Communities In Schools of Peninsula - Gig Harbor, WA

Let Gig Harbor’s top real estate agent, Paige Schulte, walk you through town and introduce you to the small business owners of Gig Harbor. Gig Harbor boasts a vibrant downtown scene lined with local business owners along with delicious eats from Uptown to Downtown Gig Harbor. Read on to hear about how Communities In Schools of Peninsula got started here in the harbor.

Communities in Schools was founded in New York City in the 1970s by Bill Millikan. It started as a simple grassroots effort to get kids off the streets and help them graduate, but over the last few decades it has grown into the nation’s largest dropout prevention organization. Communities in Schools focuses on helping children overcome barriers like poverty, social-emotional struggles, racism, and other adverse childhood experiences by bringing community resources into public schools. The organization, which is active in 25 states, took on Communities In Schools of Peninsula (CISP) as an affiliate in 2000 and has been working directly with the schools in Gig Harbor and on the Key Peninsula ever since. 

Communities in Schools of Peninsula, with its 12 full-time staff members, five part-time staff members, over 125 volunteers, and active board of directors, faithfully strives to surround the youth in our region with an exceptional support network by coordinating with teachers and community partners to provide resources that empower students to stay in school and become inspiring future leaders in our community and world. Not only does CISP address the immediate essential needs of students such as food and clothing, they offer support options like academic tutoring, counseling, behavioral interventions, family engagement events, parenting classes, college and career readiness, enrichment activities, technology and digital navigation assistance, and even a dog therapy program.

By helping the most vulnerable children and families in our region, Communities in Schools of Peninsula is building stronger, healthier, and more economically stable neighborhoods. CISP partners with the Peninsula School District as well as dozens of organizations and businesses across the community including Food Backpacks 4 Kids, Children's Home Society of Washington, The Red Barn Youth Center, Catholic Community Services, Harbor Christian Center, Chapel Hill, and Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs of Gig Harbor.

Learn more about them here:
Communities In Schools of Peninsula
3123 56th Street NW, Suite 14, Gig Harbor • (253) 884-5733
www.peninsula.ciswa.org

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