News and Awards
Harvard-Cornell study shows Integrated Student Supports programs deliver significant academic and economic returns in Central Texas
Communities In Schools of Central Texas and community leaders celebrate success of integrated student supports programs
AUSTIN, Texas — Communities In Schools of Central Texas, State Rep. Brad Buckley, Travis County Judge Andy Brown, and Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, gathered today to discuss new research highlighting the benefits of an integrated student supports model that places trained site coordinators inside high-poverty schools to connect students with tutoring, mentoring, health care, nutrition and housing resources. According to the study conducted by Opportunity Insights in partnership with The EdRedesign Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, benefits of integrated student support include improved attendance, increased test scores and higher graduation rates for Central Texas public school students, ultimately driving long-term economic impact. Three years of exposure to Communities In Schools (CIS) integrated student support model increases lifetime earnings by more than $75,000 (which is $36,000 in present-day value) and generates $7,100 in additional lifetime federal tax revenue.
Communities In Schools Celebrates School Leaders at Principal and Partnership Appreciation Luncheon
On Friday, February 13, Communities In Schools of Central Texas hosted its annual Principal and Partnership Appreciation Luncheon, honoring the school leaders who make student success possible every day through collaboration, leadership and an unwavering commitment to students.
This year’s gathering was especially meaningful as CIS celebrated 40 years of being All in for Kids across Central Texas, alongside more than 400 education and community leaders representing nine partner districts: Austin, Del Valle, Elgin, Hays, Lockhart, Manor, San Marcos, Taylor and Harmony Public Schools.
Sharon Vigil On 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Lead A Nonprofit Organization
Authority Magazine Editorial Staff 2-12-26
Leadership, to me, is the willingness to notice where the wall exists and to show up with a ladder.
As a part of our series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Sharon Vigil.
Sharon Vigil believes in the wisdom of young people and the strength of community. She understands that students bring their own brilliance into the world, and that loving, committed adults help create the conditions for that brilliance to thrive. As CEO of Communities In Schools of Central Texas, Sharon has dedicated her life’s work to naming oppressive systems and partnering with communities to eliminate them.
CIS Featured in The Atlantic: The Program That’s Turning Schools Around
By Annie Lowrey, Staff Writer at The Atlantic | This article was posted on January 28, 2026, in The Atlantic.
On a chilly day before Christmas, Teresa Rivas helped a tween boy pick out a new winter coat. “Get the bigger one, the one with the waterproof layer, mijo,” she said, before helping him pull it onto his string-bean frame. Rivas provides guidance counseling at Owen Goodnight Middle School in San Marcos, Texas. She talks with students about their goals and helps if they’re struggling in class. She’s also a trained navigator placed there by a nonprofit called Communities in Schools.
Austin Community College District and Communities In Schools of Central Texas Launch PATHS
Communities In Schools of Central Texas and Austin Community College officially launched the PATHS (Providing Access To Holistic Supports) program at ACC Highland on September 24. PATHS is designed to help students who face economic barriers successfully transition from high school to college — and thrive once there.
The program provides wrap-around services such as housing, childcare, transportation, food, and mental health support, in addition to personalized case management and career pathway guidance. With support from the Greater Texas Foundation and the Sooch Foundation, PATHS will begin at three ACC campuses: Highland, Hays, and Riverside.
CIS CEO Sharon Vigil noted that education is “the economic engine that sustains communities,” while ACC Chancellor Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart emphasized that the partnership ensures students have the resources to not just get to college, but through college.
Communities In Schools of Central Texas will host Food For Thought, our premier tasting event, on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, at ACL Live at the Moody Theater. The evening will be emceed by CBS Austin’s John-Carlos Estrada and Allison Miller.
Expect bites from top Austin restaurants—Aba, Eberly, Ema, Hestia, Lucky Robot, Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill, NÔMADÉ, Serenade, Verdad, Verbena, Revue, Kerbey Lane, Parkside, The Guest House, Il Brutto, Sway, and more—paired with meaningful giving to support CIS services like counseling, tutoring, mentoring, college/career readiness, and basic-needs assistance for students and families.
