Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania Receives Funding to Expand Resources and Supports to More Students

HARRISBURG, Pa. (August 15, 2023) – Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania (CISPA) has been awarded $219,000 in Scaling for Success funding for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year to expand their integrated student supports model into five more schools in three districts across the Commonwealth.

The first round of Scaling for Success funding distributed to Communities in Schools affiliates totals $13 million of the $165 million Ballmer investment. In February 2023, Ballmer Group committed to help Communities in Schools scale its integrated student support model to 1,000 new majority low-income schools. The funding is designed to catalyze local public and private investment in the model through a 1:1 match requirement over the first three years and commitments to sustain the work long-term.

The Scaling for Success investment enables Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with school districts and local schools, to provide critical coordinated resources to students through a trained professional who can help connect them to supports and services they need to succeed in school and beyond. CISPA plans to expand their programming to five schools: two in The School District of the City of York, two in Lebanon School District, and one in the Susquehanna Township School District.

“CISPA is thrilled to be receiving this transformational investment that will impact countless students,” said Lyndsey Sturkey, Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania’s Vice President. “It truly speaks to the success of the ISS model and the strength of our Central PA programs. We are most excited to now be serving every school in both The School District of the City of York and Susquehanna Township School District. CISPA is so grateful for the support of our district partners and for their belief in our program.”

With the increased presence of Communities in Schools nationwide, Title I schools are directly impacted through the nonprofit’s proven ISS model. This results in positive outcomes of student success, increased attendance and engagement and more students graduating from high school. During the 2022-2023 school year, 76% of CISPA’s case-managed students improved both their attendance and academics and 81% improved their behavior.

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About Communities in Schools of Pennsylvania

CISPA is part of the national Communities in Schools network, which operates in 25 states and the District of Columbia and serves more than 1.8 million youth annually. Communities in Schools’ holistic approach addresses both the academic and nonacademic needs of students and recognizes that if basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter are not met, children are unable to learn. Learn more at www.cisofpa.org.

About Ballmer Group 

Ballmer Group is committed to improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States, funding leaders and organizations that have demonstrated the ability to reshape opportunity and reduce systemic inequities. We focus on multiple impact areas and systems that can impact economic mobility - such as early learning, K-12 education, college and career pathways, housing, behavioral health, and criminal justice - and we support leaders and organizations that focus on undoing systemic racism and the barriers it has created. Ballmer Group is both a national and regional funder – we have a presence and invest deeply in southeast Michigan, Washington State, and Los Angeles County. Ballmer Group was co-founded by philanthropist Connie Ballmer and her husband Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, founder of USAFacts, and chairman of the Los Angeles Clippers. Learn more at www.ballmergroup.org.

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