Have you ever been in a position in your life where obstacles got in the way of your schooling? Maybe you had trouble receiving a healthy meal. Maybe you had trouble studying and needed a tutor. CIS Kids is making a difference for students in this way! CIS Kids (short for Communities in Schools) is a national non-profit organization that focuses on K-12 dropout prevention + student support.

Damewood Designs is proud to say we were able to give a $500 donation to this organization. That donation could be going to clothing, school supplies, personal care for students, all of the above and more! Today we’re diving into the history of CIS Kids and why we decided to donate to this organization.

CIS Kids was founded in 1977 by Bill Miliken. His goal was to bring a community inside of our schools to remove barriers that get in the way of student learning.

Bill Miliken is not your average company CEO. He moved to Harlem in 1960 and lived there until 1971. That is where he got his education. According to him, he is a slow learner. However, his time in Harlem taught him five things. Those five things are what CIS is built around!

Relationships change people. Not programs.

Bill was able to experience what it was like having someone there, with him, helping and believing in him when he needed it most when living in Pittsburgh. When he went out into the world, he didn’t have much knowledge. However, he had love in his corner. Someone being around him, telling him the good things he needed to hear to elevate his life. Sound familiar? That’s what CIS Kids does! Creating a community that young people need to thrive.

2. Kids want to know that someone really cares, someone really believes.

Have you ever heard the saying “it takes a village to raise a child?” It’s true. Coordinating a healthy, safe and caring community is important.

3. Teaching them a marketable skill.

The love and support CIS Kids was giving to the youth made the kids really want to make it and go somewhere in their lives. However, some of the kids had gotten kicked out of school. An 8th grade education for 16 and 17 year olds. Bill asked himself, '“how can we love kids but not give them a marketable skill?”

4. A chance to give back!

Bill and his team realized one of the greatest gifts they could offer to young people was a chance to give back. That they needed to be part of the change and take charge. The youth didn’t want to feel like they were being helped, they wanted to feel like they were a part of the community. That community is CIS Schools!

5. A healthy life.

This one was actually added a bit later during a presidential summit. One of the CIS Kids board members decided they needed to gather all of the living presidents and Mrs. Reagan to create a summit. The purpose of this was to raise the consciousness of the have and the have nots.

Today, CIS Kids has made its way to over 3,500 schools in the United States. 29 states + DC. Over 2 million students are helped every year with this program. That’s a lot of students! Take a look at the infographics below to learn more about the CIS Kids of Ohio impact.

This graphic represents the CIS Kids of Ohio Impact for 2024-2025. As of 2025-2026..

12,763 Families have been engaged.

21,318 Students have been served.

3,290 Whole schools have been supported.

There are 2,671 case-managed students

and a 93% graduation rate with the help of CIS Ohio!

For over 50 years, CIS kids has demonstrated measurable success for students around the country. These 5 key basics are how CIS has been able to create the next generation of leaders. CIS Schools believes every kid should have a meaningful relationship with a caring adult, a safe place, a marketable skill, a chance to give back, and a healthy life. That’s why Damewood Designs donated to CIS Schools!

“It’s not programs that are transforming young people’s lives, it’s relationships. A great program simply creates the environment for healthy relationships to form between adults and children. Young people thrive when adults care about them on a one-to-one level and when they also have a sense of belonging to a caring community.” - Quote from Bill Miliken

Student Centered Programming

CIS Of Ohio employs site coordinators to take on big projects that truly make a difference in young lives. One project in particular called Operation Warm provided 480 new winter coats to students in need. CIS of Ohio doing this for students takes a worry off of the plate of parents and the student. Now, there’s no worry on whether or not a student will be able to be warm throughout the winter. They’re now able to focus their attention on their studies and excelling in school. That is just one of the projects that CIS of Ohio has organized that made a difference. Check out these infographics to learn about their other projects!

Fundraising Event: Adult ABCS

On October 22nd, CIS of Ohio hosted a fundraising event at High Bank Distillery in Grandview,
Ohio. Damewood Designs was able to attend and celebrate the CIS schools mission, connect with other supporters, and raise funds to help students thrive by auctioning off speciality bottles! They put the fun in fundraising this night. There was even a live artist named Lashae Boyd who was painting at the entrance of the event!

After taking a look at what CIS kids is about, can’t you see why Damewood Designs would donate to this organization? This organization is empowering the youth. The event we went to last night was just a little glimpse into what they do. Helping the youth through meaningful relationships, really caring, teaching them a marketable skill, giving them a chance to give back, and overall assisting them in leading a healthy life is what Damewood advocates for and wants to see more of in the world. Kids deserve adults who show up. That’s why we became a CIS Kids of Ohio sponsor!

Want to get involved?

There are a few different ways to get involved with CIS Kids of Ohio.

Volunteering

Volunteering with CIS Kids is a rewarding and helpful way to give back and make a positive impact on a child’s life. Thousands of Ohio children from elementary school aged to high school aged are helped each year due to the assistance given to them by volunteers. Opportunities to give back include test prep, reading to a child, and supporting them in achieving their goals. If you’ve never done something like this before. Don’t worry! There is training and coaching available that can be tailored to your strengths, passions, and school/grade preferences so you are able to be matched with a student who’s eager to meet you!

2. Donating

Would you like to get involved but you don’t have time to spare? Consider a donation instead! CIS of Ohio offers donation packages that stem from $5,000 to as little as $50. Worried about where the money could be going? Don’t worry. The donation page on their website lists out where your donation is going! You could be providing incentive items to motivate struggling students or you could be funding a full time High School Site Coordinator to provide individual student supports to at least 65 students that are at risk.

Want to learn more about becoming a volunteer or donating? Click here!

3. Career Advancement

Would you like to get involved but volunteering and donating isn’t peaking your interest? Are you looking for a new job opportunity and love to help students? CIS of Ohio has job opportunities available for a School Site Coordinator in Grove City and a Prevention and Intervention specialist. Interested in learning more about these opportunities? Check out this link!

“Our students and families need people to help them navigate all the rough waters that can come along in the 7th and 8th grade. Our CIS Site Coordinators provide that help and much, much more.

We have students who are thriving due to our coordinators’ efforts to mentor them through the hard times and celebrate the little wins along the way. CIS plays an invaluable role at FMS.” - Testimonial from Principal Tyler Winner of Finland Middle School

CIS Kids, Behind The Communities In Schools

Relationships change people. Not programs.