Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania Expands Programming in Cambria County
EBENSBURG, Pa. and JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (Sept. 15, 2022) – Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania (CISPA) is thrilled to announce the expansion of CISPA programming in Cambria County. Through formal partnerships with two new entities, Cambria County Child Development Corporation and Central Cambria School District, CISPA will launch its programs at Morrell Neighborhood Preschool and Central Cambria Middle School.
Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania (CISPA) began in 1994 as a statewide advocacy and fundraising organization, working to support accredited CIS affiliates in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and the Lehigh Valley. In 2014, CISPA launched its first school-based programs in the School District of the City of York.
Since then, CISPA has grown to serve 25 schools across 11 school districts. The mission of CISPA is to “surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.”
Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania brokers and develops community school programs such as mentoring/tutoring, after-school programming, individualized interventions, future planning and family assistance. During the ’21-’22 school year, CISPA served 16,035 students though Tier 1 or whole school supports and distributed 45,153 basic item needs (clothing, food, hygiene and school supplies).
"The expansion of CISPA programming in Pennsylvania’s southwestern region is exciting not only for our organization, but more importantly the students and families we will serve at these new sites,” said Tim Grose, CISPA’s Johnstown/Somerset Program Manager. “As always, our plan is to build a strong relationship that will produce positive outcomes for the students, families and surrounding community."
Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania now partners with 3 educational entities in Cambria County, serving 5 individual school sites. This includes Greater Johnstown Elementary School, Greater Johnstown Middle School and Greater Johnstown High School. Students who attend Morrell Neighborhood Preschool often continue their education at Greater Johnstown Elementary School, meaning CISPA will now offer a full continuum of care from preschool through high school within the Greater Johnstown School District.
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About Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania
Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania (CISPA) is an affiliate of the national Communities in Schools network, which operates in 27 states and the District of Columbia and serves more than 1.2 million youth annually. Communities in Schools’ holistic approach addresses both the academic and nonacademic needs of students. Communities in Schools recognizes that if basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter are not met, children are unable to learn.
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