Communities In Schools of the Blue Mountain Region

11/10/2026

Come join our team! Apply today or share with someone you know who is passionate about making a difference in the lives of local students.

In this role, you'll work directly with students, families, school staff, and community partners to remove barriers to success, connect students with essential resources, and ensure every student has a caring adult in their corner.

📍 Location: Garrison Middle School | Walla Walla, WA
💼 Position: Full-time | 40 hours/week, 200 workdays/year
💰 Pay: $23–$28/hour DOE
✅ Benefits: 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision premiums, paid time off, retirement benefits, and more
📅 Apply by: November 18, 2026

If you're excited to support young people and build stronger communities, we'd love to hear from you! Even if you don't meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply.

Apply today: https://bluemountainregion.ciswa.org/jobs/student-and-community-advocate-7/

Know someone who would be a great fit? Share this opportunity with your network and help us find the next caring adult who will make a lasting impact on students in Walla Walla!

11/07/2026

November is Family Engagement Month! 💙

Behind every student's success is a community of support, and families play an essential role in that journey.

At Communities In Schools of the Blue Mountain Region, we recognize the importance of strong partnerships between families, schools, and communities in helping students feel supported, connected, and empowered to succeed.

Whether it's attending a school event, checking in about the school day, encouraging learning at home, or simply showing up when it matters most, family engagement makes a difference.

This month, we celebrate the parents, guardians, caregivers, and families who continue to invest in their children's education and future.

💙 Because when families are engaged, students have a stronger community of support.

11/06/2026

Good news belongs in your inbox. 📬

Join our newsletter for stories of local students, updates from our Advocates in 16 schools, and simple ways to help kids in the Blue Mountain Region stay in school and thrive.

Subscribe: https://bluemountainregion.ciswa.org/news/stay-in-touch/

11/05/2026

Thank you to Tera Davis - Mortgage Express! 🏡💙

When we first dreamed up Every Day Counts, we knew we wanted local businesses and organizations to help show students that their whole community cares about them. Mortgage Express was the first partner who came to mind, and they were the very first to sign up.

Their support is helping students see what’s possible for their futures and giving them one more reason to show up every day. And it’s working! Elementary schools in Walla Walla saw a 3% decrease in chronic absenteeism in the first quarter compared to the same time last year. 🎉

That kind of progress happens when a whole community pulls together. Thank you, Davis Team, for believing in this effort from day one and for being all in for kids. 🧡

11/03/2026

School is a butter place when you’re here! 🍿

A big thank you to Bright's Candies for donating popcorn to our Every Day Counts attendance campaign! The popcorn went to 100 middle and high school students who have been making real progress on showing up every day.

Building a strong attendance habit takes effort, and progress deserves to be celebrated. Every day a student is at school is a day to learn, connect with friends and teachers, and move closer to their goals. We’re so proud of these students for showing up, and grateful to Brights Candies for helping us cheer them on in such a fun (and tasty) way. 💙🧡

Thank you for being part of a community that’s all in for kids!

11/02/2026

November is Native American Heritage Month! 🧡

Throughout this month, we recognize and celebrate the rich histories, diverse cultures, and lasting contributions of Native American and Indigenous peoples across the United States, and right here at home.

Our schools in Walla Walla, College Place, and Milton-Freewater sit on the homelands of the Walla Walla, Cayuse, and Umatilla peoples. Their connection to this valley stretches back thousands of years, from salmon runs on the Columbia and Umatilla Rivers to the horse culture that made the Cayuse famous across the Plateau. Today, these three tribes come together as the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), a sovereign nation working to keep language, culture, and traditions strong for the next generation.

At Communities In Schools, we believe every student’s identity, culture, and lived experience deserve recognition and value. Creating supportive learning environments where students feel connected and empowered is essential to helping them succeed in school and beyond.

As we celebrate Native American Heritage Month, we encourage our communities to learn from Indigenous voices, honor their traditions, and recognize the important contributions Native peoples continue to make in our schools and communities. A great place to start: a visit to Tamástslikt Cultural Institute in Pendleton, where the story of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla peoples is told in their own words.

Together, we can help create a future where every student feels a sense of belonging. 🧡

10/30/2026

Our team is back from the Communities In Schools of Washington Better Together conference, and we’re feeling recharged and ready! 🎉

Our Student & Community Advocates spent time learning and collaborating alongside more than 150 fellow CIS team members from across the state. Highlights included:

📚 The 5 Pillars of Action with Executive Director Melinda Herrera
🧠 How motivational interviewing works with the brain with Casey Jackson
❤️ Countless breakout sessions and plenty of laughs and connection during our travels and free time together

We believe in investing in the ongoing growth of our team, because when our Advocates keep learning, the students of our valley benefit. Opportunities like this help us show up even stronger for kids every day.

A huge thank you to conference supporters U.S. Bank, Cambia Health Solutions and BECU for investing in Communities In Schools!

10/30/2026

See you tonight at Underriner Honda of Walla Walla for Trunk or Treat! We've got a fun pumpkin patch theme and game planned for all the kiddos!

🎃👻 TGIF, Walla Walla! Halloween fun is happening TODAY, and you won’t want to miss it! 🍬🧡

Join us at Underriner Honda of Walla Walla for our indoor Trunk or Treat from 4–6 PM! Explore creatively decorated trunks, cast your vote to help a local nonprofit win a $500 prize, and enjoy face painting, refreshments, and plenty of community fun. 🏆🎨

📅 TODAY, Friday, October 30 | 4–6 PM
📍 Underriner Honda of Walla Walla

Bring the family, show your support for local nonprofits, and celebrate Halloween with us. We’ll see you there! 🎃🍭

10/27/2026

How a student gets to school can make all the difference in whether they get there at all. 🚲

When the trip to school is long, unreliable, or feels unsafe, students are more likely to miss school or arrive late. Research from Johns Hopkins University, shared by Attendance Works, found that a harder journey to school is linked to more missed days over the course of the year.

One of the great things about living in a smaller community is that many students can bike to school. So we got to work!

Every year, the Walla Walla Police Department collects abandoned bikes. This fall, volunteers from Bicycle Barn and the police department teamed up with CIS to repair 15 of them with plans for 20 more. The Washington Traffic Safety Commission donated helmets and locks so every rider is set up to travel safely, and the bikes went straight to students in our community who needed a reliable way to school. 🔒⛑️

Thank you to everyone who made this happen. You helped turn forgotten bikes into 15 new ways for students to get to class every day. 💙🧡

📖 Source: Burdick-Will, Stein & Grigg, “Danger on the Way to School,” Johns Hopkins University, via Attendance Works

10/27/2026

Spending time welcoming students to school is the best way to end or start the week! And Davis Elementary definitely knows how to make the school day RAD!