Communities In Schools of South Carolina

Meet our Upstate Director of Programming, Erin Nunley! 👋✨

Erin has been on the CIS team since August 2015. She began her work as a Site Coordinator at Berea Middle School before moving into her current role. She received her BA in Sociology from Lander University and continued on to earn her MA in Youth Development Leadership from Clemson University. Erin uses her vast experience in case management, educational support services, and behavior intervention to support the work of Site Coordinators throughout the Upstate. When not at work, you can catch Erin out walking with her dog or attending a dance fitness class shaking away stress!

🗣 "My favorite thing about Communities In Schools is our ability to genuinely meet people where they are in the pursuit of their goals. We are uniquely positioned to walk alongside students and families through their individual circumstances to align them with the most beneficial resources and supports for their needs. Our students and families are truly at the center of the work that we do and our site coordinators are genuinely invested in seeing each and every person achieve success!"

Meet Lead Site Coordinator, Beth Strickland! 👋✨

Beth started her CIS journey as a volunteer with CIS Brunswick at her old middle school and later joined the Midlands region as part of an elementary afterschool program.

As a site coordinator, she is passionate about helping her students advocate for their own mental health, as well as improving school climate and providing a safe place for rural LGBTQ+ preteens.

A self-proclaimed "data nerd," she was invited to lead a presentation on the Student Portal at the national Student Support Institute online gathering in February of 2022 and won the "Golden Spreadsheet" award at the CISSC Power of One Awards in August. Her favorite part about being a lead site coordinator is helping other site coordinators learn how to use their data to show off just how impactful they really are.

We are so lucky to have Beth on our team!

Meet one of our newest board members, Julie Linton, MD, FAAP! 👋✨

Julie is the Associate Dean for Admissions and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville and Prisma Health Children’s Hospital Upstate. Dr. Linton’s professional work focuses on optimal clinical care, community engagement, and advocacy for policy-level action regarding children in immigrant families, as well as medical work force development to meet the needs of our increasingly diverse communities, with a framework of health equity.

After graduating with a B.S. in psychology from Duke University, Dr. Linton spent 9 months in Panama as part of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, in partnership with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Dr. Linton earned her medical doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, followed by pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Nationally, Dr. Linton serves as the Chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Council on Immigrant Child and Family Health. Dr. Linton is an alumna of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Leaders Program.

🗣 "As a pediatrician, I have witnessed firsthand the incredible work of CISSC in supporting all children in reaching their full potential for health, wellness, and development and am proud to be a Board member to elevate and deepen the impact of this incredible organization."

We are so excited to welcome Julie to the team!

Thank you for illuminating the ️️CIS program, Greenville!✨

Together we honored the students we serve in the Upstate and raised funds to unlock potential, build relationships, and break down barriers for even more. A special thank you to Grove Elementary School's chorus, as well as the Berea Middle Bulldogs robotics team for joining us!

📸 Thank you to our photographer for these wonderful shots, and to all of the volunteers and event sponsors who helped us make the event possible.

Thank you for helping us light up the Lowcountry! 🕯✨

Our gathering at Brittlebank Park honored the students we serve in the Lowcountry - and throughout the state. A special thank you goes out to the student performers from Burke High School, Simmons Pinckney Middle, and Charleston Development Academy Public Charter School! Their performances made the evening so special.

Thank you to Katie Heatley Photography for these beautiful photos, and to all of the volunteers and event sponsors who helped bring this vision to life.

Thankful for the new shoes and socks on 855 students' feet at Ladson Elementary School! 👟✨

We wrapped up our final shoe giveaway of the year with Truist and Samaritan's Feet International. What a joy to partner in such a meaningful way across the state! A special shoutout to Ladson site coordinator, Kirsten Akins, the entire CIS Lowcountry team, and all of the volunteers who made the day a success.

Grateful to be in community with so many who are . 🙏

Thank you for lighting the way, Columbia! 🕯✨

On Sunday night, we gathered to light luminaries in honor of the students we serve across the Midlands. A special thank you to the Columbia High School Chamber Singers and CIS Pom Pom Dance Team for their special performances. We also welcomed ColaJazz – and Richland One Superintendent, Craig Witherspoon, joined them on the saxophone! 🎷 It was the perfect way to kick off . 🎼🎤

📸 Thank you for capturing the evening, Melvonia Taylor Photography!

Meet our Director of Finance, Carlissa Meggett! 👋✨

Carlissa joined the CISSC team in June of 2021 eager to utilize her many talents to help kids stay in school and achieve in life. She has a BA and an MA degree in accounting, and has spent the past five years becoming specialized in both auditing and accounting.

As a mentor of young children herself, Carlissa embodies the CIS mission. Through her work with CIS, Carlissa hopes more students are able to be served. "I enjoy working with CIS because I can be part of a team that makes a difference in kids' lives."

💵 Berea High School Site Coordinator, José Morales-Martinez, is making sure it all adds up for his upperclassmen!