Tickets & Sponsorships: ciscentraltexas.org/foodforthought
Our CIS team was featured in a Taylor Press article about this school year’s homecoming parade!
“Jason Timmons and Christian Clarke Casarez with Communities in Schools prepare to lead the Taylor Independent School District Homecoming Parade on Oct. 2. The organization representatives say they are ‘new ducks’ in town.”
- Calling all students
- What does being there look like?
- Coming together in community
- Food For Thought
CEO Sharon Vigil shares Back-to-school tips to help families prepare children for a strong start:
- Visit school to become familiar with the campus.
- Make an adventure out of driving the route.
- Re-start bedtime routines to help children get 10 hours of sleep.
- Attendance Matters: Showing Up for Students, Increasing District Dollars
- Recognize Good: CIS Earns 2024 Ethics in Business Award
- The Power of Summer: CIS Supports Students’ Season of Exploration, Discovery
In response to America’s youth mental health crisis, Texas is joining forces with 10 other states, the Schultz Family Foundation, Pinterest and AmeriCorps to recruit, train, and deploy the nation’s first Youth Mental Health Corps to help teenagers access critical mental health resources.
Youth Mental Health Corps AmeriCorps members will serve with Communities In Schools of Central Texas offering case management through weekly one-on-one or small group sessions to students from economically disadvantaged households.
“In the four years since the pandemic closed schools, U.S. education has struggled to recover on a number of fronts, from learning loss, to enrollment, to student behavior. But perhaps no issue has been as stubborn and pervasive as a sharp increase in student absenteeism, a problem that cuts across demographics and has continued long after schools reopened.”
The NY Times spoke with a mom who has worked with Communities in Schools of Central Texas to improve her children’s school attendance.
“Giving people a safe environment to ask for help is key to building the kind of community students need, said Cindy Marten, the U.S. deputy secretary of education.”
The Austin-American Statesman: “US Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten visits Govalle Elementary for SXSW EDU 2024” (photos)
The visit to Govalle Elementary School in East Austin featured a roundtable discussion about the National Partnership for Student Success, a public-private partnership among AmeriCorps, the U.S. Department of Education, The Everyone Graduates Center at John Hopkins University, and leading student support providers, including Communities In Schools. The initiative brings together experienced organizations to recruit, train and engage adults to work closely with parents, educators and others as they drive improved academic and social-emotional outcomes for students.
CIS serves more than 100 schools throughout Central Texas, including 55 AISD campuses.
CIS Program Director Erica Gallardo: Having difficult conversations about traumatic events with your kids
MacKenzie Scott donates $133 million for
in-school support services
Communities In Schools of Central Texas Board Member Patrick Patterson was on Fox 7 Austin to share tips for how parents can prepare students for back to school.
CIS of Central Texas Chief Program Officer, Jen Griffis, on FOX 7 Austin sharing tips about how to prepare students for back to school.
Communities in Schools talks about ending the school year — The end of the school year can be stressful but it’s even more so for many families as they end another year of virtual and hybrid learning. CIS Teen Parent Educator Adriana Bolanos has some tips to help parents and kids stay calm, united, and focused.
Helping students manage emotions in stressful times — Communities in Schools Program Manager Stephanie Hooton from The Impact Center has more on how parents can play a role in helping students thrive in and outside the classroom.
Supporting mental health needs of young people — One in five teens has had a serious mental health disorder at some point in their life. So how do you support the mental health needs of young people? Program Director with Communities in Schools Erica Gallardo has more on what parents and caregivers should look out for and where they can go to find help.
Challenges for students and families after winter storm in Texas, CEO of Communities in Schools of Central Texas Suki Steinhauser on Fox 7 News Austin
Communities In Schools of Central Texas honored as Nonprofit of the Year
The Power of Partnership: Communities In Schools and Hays CISD Principal Lisa Walls
College Day at Allison Elementary
CIS of Central Texas AmeriCorps Member wins All In for Kids Award
