Center For Supportive Schools Inc

CENTER FOR SUPPORTIVE SCHOOLS (CSS) ADVANCES THE EFFORTS OF SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO DEVELOP ALL STUDENTS INTO LEADERS WHO HELP MAKE THEIR SCHOOLS SAFER AND MORE SUPPORTIVE, ENGAGING, AND INSPIRING. WE ARE A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION AND OUR WORK CURRENTLY IMPACTS 645,000 STUDENTS ANNUALLY. WE ARE DRIVEN BY THE VISION THAT ONE DAY ALL CHILDREN WILL THRIVE IN SCHOOLS THAT GRADUATE THEM PREPARED FOR THE RIGORS OF COLLEGE AND LIVES FILLED WITH MEANINGFUL WORK, ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP, AND PERSONAL FULFILLMENT.

THE TEEN PREVENTION EDUCATION PROGRAM (TEEN PEP) UTILIZES PEER-TO-PEER EDUCATION TO INCREASE STUDENTS' KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, SKILLS, AND BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH SEXUAL HEALTH. HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS AND SENIORS, KNOWN AS PEER EDUCATORS, ARE ENROLLED IN A DAILY, FOR-CREDIT, YEARLONG LEADERSHIP COURSE TAUGHT BY SCHOOL FACULTY DURING REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS. PEER EDUCATORS CONDUCT A SERIES OF STRUCTURED WORKSHOPS FOR GROUPS OF YOUNGER PEERS, FACULTY, AND FAMILY MEMBERS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS AND DECISION-MAKING WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY REDUCING RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR.

"ACHIEVEMENT MENTORING (AM): A SCHOOL-BASED PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION PROGRAM, DEVELOPED BY DR. BRENNA BRY, THAT PAIRS ADULT SCHOOL STAFF WITH STUDENTS IN ONE-TO-ONE MENTOR-MENTEE RELATIONSHIPS AND HAS BEEN PROVEN TO REDUCE PROBLEM BEHAVIORS, IMPROVE ACADEMICS, AND REDUCE SCHOOL DROPOUT AMONG AT-RISK STUDENTS. "CAMPAIGN CONNECT (CC): A DATA-INFORMED, RELATIONSHIP-DRIVEN INITIATIVE THAT PROVIDES SCHOOLS WITH THE ABILITY TO (A) BUILD A SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ANALYZING CRITICAL DATA IN PUBLICLY ACCOUNTABLE WAYS, AND (B) SHARE PRODUCTIVE DIALOGUE THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY (ADMINISTRATORS, FACULTY, OTHER STAFF, STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND KEY COMMUNITY MEMBERS/ORGANIZATIONS) ABOUT STRENGTHS AND AREAS OF NEED THAT LEADS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TARGETED AND CUSTOMIZED ACTIONS. "TOBACCO RELATED PROGRAMS ARE IMPLEMENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NJ DEPT. OF HEALTH & SENIOR SERVICES IN SUPPORT OF A GRANT RECEIVED FROM THE CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTROL & PREVENTION (CDC), AS WELL AS THE FOOD & DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA). THE CDC GRANT FOCUSED ON INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN NEW JERSEY THAT IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE TOBACCO-FREE SCHOOL POLICY, WITH THE GOAL FOR SCHOOLS TO UTILIZE PREVENTION, INTERVENTION, AND CESSATION STRATEGIES VERSUS THE TRADITIONAL EMPHASIS ON SUSPENSION FOR TOBACCO INFRACTIONS. THE FDA GRANT FOCUSED ON REDUCING THE ACCESSIBILITY AND AVAILABILITY OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO MINORS BY CONDUCTING YEAR ROUND TOBACCO INSPECTIONS IN RETAIL ESTABLISHMENTS TO ENSURE THAT THE NJ LAW PROHIBITING RETAILERS TO SELL TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 21 IS BEING ENFORCED. THE MAIN GOAL OF YEAR ROUND INSPECTIONS IS TO PREVENT THE INCREASE OF RETAILERS' VIOLATION RATES AND KEEP IT NO HIGHER THAN 10%. "OTHER CUSTOMIZED SOLUTIONS: CSS'S SOLUTIONS ARE CREATED IN RESPONSE TO THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF SCHOOLS. CSS HAS DESIGNED CUSTOM SOLUTIONS FOR OVER 150 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. AS WITH ALL CSS MODELS, OUR CUSTOM SOLUTIONS TAKE ROOT WITHIN SCHOOLS AND MAKE A LASTING, SUSTAINABLE IMPACT THAT PERSISTS LONG AFTER OUR INVOLVEMENT. WE ACCOMPLISH THIS BY INVESTING SIGNIFICANT TIME INTO DEVELOPING A STRONG STAKEHOLDER GROUP WITHIN THE SCHOOL AND THEN BY WORKING WITH SCHOOL FACULTY AND STAFF USING AN INTENSIVE TRAIN-THE-TRAINER STRATEGY, USER-FRIENDLY CURRICULA, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

PEER GROUP CONNECTION (PGC) TAPS INTO THE POWER OF OLDER STUDENTS TO CREATE A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY ADVANCING THE PEER LEADERS' OWN LEARNING, GROWTH, AND DEVELOPMENT. OLDER STUDENTS, KNOWN AS PEER LEADERS, ARE ENROLLED IN A DAILY, FOR-CREDIT, YEARLONG LEADERSHIP COURSE TAUGHT BY SCHOOL FACULTY DURING REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS. EACH WEEK, PAIRS OF PEER LEADERS MEET WITH SMALL GROUPS OF YOUNGER STUDENTS IN OUTREACH SESSIONS DESIGNED TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS AND BUILD SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS. RESEARCH INDICATES THAT PGC IMPROVES THE GRADUATION RATES OF STUDENT PARTICIPANTS BY NINE PERCENTAGE POINTS, INCREASES DAILY ATTENDANCE BY AS MANY AS SIX DAYS, AND CUTS BY HALF THE NUMBER OF MALE STUDENTS WHO WOULD OTHERWISE DROP OUT.

COMMUNITY SCHOOLS: IN OUR WORK WITH COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, CSS USES A COLLABORATIVE, DATA- INFORMED, AND RELATIONSHIP-DRIVEN APPROACH, GROUNDED WITH A FOCUS ON STUDENT LEADERSHIP, TO PARTNER WITH SCHOOLS TO IMPROVE STUDENT AND SCHOOL OUTCOMES. CSS HELPS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROVIDE STUDENT LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, STRONG FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS, ENGAGING ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION, SOCIAL SERVICES FOR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEACHERS. THROUGH CAREFULLY CULTIVATED PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, STUDENTS, FAMILIES, TEACHERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, CSS COMMUNITY SCHOOLS DEVELOP CUSTOMIZED COMMUNITY SCHOOL PLANS THAT FOCUS ON STUDENT ATTENDANCE, HEALTH AND WELLNESS, SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, ACADEMICS, YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, AND MORE. CSS CURRENTLY SERVES AS A LEAD COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION FOR 29 COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.