Our story began early in 2017, when First Lady Cathy Justice decided that Communities In Schools would be her primary initiative. After months of intense planning by the West Virginia Department of Education staff and with a budget proposed by Governor Justice and approved by the West Virginia Legislature, CIS West Virginia was initiated. We began our journey in three counties in 2018, and we’re proud to say that with the commencement of the 2022-23 spring school term, we will operate our CIS program in 38 counties throughout West Virginia.
Our mission is simple... meet the basic needs of a child first. If children are hungry, sick, don’t have proper clothing or a bed to sleep in, they can’t be expected to come to school everyday and learn. CISWV is creating solutions to these barriers. Students are coming to school and learning. Grades are improving. We’re helping high school students focus on the next phase of their lives after graduation. Our dream is to have this incredible program in all 55 West Virginia counties by 2025.