🏦 His 6-week financial literacy program with SouthState Bank allows students to explore different types of financial institutions, practice managing salaries and responding to real-world circumstances, and gain skills to help them feel comfortable opening and managing bank accounts.

Being means preparing them for what lies ahead, and we're grateful for all of the site coordinators who are setting students up for success.

A special thank you to Jon Harris from SouthState Bank for mentoring students throughout the six weeks!

Statewide school program hosts luminary event to honor students, families

Last night was incredible! Feeling grateful for everyone who sponsored luminaries and stopped by to kick off American Education Week with us in Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville. 🕯️✨

We are so excited to let everyone know that we surpassed our goal! Thank you for being . 🎉

Statewide school program hosts luminary event to honor students, families CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – The second annual Illuminating Communities in Schools of South Carolina (CISSC) event was held on the banks of the Ashley River at Brittlebank Park The Communities in Scho…

A sneak peek of tonight’s big events happening in Columbia, Charleston, and Greenville! 👀✨

Drop by your nearest celebration between 6-8pm to kick off American Education Week with us! A HUGE thank you to all of the incredible volunteers who have helped us set up thousands of luminaries across the state.🤩

Unable to join us in-person? There’s still time to help us light the way and double your impact! $10 = $20 thanks to a generous match from the Bartees. 🕯➡ bit.ly/illuminatingcissc

Tomorrow night's events wouldn't be possible without our sponsors from across the state!🕯✨

A huge thank you to these organizations and individuals for illuminating our program and helping us build a community of support for the students we serve.

📣 We're only $5,000 short from unlocking all $25,000 of the match from the Bartees! Can you help us meet this goal? Learn more & light the way ➡️ bit.ly/illuminatingcissc

We hope to see you at one of our celebrations tomorrow night from 6-8pm! 🎉⤵️
🕯 Charleston • Brittlebank Park • 185 Lockwood Dr.
🕯 Columbia • State House Steps • 1100 Gervais St.
🕯 Greenville • Graham Plaza • 300 S Main St.

📣 We're one week away from the big event – and we have HUGE news!

Your donation will now go twice as far thanks to a ✨$25,000 match✨ from longtime supporters and student mentors, Ken & Sue Bartee! Double your impact for students ➡ bit.ly/illuminatingcissc

We hope to see you at one of our celebrations across the state on Sunday, November 13th from 6-8pm!
🕯 Charleston • Brittlebank Park • 185 Lockwood Dr.
🕯 Columbia • State House Steps • 1100 Gervais St.
🕯 Greenville • Graham Plaza • 300 S Main St.

It was a happy Friday, indeed! Thanks to VisitGreenville SC, Feed & Seed Co., Duke's Mayonnaise, and so many wonderful volunteers, our Greenville students celebrated in the most delicious way! 🥪 ✨

Thank you for donating thousands of sandwiches directly to our students.

Another case of happy feet – this time at Grove Elementary School! 👟✨

Thanks to an ongoing partnership with Truist and Samaritan's Feet International, every student received new shoes and socks today. One student even shared that this was the first time they've ever had a brand new pair of shoes. This is the power of partnerships.🤝

A huge shoutout to Lead Site Coordinator, Alex Byrd, for all her hard work to make today happen! It also wouldn't have been possible without all of the volunteers who spent the day fitting shoes and engaging students. 💖

A tremendous thank you to the Exchange Club of Charleston for awarding us with a grant that will allow students at Burke High School to participate in weekly programming focused on goal setting, decision making, and other valuable life skills. 🎉✨

Burke site coordinator, Clinton McPherson, will also teach students leadership skills and the importance of giving back to the community – core values that align with the Exchange Club's mission.

Team members, Rachelle Hall and Michelle Bornfleth, as well as board member Mark Fell attended the annual grantee celebration on our behalf.

Grateful to the organizations who help us surround students with a community of support! 🤝✨

Our program ensures that students have everything they need to succeed – food, access to technology and school supplies, emotional support, and more.

In exactly two weeks, we'll gather at three locations across the state to celebrate the students we serve, and raise funds to grow our impact so even more can benefit from the programming we've delivered in South Carolina for more than 30 years.

🕯✨ Whether you can join us in-person or not, you can help by sponsoring a luminary for $10! Learn more and light the way for students at ➡ bit.ly/illuminatingcissc

Site Coordinator Katie Rush has a new attendance initiative at Mt. Zion Elementary in Johns Island – and it's led to lots of smiles! 😄✨

Students who have no more than one unexcused absence or tardy get the chance to shop at Katie's attendance store the first Friday of every month. The time together also sparks lots of conversations about what attendance is and why it matters.

Improving attendance is essential to the work we do at CIS, and awarding students with small incentives like Katie's initiative does can make all the difference!

Yesterday, we were proud to stand next to two other outstanding programs that are making a positive impact on public education in South Carolina – Clemson University College of Education's Teacher Residency Program and the Furman University Education Department's Upstate Schools Consortium.

