Communities In Schools of Washington Marks 35 Years, Now Reaching More Than 144,000 Statewide Students Annually
Yearlong Anniversary Includes Alumni Impact, Community ‘Birthday’ Celebration and a Signature Gala in May 2027
TACOMA, Wash.— Communities In Schools of Washington (CISWA) is celebrating its 35th year of showing up for Washington’s students and connecting young people and their families with the community resources that remove barriers to learning and help students thrive. Founded on Nov. 4, 1991, CISWA has grown from an effort launched by Puget Sound business and education leaders into a statewide network of 12 affiliates. Today, that network reaches more than 144,000 students across 212 schools in 49 school districts.
Communities In Schools® and Communities In Schools of Washington has and continues to make a difference, not only in students’ lives, but also in their families and in the communities we serve and have impacted over the past 35 years,” said Gwynth R. Nelson, CEO and State Executive Director of CISWA. “We meet students where they are. We don’t go into schools saying, ‘This is what we think you need.’ We go in and do a comprehensive assessment of what is needed.”
Needs can look different from community to community. The greatest concern may be chronic absenteeism, transportation, mental illness, homelessness, food insecurity or another issue. Once identified, CIS teams can go in and reduce the gap between what is needed and what resources and are available to meet those needs. Site coordinators show up every day for the Washington students that are a part of the network to go above and beyond identifying the challenges and implementing solutions.
Local Roots, Statewide Reach
The Communities In Schools movement traces its roots to 1977, when founder Bill Milliken advanced a model centered on bringing community resources directly into schools. Fourteen years later, Boeing, Costco and a coalition of Washington business and education leaders brought that model to Washington, with the first CIS affiliate established in the state on Nov. 4, 1991.
Over the decades, the network expanded across both sides of the Cascades, bringing the CIS model to rural, suburban and urban communities. Major philanthropic investments helped accelerate that growth, including a $5.85 million collective gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott in 2022 to CISWA and three Washington affiliates, and a $9 million investment from Ballmer Group in 2023 designed to expand and deepen CIS services in 45 schools and reach more than 64,000 students by 2028.
Recent research has also added new evidence of the Communities In Schools model’s long-term impact. Research led by scholars affiliated with Cornell University and the EdRedesign Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education examined the effect of CIS personalized student supports in high-poverty schools. The research found improvements in standardized test scores, high school completion and adult earnings. Earlier findings reported that three years of CIS exposure increased high school graduation by 5.2% over baseline and two-year college enrollment by 9.1% among students identified by researchers as high-risk.
A CIS Alumnus Returns Home
For Adolfo Vela, the impact of CIS relationships is personal. Vela is a CIS alumnus who now serves as a CIS site coordinator for the Waterville School District, in a small, close-knit wheat-farming community in eastern Washington. As a student, he was first introduced to CIS by his Site Coordinator, Edgar Salamanca. According to Vela, this relationship changed the trajectory of his life and encouraged him to pursue college.
Salamanca worked with Vela and his friends on scholarship and student aid applications. Before that, Vela wasn’t convinced college was part of his future.
“Edgar is one of the reasons I went to college,” said Vela. “I did not think I would go to college right after high school. He helped us fill out scholarships and the FAFSA… that was the first step. I got motivated.”
Vela graduated from Waterville in 2020, attended Wenatchee Valley College and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Eastern Washington University. He stayed connected with Salamanca, who now serves as Program Director for Communities In Schools of North Central Washington. After college, the relationship ultimately helped bring Vela back to Waterville — this time as the CIS Site Coordinator at the same school where he had once received support.
Today, Vela works one-on-one with students on goals related to attendance, behavior and coursework while also providing broader schoolwide support. His work has included college visits and college-readiness activities, attendance initiatives, weekend meal bags, clothing and the everyday relationship-building that helps students know they have someone they can turn to.
As the site coordinator, I set goals with students. I have a relationship with the community, so I can intervene, talk directly to and support both them and their families,” said Vela. “I don’t judge them. My job is to be there for them.”
Built on Partnership
CISWA’s community-rooted model has also drawn committed supporters. Current Board Chair Heather Andersen first learned about the organization during the COVID-19 pandemic. As her own family navigated school disruptions, Andersen said she became increasingly aware that her children had resources, such as reliable internet and support at home, that many other students did not. She and her husband began looking for an organization working directly with students who did not have those same supports. Their search led them to CISWA.
After attending a virtual fundraising event and learning more about the organization, they became donors. Andersen later joined the Board of Directors and now serves as Board Chair.
“Partnerships are why we’ve been sustainable,” said Andersen. “We’ve managed to create partnerships that show true necessity and impact. We have numbers that show impact. We can tell you how many students, how many schools, where we’re at and what we’ve done.”
The Next 35 Years
Looking ahead, Nelson said CISWA’s next chapter is about both growth and sustainability: expanding the network into areas of Washington where CIS is not yet present while ensuring existing programs have the resources to endure.
“The vision for CISWA is to grow to reach more students, be sustainable and create a presence in territories throughout Washington state where CISWA is not yet present,” said Nelson. “It requires increased advocacy, establishing new partnerships in school systems and with superintendents, principals and teachers and attracting more donors and partners by telling our story. I want to see CIS of Washington grow and sustain so that we can reach more students, more families and more communities.”
Anniversary Celebrations
Throughout the anniversary year, CISWA will share stories and reflections from alumni, Site Coordinators, staff, partners and others whose lives and communities have been shaped by the organization’s work. The storytelling campaign will highlight both CISWA’s 35-year history and the relationships at the center of the Communities In Schools model.
A celebratory birthday event for the CISWA community is being planned for early 2027, followed by a 35th Anniversary Gala slated for Saturday, May 8, 2027. Additional details to both events will be sent out to newsletter subscribers over the coming weeks.
About Communities In Schools of Washington
Communities In Schools® (CIS®) is a national organization that ensures every student, regardless of race, zip code, or socioeconomic background, has what they need to realize their potential in school and beyond. CIS began operating in Washington in 1991 to help provide resources to meet basic needs of students so they could fully benefit from their education. The Washington CIS network now includes the CIS of Washington state office and 12 affiliates. Working directly inside over 200 schools in Washington state, this network connects students to caring adults and community resources that help them see, confront, and overcome the barriers that stand between them and a brighter future. Together, we build a powerful change movement made up of peers, students, and alumni committed to building an equitable path to education for future generations.