5 Questions with President Susan Hansell
Communities In Schools of Wake County
Official Charity of the SAS Championship

1. What is the mission of Communities In Schools of Wake County and when was it founded?

Communities In Schools of Wake County was founded in 1991.  Communities In Schools of Wake County connects students one-on-one with caring adult tutor-mentors and with community resources and educational opportunities to help them succeed in school and in life.

2. What has been the biggest factor in the success of Communities In Schools of Wake County?

Our success is due to our education team’s belief that every child deserves a positive learning environment; that every child can reach his or her potential with the support of caring adults; and that Communities In Schools of Wake County can help students learn, stay in school, and thrive one child at a time.  With that momentum our success also comes from community support of individuals, corporations, other nonprofits, and our leaders who share our vision.

3. How will Communities In Schools of Wake County use the donation made from the SAS Championship this year?

Every day during the school year the SAS Learning Center at Kentwood hosts between 40 and 50 students from kindergarten through twelfth grade.  Funds from the champions’ tour go directly to programming at that center: providing the best educators as leaders, providing healthy snacks every day, providing volunteer recruitment from local companies like SAS and other organizations like NC State University, and providing each student the opportunity to find his passion for learning and her purpose in education.

4. What achievements have been made at CIS Wake through previous donations from the SAS Championship?

Our primary goal is to see our students achieve their academic and personal best.  Previous donations from the SAS Championship have gone toward providing the best evidence-based practices in after school tutorial so that we can track student progress.  Thanks to previous donations from the SAS Championship we were able to provide improved programming that enabled our middle school students’ grades to go from F’s and D’s in their core courses to C’s and better; and we’ve only just begun and won’t rest until every student is achieving C or better in all their courses- reflecting their personal best and potential. 

5. Approximately how many kids does CIS Wake assist in the area?

We serve about 150 students each year in after school tutorial; and this year will also work with about 50 students in an area high school providing one on one tutor/mentor matches for at risk students at that school.