson County. We help students overcome barriers to learning using our unique CIS Model. This model means we place a Student Support Specialist in the schools we serve to provide supports that meet school-wide and student goals. By bringing caring adults into the schools to address children’s unmet needs, CIS provides the link between educators and the community. The result: teachers are free to teach, and students – many in jeopardy of dropping out – have the opportunity to focus on learning. We currently offer several different programs in 18 schools across the county, serving almost 5,000 students.