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Communities In Schools and CareSource Launch Pledge to Be Present for Back-to-School Attendance Initiative

Aug. 27, 2025

Partnership will engage 11,000 students through activations focused on student success

CONTACT: Whitney Faison, [email protected], 315-420-6049 

Communities In Schools® (CIS®), the nation's leading provider of K-12 school-based integrated student supports, announced its Pledge to Be Present back-to-school initiative in partnership with CareSource

Kicking off September 2, students, CIS site coordinators, teachers, counselors, and parents are invited to show their commitment to regular attendance through a signed pledge

“We’re pleased to support CIS in this effort to support families and schools in improving attendance and securing a better future for students,” said Angie Carey, AVP, Community Partnership and Engagement, CareSource. “As school officials and site coordinators monitor attendance improvement with struggling students, they will be recognized for their achievements of showing up, prepared and ready to learn.”

As the Pledge to Be Present initiative launches, it ties into National Attendance Awareness Month and addresses the chronic absenteeism epidemic, which has been the focus of CIS’ national marketing campaign “Being Present Matters”. 

Pledge to Be Present events will take place at participating schools supported by CIS affiliate organizations, including Communities In Schools of Indiana, Communities In Schools of Ohio, and Communities In Schools of Nevada. 

A total of 15 school sites representing 11,000 students from elementary, middle and high schools will be invited to participate during in-person pep rallies, assemblies, or community events to encourage students and their communities to pledge to be present this school year.  

“We hope this initiative will bring attention and awareness to the nationwide epidemic of chronic absenteeism and the unique ways CIS is creating relationships with students to help them stay in school and move forward with determination, accountability and success,” said CIS Director of Marketing Jack Hardy. “We’re also thrilled to have the support of CareSource whose partnership has helped make this possible.” 

As part of Communities In Schools’ Being Present Matters awareness campaign, Pledge to be Present encourages every student (grades K-12), to commit to consistent school attendance, fostering a culture of accountability and emphasizing the role of attendance in academic success and graduation. Communities In Schools aims to gather a total of 2,500 signatures by Sept. 30. Parents and adult supporters are encouraged to sign the online pledge here.
 

About Communities In Schools  
Communities In Schools® (CIS®) is a national organization that ensures every student, regardless of who they are, has what they need to realize their potential in school and beyond. Working directly inside more than 3,000 schools across the country, we connect students to caring adults and community resources that help them see, confront, and overcome the barriers that stand between them and a brighter future. Together, we build a powerful change movement made up of peers, students, and alumni committed to building an equitable path to education for future generations.

About Being Present Matters
The Being Present Matters campaign from Communities In Schools® (CIS®) is calling roll on the 14 million students who were absent from school last year. Many students face challenges with safety, transportation, mental or physical health, food insecurity or household responsibilities such as childcare or needing to work. Communities In Schools offers a unique solution to combat chronic absenteeism through trained, caring adults—site coordinators—who address and find solutions to the many barriers affecting students’ ability to be present in school. 

Follow us for news @communitiesinschools on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, @cisnational on X (formerly Twitter) or with the hashtag #BeingPresentMatters.

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