Beyond Backpacks: CIS Welcomes Students Back with Community Support

As Communities In Schools® (CIS®) prepares to welcome students and staff back for a new school year full of possibilities, affiliates are partnering with school administrators to build a roadmap to success. CIS site coordinators are stocking their offices with essential supplies to show up for students every day, and CIS staff are taking stock of what students still need to start the year confident and ready to learn.

Through unique events and partnerships, the CIS network is showing up for students, their families and communities.

CIS of Cape Fear: Stress-Free Back-to-School Shopping

CIS of Cape Fear organized a "Stuff the Bus" event for students in New Hanover and Pender counties. Local businesses turned out in force to donate school supplies and backpacks, giving students a much-needed boost heading into the new school year.

"So many buckets have been overflowing, and some folks have even had to come visit our headquarters before the drive ended today, just because they were doing so well collecting for students in need," CIS of Cape Fear Communications Manager Kendall Englehart said in a WECT News 6 interview.

Heading back to school can be stressful for students and families. The cost of school supplies and new clothing can strain households with different financial circumstances, especially those with multiple children. When a family can't provide the necessary supplies, students risk not showing up at all. In New Hanover County, where CIS of Cape Fear serves students, chronic absenteeism currently affects roughly a quarter of the student population. By removing the burden of school supplies, CIS helps ensure students arrive confident and ready to learn.

"Stuff the Bus is one major way we can prevent supply and material barriers from keeping kids from showing up prepared," Englehart said. "But the other thing we do really well is placing full-time, fully trained staff in schools to get to know the kids and figure out what the barriers are."

Read about the event.

CIS of Charlotte-Mecklenburg: Strong Community Partnerships

For the third consecutive year, the SouthPark community came together to celebrate and support the people at the heart of Communities In Schools of Charlotte-Mecklenburg's work: K–12 Student Support Specialists, TRIO Counselors, and Safe Journey Case Managers.

On August 6, local businesses and community leaders gathered at the Hyatt Centric SouthPark for SouthPark Serves, a back-to-school celebration providing CIS-Charlotte staff with supplies, resources, and classroom incentives to start the 2026–2027 school year strong.

The event also capped off Rise and Shine Week, bringing staff together for a day of dancing, laughter, raffles, and celebration ahead of the new year.

Fifteen community partners filled donation stations with essential items. Staff filled their carts with student hygiene kits, backpacks stocked with school supplies, snacks, headphones, and other classroom incentives. 

Our team dedicates themselves to helping students overcome obstacles and realize their potential every single day. We are incredibly grateful to the SouthPark community for recognizing the importance of that work and choosing to invest in the people who make it possible. This partnership reminds our staff that they are valued, supported, and surrounded by a community that believes in both them and the students they serve.

-Rhonda Bishara, Vice President of Advancement, CIS of Charlotte-Mecklenburg

As public schools are asked to do more with limited resources, this partnership shows what's possible when the business community invests directly in students. Each coordinator left the event with classroom incentives, student resources, and supplies to help create positive, engaging learning environments — a meaningful show of support for the people who walk beside students as they work toward their goals.

Read about the event.

CIS of Michigan: Showing Up with a Smile

In Benton Harbor, Communities In Schools of Michigan teamed up with Delta Dental to give away backpacks filled with school and dental supplies to students of all ages at the local high school. They also educated students and families about how to find dentists in their area.

I want families to take away from this event that they have resources too, not just their child. Often we focus so much on the child that we forget about the struggles parents face—whether that's mental health, physical health, transportation, or basic needs. That's what Communities In Schools is here for: to support the whole community.

-Corey Neeley, CIS of Michigan Student Support Coordinator

CIS understands how much feeling and looking your best matters when it comes to showing up for school, and good oral health and hygiene play an important part in that. Research shows dental pain and poor oral health are top reasons children miss school or struggle with academic performance.

“By giving students the supplies, education and access to care they need, we’re doing more than providing new backpacks—we’re helping build brighter futures,” said Margaret Trimer, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Delta Dental of Michigan

Read about the event.