“She’s been more active. I think just a happier child.  She loves being around other kids and being involved in sports and things like that and a lot of her friends are also in the after school program. She loves that." 

Cumberland County CIS Parent

 

Cumberland County

Empowerment Zone

CIS of New Jersey Partnership

Communities In Schools of New Jersey, Inc. (CISNJ), and the Cumberland Empowerment Zone Corporation (CEZC), Inc., share a strong mutual interest in helping young people of Cumberland county successfully learn, stay in school and prepare for life.  CISNJ and the CEZC work together, bringing to bear the material, financial and programmatic resources of the community to accomplish that end.  The CEZC and CISNJ have established a cooperative relationship and a working framework to accomplish that joint purpose.

CISNJ enlists and facilities partnerships within the community from areas of business, health services, enrichment, working with our 21st Century Community Learning Center Sites to enhance teamwork and coordination and providing opportunities for student growth.  Our mutual goal is to assist each of our Learning Centers in providing a safe environment and services whereby student participants show improved outcomes in areas of attendance, learning, behavior and stay in school.  The positive result is a higher graduation rate.

The CEZC has established the 21st Century Community Learning Centers of Cumberland County through a grant from the New Jersey Department of Education.  CISNJ has supported this initiative by serving on the 21st Century Advisory Board, awarding mini-grants, and participating in partnership meetings.  In the past, CISNJ has also assisted with, and supported, the Safe Schools Healthy Students program of the Millville Collaborative during a three-year period between 2003 and 2006.