COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS, HOUSTON
I just can’t say enough about this great organization, and the impact they’re making. The mission of Communities In Schools Houston is simply to help kids stay in school and to prepare them for life. There are countless kids around Houston that are still in school today as a direct or indirect result of CIS Houston.
Melissa Simon is one of the competent, passionate and authentic leaders at CIS Houston. Melissa turned to LOUD! Creative when it was time to re-think their online presence and email marketing efforts. They knew they needed a website that better reflected who they were, and they knew they needed to be empowered to keep their website relevant and up to date. Listed below is Melissa’s response to a few of my recent questions.
1. Please introduce Communities In Schools Houston to our audience.
Communities In School Houston, Inc (CIS) is the only comprehensive, campus-based, dropout-prevention program in Houston. Begun on one campus in 1979, CIS addresses the academic, physical, and emotional needs of at-risk students on a year-round basis by placing project managers on the school campus. CIS reaches students who are at the greatest risk of dropping out of school by offering six core services as well as several special and emergency service programs, including Project MOVE (Mobile Operations Vehicle for Everybody) Dental, Behavioral Health Intervention programs, the CIS Summer Youth and Employment Program, the emergency needs program, and holiday gifts.
Our costs are low ($184/student/year) and our outcomes prove that the program works: last school year, 99 percent of case managed students remained in school, 85 graduated, and 86 percent saw improvements in academics, behavior and attendance.
2. What are some examples of your outreach?
CIS currently operates programs in 90 Houston-area schools in five school districts (Aldine, Alief, Fort Bend, Houston, and Spring Branch). We partner with over 250 area community based agencies, city/county offices, and other entities to provide services to more than 35,000 at-risk youth per year.
3. Please describe how your new website and email marketing; created by LOUD! Creative, added value to CIS Houston.
The new website and monthly email newsletter has helped CIS pull together its efforts at awareness (both about drop-out and about CIS services) through logo/brand recognition and consistent messages.
CIS was awarded the 2007 Silver Excalibur Award for Excellence for our Marketing, PR and Awareness Campaign.
4. How would you describe your experience and relationship with LOUD! Creative?
The staff at Loud! Creative helped us to pull out our ideas and make them a reality. They answer our questions and have been eager to help us as we move forward with our marketing/PR ideas.