Back in the Classroom. Back on Track.

The Backpack They Can’t Put Down

There’s something a lot of people don’t see when a student walks through the school doors in

the morning.

They see the backpack. They see the clothes, the sneakers, maybe the tired eyes. What they

don’t always see is everything else that student is carrying — the instability at home, the

skipped meals, the worry that has nothing to do with homework and everything to do with

making it through the day.

At Communities In Schools of the Gulf South, we see it. And more importantly — we do

something about it.

We Work Where It Matters Most: Inside Schools

CIS Gulf South doesn’t operate from a distance. We put trained Site Coordinators inside

schools, where they can build real relationships with students, earn trust, and actually

understand what’s happening in a young person’s life.

When a student is struggling, our coordinators don’t just hand them a pamphlet. They sit down,

listen, and figure out what’s really going on — then connect that student and their family with the

support that addresses it.

That might look like:

• Tutoring or academic support

• Help accessing food, clothing, or other basic needs

• Mental health resources and social-emotional support

• Family outreach and engagement

• Connections to community programs and services

This model — called integrated student supports — is built on a simple truth: you can’t teach a

hungry kid. You can’t reach a student who doesn’t feel safe. And you can’t graduate a teenager

who stopped showing up months ago.

When Students Stop Coming to School

Chronic absenteeism is one of the most significant — and least visible — barriers to student

success. When a student misses school repeatedly, it rarely starts as indifference. It starts with

a problem that no one helped them solve.

That’s the heart of CIS Gulf South’s Truancy Re-Engagement Program, developed in

partnership with Families in Need of Services and the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court.

Instead of waiting for the situation to become a legal issue, the program steps in early —

reaching out to families, asking questions, and working to understand what’s standing between

that student and the classroom. Transportation? Family crisis? Fear? Unmet mental health

needs?

Whatever it is, the program works to address it — helping students find their way back to school

and giving families the support they need to keep them there.

Thanks to support from Baptist Community Ministries, this program is growing — reaching more

schools, more students, and more families who need it.

Why GiveNOLA Day Matters for Students Like These

Programs like this take people. They take relationships, time, and sustained presence in a

child’s life.

And they take community investment.

GiveNOLA Day — the region’s largest single day of charitable giving — is one of the most

powerful ways our community comes together to fund the work that doesn’t make headlines but

changes lives.

When you give to CIS Gulf South on GiveNOLA Day, you’re not just making a donation. You’re

telling a student in this city that their community believes in them.

Your gift helps:

• Keep Site Coordinators in schools, building relationships students can count on

• Expand our reach into more schools across Greater New Orleans

• Address real barriers — from absenteeism to basic needs — before they become crises

• Create pathways to graduation for students who might otherwise fall through the cracks

An Investment in All of Us

When students graduate, communities thrive. When kids are supported, neighborhoods are

stronger. The work CIS Gulf South does inside the school’s ripples out far beyond the

classroom.

This GiveNOLA Day, support our students now to build a better tomorrow for our communities.

Donate at: cisgulfsouth.org | Communities In Schools of the Gulf South | GiveNOLA Day

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Communities In Schools of the Gulf South do?

Communities In Schools of the Gulf South works directly inside schools to help students

overcome the challenges that keep them from succeeding. Trained Site Coordinators are placed

inside schools where they build relationships with students and families, identify barriers to

learning, and connect them with the right support — whether that’s academic help, access to

basic needs, mental health resources, or family outreach. The goal is simple: keep students

engaged and on track to graduate.

How is CIS Gulf South different from other education nonprofits?

Most education organizations work from the outside — providing programs or services that

students have to seek out. CIS Gulf South works from the inside. By placing staff directly inside

schools, the organization can identify students who are struggling before problems become

crises, build the kind of trust that leads to real change, and deliver support that is tailored to

each school’s specific community.

What is chronic absenteeism and why does it matter?

Chronic absenteeism means a student is missing enough school — typically 10 percent or more

of the school year — that their learning and long-term outcomes are seriously affected. It is one

of the strongest early warning signs that a student is at risk of dropping out. What makes it tricky

is that it rarely starts as indifference. It usually starts with an unaddressed problem —

transportation, family stress, health, safety, or unmet basic needs — that no one has helped the

student solve.

What is the Truancy Re-Engagement Program and how does it work?

The Truancy Re-Engagement Program is a CIS Gulf South initiative developed in partnership

with Families in Need of Services and the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court. Rather than treating

chronic absenteeism as a discipline issue, the program asks a different question: what is getting

in the way? Outreach workers connect directly with families, identify the root causes behind a

student’s absences, and work to address them — helping students return to school and stay.

The program is supported by Baptist Community Ministries and is currently expanding to reach

more schools across the region.

How does donating to CIS Gulf South on GiveNOLA Day make a difference?

GiveNOLA Day donations go directly toward the work CIS Gulf South does inside schools every

day — funding Site Coordinators, expanding school partnerships, and supporting the programs

that address real barriers to student success. Gifts at every level make an impact: $25 helps

connect a student with resources, $50 supports family outreach, $100 funds direct student

intervention, and $250 or more helps expand partnerships to more schools across Greater New

Orleans.

How can I support Communities In Schools of the Gulf South beyond GiveNOLA

Day?

The most impactful thing you can do right now is give on GiveNOLA Day at cisgulfsouth.org or

the GiveNOLA Day platform. Beyond that, you can follow CIS Gulf South on social media to

stay connected to the work, share GiveNOLA Day posts with your own network, or reach out

directly to learn about volunteer and partnership opportunities. Every connection to this