MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Educators across the state are in Morgantown for the annual Communities in Schools (CIS) conference. The educators heard comments from founder Bill Milliken, Governor Jim Justice and First Lady Cathy Justice.
Communities in Schools is designed to prevent students from dropping out of school. Data from the program shows it is operational in all 55 counties, in 272 schools, and has impacted 114,000 students.
“As Jim would say, we’ve all pulled the rope together,” First Lady Cathy Justice said. “It’s taken everyone in this room to make it happen, and if it weren’t for you, who are in constant contact with the children, you have that one-on-one commitment with them.”
Founder and Vice Chairman of the Program Bill Milliken started the program in 1977 in New York City to provide a stable, supportive, and caring relationship between adults and students. Milliken is a believer that programs really don’t do anything until they have the right people around them to create engagement.
“You know that if a kid doesn’t have hope, they’re going to do one of two things: hurt you, stick a needle in their arm and hurt themselves, or something up their nose,” Milliken said. “So, relationships are the key.”
Last year across the nation, 99 percent of students remained in school, 97 percent were promoted to the next grade, and 96 percent of the seniors graduated or earned a General Education Diploma (GED).
“So, we want to make sure that they have a caring adult, a caring environment, and a successful caring delivery system to deliver the resources where the kids are,” Milliken said.
Milliken said the organization now has an alumni leadership network that includes politicians and business leaders from across the country. Growing that group and seeing the contribution they can make to the program is one of the next chapters for the program.
“A whole generation over the years has come out, and we need to capture them and give them the opportunity to give back,” Milliken said.
A spin-off of the program, “Friends with Paws,” puts therapy dogs in school buildings. The First Lady said the dogs have had an immediate impact on attendance and performance.
“Right now, we’ve placed 32 dogs, and every superintendent in the state has been informed about receiving a dog,” Justice said. “We would love for every school district to have a dog.”