Communities In Schools of Whatcom-Skagit

10/08/2026

💙 Today is National Hero Day! 💙

When you hear the word hero, who comes to mind?

We asked some members of our CIS Whatcom-Skagit team to share who their heroes are and why, and we loved hearing the people and stories that have inspired, encouraged, and shaped them. 🥹

Heroes don’t have to wear capes or change the whole world. Sometimes a hero is a parent or grandparent, a teacher, mentor, friend, coworker, community member, or simply someone who showed up at exactly the right time and made a difference in your world.

That idea feels especially meaningful to us at Communities In Schools. Every day, we see the incredible impact one caring, consistent person can have in the life of a young person. 💙

Now we want to hear from you!

👇 Who is YOUR hero, and why?

Share their story in the comments, and if they’re on Facebook, tag them so they know just how much they mean to you. ❤️

10/05/2026

🎶💃 It’s National Get Funky Day! 🕺🎶

If you walked into some of our partner schools in the morning, you might find a Communities In Schools Site Coordinator greeting students with a smile, music playing, and maybe even a few dance moves. 💙

It might look like they’re simply having fun, and they are, but there’s intention behind it, too.

Music and movement can help kids release stress, boost their mood and energy, encourage physical activity, and create positive social connections. And a joyful welcome in the morning can help set the tone for the school day ahead.

This is also a great example of our Tier 1 supports: services and activities designed to benefit the whole school community, not just the students on our Site Coordinators’ individual caseloads.

Tier 1 support can look like schoolwide events, basic needs resources, enrichment activities, family engagement, and sometimes it looks like turning up the music and making sure students walk into school knowing there’s an adult who is genuinely happy to see them. 🥹💙

Because supporting students doesn’t always happen behind a desk. Sometimes, it happens on the dance floor. 🎵✨

Now, serious question: What is YOUR favorite song to Get Funky to?

Happy from Communities In Schools Whatcom-Skagit!

StudentSupport WholeSchoolSupport Tier1Support SchoolCommunity WhatcomCounty SkagitCounty

10/02/2026

💙 The numbers are in, and what a year of impact.

During the 2025–2026 academic year, Communities In Schools of Whatcom-Skagit surrounded students across our region with the relationships, resources, and support they needed to succeed.

🎓 458 case-managed students
🏫 17 schools across 6 school districts
🤝 1,793 parents and guardians engaged
💙 20,428 whole-school supports
👥 1,475 small-group supports
🫶 4,132 one-on-one supports
🎒 42,734 basic-needs items and resources provided

And one number we are especially proud of:

✨ 99.6% of our case-managed students stayed in school or graduated. ✨

Our students also made meaningful progress toward their individual goals:

📚 64% of academic goals showed improvement
🌱 85% of social-emotional learning goals showed improvement
💛 71% of behavior goals showed improvement
🏫 48% of attendance goals showed improvement
💪 75% of substance-reduction goals showed improvement

Behind every one of these numbers is a young person.

A student who received food, clothing, hygiene supplies, or school supplies. A student who had someone help them work through an academic challenge. A family connected to resources. A young person who walked into school knowing there was a trusted adult waiting for them.

And this year, our reach grew even further as we expanded into Mount Baker School District! 🎉

We are incredibly proud of our students, our Site Coordinators, and the school and community partners who make this work possible.

This is what it looks like to be All In for Kids. 💙

Want to help us continue this work in the 2026–2027 school year? Consider making your first gift to CIS Whatcom-Skagit. Every amount helps us keep showing up for local students.

🔗 Donate through the link in our bio.

09/18/2026

Big plans this Monday? You do now!

Join us on September 21st at El Botas for our Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Trivia Fundraiser.

Amazing questions, great community, and an even better cause.

Bring your friends, grab a drink, and let’s make a massive difference together. Drop a 🙌 if we’ll see you there!

📍 El Botas 4451 Meridian St., Bellingham, WA
📅 Monday, Sept 21
⏰ Doors Open: 5:30pm
Trivia Starts: 6:30pm

We hope to see you there!

Additional details are available in the link in our bio!