We were honored to be a finalist for this year's Dick & Tunky Riley WhatWorksSC Award from the The Riley Institute at Furman, and we congratulate Clemson on their win! 🎉✨

Let's light the way to graduation for students across South Carolina!🕯✨

Sponsor a luminary for $10 and help us honor the 24,500 students we serve at 39 schools. Learn more and light yours ➡ bit.ly/illuminatingcissc22

We hope to see you at one of our celebrations across the state on November 13th, where we'll kick off American Education Week with inspiring student performances and programming! 🎉⤵️

🕯 Charleston • Brittlebank Park
🕯 Columbia • State House Steps
🕯 Greenville • Graham Plaza

Our team had an incredible time attending the Communities In Schools 2022 Leadership Town Hall in Washington DC these past few days!✨

This conference was an opportunity for affiliate leaders to come together from across the country to connect and learn from each other. We are proud to be a part of this network – sharing a common purpose of being and doing whatever it takes to help students succeed. 🤝

Excited to bring what we learned back to South Carolina!

Meet our new board member, Sedrick McCallum! 👋🏾✨

Sedrick first got involved with the CIS program in 2017 when he worked with students in Charlotte on financial literacy. He loved the way students engaged with their site coordinator as a trusted advisor.

🗣 "I went to college with the intent and passion of being an English teacher. After a couple of years in the classroom, I moved on to banking but took some nuggets with me. I understood students are not monoliths and as educators we must provide individualized attention to bring out the best in each student and meet them where they are. CIS has a similar logic. Each student can achieve with the right prescription."

Sedrick joined the SouthState Community Development Team in January 2021 with working knowledge of Community Development and the South Carolina territory. He brings more than 25 years of financial services experience along with an expansive background in business development. In addition to his experience in community development and banking, Sedrick is also an entrepreneur and served in the National Guard as a reservist from 2008 to 2016. Sedrick came to SouthState from Synovus, where he served as Senior Community Development Manager for SC and GA.

We are incredibly proud to welcome Sedrick to the CISSC team!

It was definitely a case of happy feet at Wood Elementary School yesterday! 👟✨

Every student received new shoes and socks thanks to our partners at Truist and Samaritan's Feet International.

We want to extend a special thanks to Wood Elementary CIS Site Coordinator, Cameron Watson, for all her hard work to make this event happen, as well as all of the volunteers who spent the day fitting shoes and engaging students. We ❤️ being !

🍏🫑🍌🥔🍅🍉🧅

At Alexander Elementary Eagles' New Family Orientation, Site Coordinator Josie Moore partnered with Loaves and Fishes Greenville, LiveWell Greenville, and Swamp Rabbit Cafe and Grocery to host a free Fresh Foods Market for families. 🛒✨

Every day, we surround students and families with a community of support in and out of the classroom. We're incredibly thankful for the organizations helping us deliver wraparound services!

Mark your calendars! 📆✨

We'll be lighting the way for students across the state on Sunday, November 13th at our annual event – Illuminating Communities In Schools of South Carolina!🕯

Join us from 6-8pm to celebrate the kickoff of American Education Week with inspirational programming and student performances, and help us light the way to graduation for a CIS student by sponsoring a luminary for $10. Learn more ➡ https://bit.ly/illuminatingcissc

We hope to see you at one of our celebrations across the state! 🎉⤵️
🕯 Charleston • Brittlebank Park • 185 Lockwood Dr. Charleston, SC 29403
🕯 Columbia • State House Steps • 1100 Gervais St. Columbia, SC 29208
🕯 Greenville • Graham Plaza • 300 S Main St. Greenville, SC 29601

Meet our Director of Development for the Upstate, Michael Arsiniega! 👋✨

Mike may be new to the role, but he isn’t new to Communities In Schools. He was a site coordinator at Berea Middle School for more than two years before joining the development team. Mike has been in the field of education for more than a decade – working first as an outdoor educator, then a zoo educator, and finally as a middle school science teacher before joining the CIS team.

🗣 "Site coordinators are the absolute backbone of CIS. They are the people who students know and trust. To know that kids are counting on you to help them process and carry their burdens isn't always easy. That’s why I take my new role as a Director of Development very seriously – there is just so much at stake. Every day, I aim to take care of our team so that they have every resource they need to take care of students and their families."

📝 Hear more from Mike in his opening note of our latest newsletter ➡ https://conta.cc/3yhG96i

Attendance is the 'A' in our ABCs! 🔤✨

We know that addressing the root causes of absenteeism, offering personalized interventions, and awarding students with incentives can make all the difference.

For Attendance Awareness Month, volunteers from Colonial Life spent time at Sandel Elementary welcoming students to school and handing out incentives to celebrate. 🎉

Through our model of Integrated Student Supports, we're proud to work alongside school districts, administrators, and community partners to holistically target and address any barriers that students face when trying to attend school.