Pledge to Be Present: Inspiring Students to Show Up This School Year

When Communities In Schools® (CIS®) launched the Being Present Matters Campaign in 2024, the goal was clear: raise awareness about chronic absenteeism and remind students, families, and communities why showing up to school matters. Now, in the campaign's second year, CIS has taken that message even further with the Pledge to Be Present initiative—a creative, high-impact way to engage students and build a culture of accountability around school attendance. 

"We started thinking about how to truly engage with students and find creative ways to get them and their communities to be present this school year," said Jack Hardy, Director of Marketing, Communities In Schools National Office. "That's how the Pledge to Be Present initiative evolved. This is a way for CIS to keep engaging with our student population and create an investment in our campaign." 

A Partnership for Impact 

To bring this vision to life, CIS partnered with CareSource for a back-to-school activation that would reach thousands of students across multiple states. Launching on September 2 in conjunction with National Attendance Awareness Month, the Pledge to Be Present initiative invited students in grades K-12, along with teachers, counselors, and parents, to sign a pledge committing to regular school attendance. 

We're pleased to support CIS in this effort to support families and schools in improving attendance and securing a better future for students. 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.

-Angie Carey, AVP, Community Partnership and Engagement, CareSource

Bringing the Pledge to Life Across Three States 

The initiative kicked off at 15 school sites across Communities In Schools of Indiana, Communities In Schools of Ohio, and Communities In Schools of Nevada, reaching approximately 11,000 students through in-person pep rallies, assemblies, and community events. Jennifer Weesner, National Partnership Manager from CareSource was on the ground showing support at events in Nevada and Indiana, meeting with site coordinators and celebrating alongside students. 

Nevada: Building Momentum One School at a Time 

In Nevada, the response was remarkable. Desert Heights Elementary School in Reno launched the initiative on August 26, collecting 180 pledges in the first wave. At West Wendover Elementary School, local Site Coordinator Joana emphasized how much the event was needed. 

The September 12 event at Natchez Elementary School in Wadsworth was particularly outstanding, with the principal and dean of students serving as fantastic ambassadors for both CIS and the Pledge initiative. 

French Ford Middle School took a creative approach with a weeklong event from September 22-26. Site Coordinator Holly teamed up with local educators to create a Pledge to Be Present video which was shown to each class throughout the week. Jennifer from CareSource joined Holly on campus on September 22 to kick off the event.  

Indiana: A Voice for Change 

On September 16, Communities In Schools of Indiana hosted a powerful student engagement event at Lawrence North and Lawrence Central High Schools. The special guest? Ephraim Owens, star of season 24 of "The Voice" and recipient of a four-chair turn during Blind Auditions. 

As a former MSD Lawrence Township student himself, Owens returned to his hometown of Indianapolis to discuss the importance of high school attendance with students who, like him, might be impacted by the national crisis of chronic absenteeism. He encouraged students to pledge to be present and engage with the resources and supports available through the partnership between MSD Lawrence Township and Communities In Schools of Indiana. 

This CareSource-sponsored opportunity was designed to inspire students during Attendance Awareness Month to reach their full potential in school and in life—the very mission statement of Communities In Schools. 

Ohio: Turning Pledges into Pep Rallies 

In Ohio, the initiative sparked creativity and collaboration among site coordinators. Kimberly Robinson, Senior Site Coordinator at an elementary school, transformed the Pledge to Be Present event into a vibrant pep rally for first through fourth graders. 

"There were lots of cheers during the pep rally," shared Kimberly, who has made attendance a cornerstone of her school's culture. Students signed a pledge banner, the principal and gym teacher appeared in a mascot costume, and CareSource Ohio representatives joined in the celebration. 

But the pledge didn't end with the pep rally. Kimberly sent pledge cards home for parents to sign, featured the pledge in the school newsletter, and even had teachers take the pledge. Students who returned their signed pledges received incentives, including credits to shop at the school store. 

The commitment to attendance is visible everywhere. Hallways are lined with posters reminding students about their pledge and the importance of showing up. Each month, Kimberly hosts monthly tier 1 attendance challenges, working closely with the attendance secretary, and has over 100 students per month receiving incentives from the prize box. Items in the box include pencils, balls, and other branded CareSource items, as well as Raising Cane’s kids’ meal coupons. 

In her fourth year at the school, Kimberly has seen attendance increase significantly through intentional strategies: providing transportation for students who need help getting to school, greeting students and families at the front door every morning, and prioritizing parent engagement through programs like dads reading sessions, chat and chew events for families, and financial literacy classes. 

We want to blow the roof off of it when we talk about the pledge events. Our philosophy is making sure that students opt in to school—that school is a place you want to be.

-Frederick Parker, Associate Director of Programs, Communities In Schools of Ohio

CIS of Ohio continued the Pledge to Be Present initiative with additional events at Johnson Park in Columbus, Maple Leaf in Cleveland, and Alliance in Cincinnati.  

The Bigger Picture 

The Pledge to Be Present initiative created an opportunity for the attendance awareness to go further, directly addressing the chronic absenteeism epidemic that has affected schools nationwide. By creating a moment where students, families, and educators come together to acknowledge the value of showing up, CIS is building more than attendance rates—we’re building a culture where presence matters. 

CIS is already planning the roadmap for Pledge to Be Present events in fall 2026. One thing is clear: when students pledge to be present, they're not just committing to attendance. They're investing in their own futures, their communities, and their potential to succeed. 

To learn more about the Being Present Matters campaign or how your school can participate in Pledge to Be Present, contact Jack Hardy, Director of Marketing, Communities In Schools National Office at [email protected].