H&R Block receives the Shooting Star award for its partnership and donation to CISB. Accepting the award from CISB executive director, Michael Wilson (left) is H&R Block Marketing Coordinator Joanna Castillo.

CISB executive director, Michael Wilson presents the Business Association of the Year award to Bay Area Council on Drugs and Alcohol. Accepting the award is Maderith Vanessa Ayala.

At its end-of-the year celebration, Communities in Schools of Baytown
(CISB) honored community volunteers and businesses for their time, support and endeavors with dropout prevention and intervention. CISB board president, Laura Acosta (left) and Michael Wilson, CISB executive director
(right) present Jim Wadzinski of Community Toyota with the Volunteer of the Year award.

Baytown, TX – For parents who are looking for new experiences for your children this summer, Communities in Schools of Baytown (CISB) will offer a variety of summer camps for boys and girls ages 10-14.

During the month of July, CISB will offer 10 camps, which include Camp Move Groove, Camp Sports Skills, Camp REEL, Camp Bling, Camp Culture, Camp CADD, Camp ART, Camp Calypso and Camp CHEF.

All 4-day camps are $75, which cover instructor fees, supplies and facility use. All camps are open to boys and girls. Early registration is encouraged due to enrollment limitations. A camp with enrollment below the minimum set may be cancelled. Camps are filled in the order that completed registration forms and payments are received. Transportation to and from camps will not be provided.

Camp Move & Groove is scheduled for July 8-11 from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Campers will learn several different choreographed dance styles such as hip hop, jazz and modern. Space is limited to 20. For boys and girls looking to improve their athletic performance, a Sports Skills camp will be offered the week of July 8-11 with a morning option from 8:30-11:30 am and an afternoon option from 1:30-4:30 pm.  A second Sports Skills camp will be offered July 15-18.

Campers interested in learning how to make jewelry can register for Camp Bling. Campers will learn basic beading techniques and elements of jewelry design. Camp Bling is scheduled for July 15-18 from 8:30-11:30 am. Space is limited to 15.

At Camp REEL, campers will put on their film critic hats for a blockbuster week of reviewing movies, storylines, character roles and social dynamics. Camp REEL is scheduled for July 15-18 from 1:00-4:30 p.m. Space is limited to 20.

Camp CADD will provide a hands-on introduction to the Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) software used to create technical drawings, computer animation and industrial art. Space is limited to 15.

Camp ART is scheduled for July 22-25 from 1:00-4:30 p.m., and will offer campers the opportunity to create with clay and paint. Campers will learn art techniques, color theory, texture and balance. Space is limited to 15.

Campers can travel to Asia, Germany and Mexico without leaving Baytown. Camp Culture will allow campers to learn about the beauty of these cultures and to appreciate the similarities and differences in norms, values, religion, food, fashion and pop culture. Camp Culture is scheduled for July 22-25 from 9:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Space is limited to 20.

Camp Calypso is scheduled for July 29-Aug.1 from 1:00-4:00 p.m., and will offer campers an opportunity to learn the basics of playing steel drums. Space is limited to 15.

Campers looking to become a top chef can learn the basics of cooking, menu planning, utensil skills and kitchen hygiene by registering for Camp Chef. Space is limited to 15.

Registration for summer camps begins Monday, June 17. For more information or to request camp registration forms, contact Jacqueline Whitaker at 281-425-3322 or email jacqueline.whitaker@gccisd.net.

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The NBLB mentoring program will meet twice a month to provide activities that help young men to focus on developing skills needed to be successful in school and in life such as leadership, social/behavior skills including etiquette classes, teambuilding, and appropriate communication skills through lessons taught on peer mediation; academic tutoring and college/career readiness. The program will offer offsite activities, which include service learning projects, and educational enrichment.

CISB will provide staff to facilitate program services and off site activities, however to provide services to 210 male students, CISB seeks adult volunteers to be mentors, both men and women and will be required to volunteer at minimum one hour a month. Individuals interested in becoming mentors must attend a leadership orientation and brunch on Saturday, March 24 from 10:00 a.m. – Noon at Lee College. The leadership orientation will inform mentors of the NBLB goals, meeting schedule and activities.

For more information or to attend the leadership orientation, contact Executive Director Michael Wilson at 281-425-3305 or email mwilson@gccisd.net

The TQS standards define expectations for effective non-profit business practices and for implementing the Communities In Schools model of integrated student support services at school sites.  The site standards are based on a five-year, longitudinal national evaluation conducted by an independent, outside evaluator that documented the impact of the Communities In Schools model.  The evaluation revealed that schools implementing the Communities In Schools model with high fidelity had higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates, and performed better than comparison schools in increasing the percentage of students meeting or exceeding math and reading proficiency in 4^th and 8^th grades, a crucial predictor of high school graduation.

Communities In Schools developed the Total Quality System to establish clear operational guidelines that ensure uniform quality and improved outcomes for all students being served by Communities In Schools affiliates.  The TQS system is part of an organization wide commitment to evidence-based practice and the highest standards of accountability.

“We are proud to have achieved our accreditation as it underlies the value of falling in compliance with the high set of standards put in place by Communities In Schools,” said Michael Wilson, executive director for Communities In Schools of Baytown.

Communities In Schools of Baytown, which works in partnership with Goose Creek CISD, is among the first to receive its national accreditation among the nearly 200 local affiliates that comprise the Communities In Schools network in 25 states and the District of Columbia.

Through case management services, Communities In Schools of Baytown connects students and their families to critical community resources to address challenges that prevent students from meeting their true potential. In 2009-2010, Communities in Schools of Baytown case managed over 2,000 students with academics, attendance and behavior struggles.

Working in nearly 3,300 schools in the most challenged communities, in 25 states and the District of Columbia, Communities In Schools serves more than 1.3 million young people and their families.  It has become the nation’s leading dropout prevention organization, and the only one proven to increase graduation rates and decrease dropout rates.

For more information about Communities in Schools of Baytown visit cisbaytown.org or call 281-425-3304.