Communities In Schools Announces Speakers and Honorees for Leadership Town Hall Conference in Chicago

Communities In Schools (CIS), the national organization that works inside schools empowering at-risk students to stay in school and on a path to a brighter future, today announced the lineup of national speakers and honorees for its Leadership Town Hall Conference. The event will be held in Chicago on Sept. 18 – 20, 2019 at the Chicago Marriott Downtown.     

Communities In Schools leaders from across the country will join prominent education thought leaders, policy makers and school practitioners to discuss solutions that address both the academic and nonacademic needs of students so they can succeed in school and achieve in life.  Scheduled speakers on Thursday, Sept. 19 include:

·        Harvard University Professor Raj Chetty. Chetty is the Director of Opportunity Insights which uses “big data” to understand how we can give children from disadvantaged backgrounds better chances of succeeding. 

·        National Hockey League Executive Vice President Kim Davis who will lead a discussion on the role of diversity, equity and inclusion in helping students achieve equitable outcomes.

Former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan will be among the presenters on Thursday at a luncheon honoring several education advocates with the “All In For Students Awards”. Honorees include:

• West Virginia Governor James Conley Justice & First Lady Cathy Justice:  The Communities In Schools Policy Champion Award for their endorsement of the largest licensed expansion of Communities In Schools. Read more.

• AbbVie: The Communities In Schools Partner Award for their investment in 24 communities across the country, including Chicago, and bringing integrated student supports to 152 new schools and 100,000 students. Read more.

• Baldwin County School Superintendent Dr. Noris Price: The Education Partner award for her collaboration with Communities In Schools of Milledgeville Baldwin County in providing an array of resources and services to students in need across the district. Read more about Dr. Price here.

• Communities In Schools of Peninsula Site Coordinator Lara Unger: The Communities In Schools Site Coordinator Award for her dedication to improving outcomes for students in keeping them in school and on track towards graduation. Full story here.

• Communities In Schools Alumnus Christopher “CJ” Castellano: The Tomas Carreon and Alonso Guillen Distinguished Service Award, an award presented annually to the alumnus who best demonstrates the importance of giving back to the community. Full story here.

News updates can be found by following @cisnational on Twitter with the hashtag #AllInForKids.

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