A local organization that focuses on encouraging students to excel in school has been doing so in the Permian Basin for over 22 years.
Communities in Schools of the Permian Basin (CISPB) was established in 1999 by a collection of citizens who wanted to alleviate the dropout rate at Midland and the surrounding communities.
According to its website, its objective is to reinforce positive school-related associations for at-risk students in order to ensure that they have access to social and support services in order to graduate from high school and transition into contributing members of society.
Eliseo Elizondo, executive director of Communities in Schools Permian Basin
Eliseo Elizondo, executive director for CISPB since August of 2016, said that the organization helps students of all socioeconomic levels, and it integrates with local school districts to further provide students with resources to help them stay and succeed in school.
“There's a few things that I think differentiates us from local nonprofits,” Elizondo told the Midland Times. “We offer everything from basic school supplies all the way down the spectrum to heavy crisis, and trauma and abuse, and we're there to support these kids directly. We're there for them on a daily basis. We’re a friendly face that develops a relationship with students (so that they have) someone they can trust.”
The organization was started by Bill Milliken in New York City in the 1970s when he conceived the idea of bringing community resources inside public schools.
“It’s relationships, not programs, that change children,” Milliken once said. “A great program simply creates the environment for healthy relationships to form between adults and children. Young people thrive when adults care about them on a one-to-one level, and when they also have a sense of belonging to a caring community.”
Elizondo added that working at Communities in Schools had brought him full circle.
"I have a passion for this, because it's the background I come from, and I'm working my way up in the corporate world," he said. " ...Coming back now to the same kids and trying to give them a little portion, making them realize that they can do it too."
Anyone interested in supporting CISPB's efforts can do so through multiple programs and by visiting its website.