Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo

General information

Our mission is simple.

CIS surrounds students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and succeed in life.

Communities In Schools, Inc. is the nation’s largest and most effective organization in addressing the dropout crisis. We place CIS Site Coordinators within the school who connect the right services to the right kids at the right time.

Here in Kalamazoo, thanks to anonymous donors, graduates of Kalamazoo Public Schools have the gift of up to 100% of their college tuition covered at any of Michigan’s state colleges, universities, or private colleges affiliated with the Michigan Colleges Alliance. Known as The Kalamazoo Promise®, this scholarship has been a catalyst for our community to step up as never before. We meet people every day who, inspired by this awesome gift, are giving back—as volunteers, donors, partners, and staff—to make certain students are able to use the Kalamazoo Promise® to achieve their dreams.

“If you think of education as a pathway, we’re just getting rid of all the bumps in the road that get in the way of using The Kalamazoo Promise.®”
– Pam Kingery, Executive Director, Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo

Thanks to dedicated community support, CIS surrounds kids with whatever it takes so they can start strong and keep moving forward.

The work of Communities In Schools of Kalamazoo is supported by the Kalamazoo Public Schools, the City of Kalamazoo, the Michigan Department of Education (21st Century Community Learning Centers), local foundations, and individual donors like you.