Our Mission

At Communities In Schools® (CIS®) of Houston, we surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.

Our History

CIS of Houston was established in 1979 as a collaborative effort between local community leaders, educators, and social workers. The founders recognized that students across Greater Houston did not have equal access to the resources that all students need to be successful in school. CIS’ strategy to promote educational equity is to place at least one full-time CIS Student Support Manager on each campus that we serve to address the academic and non-academic barriers to success that our students face.  CIS Student Support Managers build relationships with students and families, deliver direct services, and provide tailored referrals to community resources to help students and families meet their needs.

Cynthia Clay-Briggs joined CIS in 1979 as the first CIS Social Worker. She later became CEO of the agency and served in this role for several decades.  Lisa Descant accepted the role of CEO following Clay-Briggs’ retirement in 2019. 

While our capacity has grown over four decades, our mission has stayed the same: to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.  CIS of Houston remains committed to fulfilling the founders’ vision of promoting educational equity in our community.