New Arizona State University White Paper Highlights Communities In Schools' Role in Strengthening the Youth-Serving Workforce

CONTACT: Whitney Faison, faisonw@cisnet.org, 315-420-6049 

Communities In Schools® (CIS®), the nation’s leading provider of K-12 school-based integrated student supports, is helping shape a national conversation about the critical role youth-serving professionals play in strengthening young people, communities and the economy. 

That expertise is reflected in The Youth-Serving Workforce: An Economic Engine for Communities, a new white paper from Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton College for Teaching and Learning Innovation. The paper, authored by Ayesha Boyce, Ph.D.; Carolyn Trager Kliman; and Tay J. Moore in collaboration with the ASU MLFC Youth-Serving Workforce Advisory Board, was developed to advance a new understanding of the youth-serving workforce as a unified national workforce that contributes to economic prosperity, workforce development, civic engagement and community well-being.  

Communities In Schools President and CEO Rey Saldaña serves on the board.  

The youth-serving workforce includes classroom educators, mentors, tutors, coaches, afterschool professionals, student success coaches, national service members, youth development professionals and others who help young people build the relationships, knowledge, skills and experiences they need to flourish throughout life. 

The report suggests that investing in the people who serve young people can strengthen career pathways for youth-serving professionals while helping prepare the next generation to participate in the workforce and contribute to their communities. 

CIS Brings Decades of Experience and Evidence 

For nearly 50 years, CIS has demonstrated the importance of pairing resources with relationships to help students overcome barriers and stay on a path toward graduation and life beyond school. 

Working in more than 3,500 schools nationwide, CIS site coordinators work alongside educators, families and community partners to identify barriers to student success and connect students with academic, behavioral, health and social supports. At the center of the CIS model are trusted relationships with caring adults who help students access the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. 

CIS brings a growing body of evidence to the conversation. Recent research, When Resources Meet Relationships: The Returns to Personalized Supports for Low-Income Students, demonstrates how integrated supports for students in CIS schools improve standardized test scores, raise graduation rates and earnings in adulthood. 

About Communities In Schools 
Communities In Schools® (CIS®) helps students realize their full potential. For 49 years, CIS has supported millions of students on their path to success in school, the workforce, and life. Working in more than 3,500 schools nationwide, CIS connects students with caring adults and community resources that help them recognize, address, and overcome barriers to a brighter future.