09/16/2026

09/15/2026

🎉 It’s Site Coordinator Appreciation Week! 🎉

But what exactly does a Site Coordinator at Communities In Schools of Whatcom-Skagit do?

Our Site Coordinators are embedded right inside schools across Whatcom and Skagit Counties, showing up every day to surround students with a community of support and help them overcome the barriers standing between them and their goals. 💙

They build relationships.

They listen.

They advocate.

They connect students and families with resources.

They support attendance and academics, help meet basic needs, connect students with mental health resources, create opportunities for enrichment, support college and career readiness—and sometimes, they simply make sure a student knows there is a trusted adult at school who sees them, believes in them, and is in their corner.

Our Site Coordinators work alongside teachers, counselors, administrators, families, and community partners to understand what each student needs and bring the right people and resources together to help.

Because sometimes success starts with school supplies or a warm coat. Sometimes it’s connecting a family with food or community resources. Sometimes it’s helping a student navigate a difficult day.

And sometimes, it’s simply being there.

That’s the heart of what our Site Coordinators do: building relationships, removing barriers, and connecting the dots between students, families, schools, and our community. 💙

All week long, we’ll be celebrating the incredible Site Coordinators who make this work possible across Whatcom and Skagit Counties!

Help us kick off Site Coordinator Appreciation Week by showing our amazing team some love in the comments! 👏💙

09/10/2026

"I am present for my students because…"

Every day starts with support, consistency, and showing up with care. 💛

Today marked our first all-day All Staff Meeting, new headshots, fresh energy, and a reminder that Being Present Matters Day isn’t just a theme… it’s our work.

That’s exactly why our Site Coordinators do what they do: to be the steady presence, the point of connection, and the extra layer of support our students need. 📍✨

08/05/2026

We had an incredible time celebrating our 3rd Annual Principal's Day at the beautiful Alger Community Hall!

This year's event was our largest attendance to date, bringing together school leaders from across Whatcom and Skagit Counties to connect, learn, and celebrate the incredible work happening in our schools.

A huge thank you to Tacos Tecalitlan in Burlington for providing a delicious lunch that everyone enjoyed!

We were honored to hear from a retired principal from one of our partner schools, who shared valuable insights from years of serving students and school communities. We also welcomed the Deputy Director from Communities In Schools of Washington (CISWA), who presented on the groundbreaking Harvard study highlighting the lasting impact of Communities In Schools and the power of integrated student supports.

Thank you to every principal and educational leader who joined us. Your partnership, leadership, and commitment to students make this work possible. We are grateful to celebrate with you and look forward to another amazing year together!

06/25/2026

The Bellingham DIY Clean, Build and Repair day with Northwest Skate Collective was a huge success! Thank you to City of Bellingham Washington and Whatcom Community Foundation for awarding us the Project Neighborly grant to put this on. Families and their kids got to enjoy a day packed full of fun activities making new connections in their community, and improving a public space that will be enjoyed by so many people.

Huge thank you to Skatelite and Premium Lumber + Materials for donating/supplying all the lumber and materials used for repairing and building the features at the park.

Bellingham Fire Department made a surprise visit and engaged with the kiddos, letting them see all the ins and outs of the fire truck and ambulance.

We are expected to finish building the mini ramp this week and are so excited to have played a part in making this happen in our community. It’s things like this that make our communities stronger, and we all made memories that will last a lifetime in doing so.

06/25/2026

The Bellingham DIY Skatepark, Build and Repair day with Northwest Skate Collective was a huge success!

Thank you to City of Bellingham Washington and Whatcom Community Foundation for awarding us the Project Neighborly grant to put this on.
Families and their kids got to enjoy a day packed full of fun activities making new connections in their community, and improving a public space that will be enjoyed by so many people.

Huge thank you to Skatelite and Premium Lumber + Materials for donating/supplying all the lumber and materials used for repairing and building the features at the park.

Bellingham Fire Department made a surprise visit and engaged with the kiddos, letting them see all the ins and outs of the fire truck and ambulance.

We are expected to finish building the mini ramp this week and are so excited to have played a part in making this happen in our community. It’s things like this that make our communities stronger, and we all made memories that will last a lifetime in doing so.