Student Success
If you are interested in learning more about how Communities In Schools impacts kids in Georgia, read our CIS stories below. If you have a CIS success story that you would like to see featured, please send to printern@cisgeorgia.org.
Derrick Ponder, West End Performace Learning Center®
CIS of Atlanta
Derrick Ponder shakes hands with CIS executive director of Atlanta Patricia Pflum.
Communities In Schools’ Performance Learning Centers® (PLCs) are small high schools that provide another learning option for students who are not succeeding in the traditional school setting. Derrick Ponder lost his parents at an early age, was in and out of foster homes for numerous years, had bouts of homelessness, and was out of school for nearly two years before entering the West End PLC in Atlanta. The caring staff at the PLC and CIS of Atlanta provided Eric with many things he needed to be successful, including a mentor. Derrick earned his high school degree and a scholarship. He plans to enroll at a local college this fall to study business management.
Antavious Grier, Lithia Springs High School
CIS of Douglas County
Most people that you talk to who are successful will attribute some of their success to a mentor or several individuals who helped them. Antavious Grier is no exception, but his story is exceptional.
When his mentor, Judy Shaw, entered his life he was a third grader on his way to the dropout pipeline. He was reading at a first grade level, had family problems, and was disengaged from the learning process. Mrs. Shaw helped him learn how to read.
For others who are considering being a mentor, Mrs. Shaw says that it’s a rewarding experience. But you have to be patient. At first the relationship had its ups and downs, and she was questioning whether or not she was the right person for Antavious. But as time progressed, so did the relationship. After a year, she started to see changes in his behavior and academic progress.
To read the speech Antavious presented during the Student Achievement Month awards luncheon about his mentor, visit http://www.cisga.org/donate/antavious.php. To learn more about mentoring opportunities, visit http://www.georgiamentoring.org.