State Office 
The CIS of Alaska State Office is based in Anchorage. Under the leadership
of the State Board of Directors, the State Office serves to provide
administrative and technical support to local CIS Affiliates. Primary
functions include fiscal management, sustainability, training and
development, statewide coordination and, growth and expansion.
The CIS of Alaska statewide network is comprised of five Affiliate communities.
Highlights of the CIS of Alaska State Office Initiatives
Career Exploration Opportunities (CEO)
CEO works to expand career options and opportunities to Alaskan youth,
specifically targeting rural high school students through an interactive
technology and mentor coaching curriculum. CEO is a blended learning
program with videoconferencing as an integral component. CEO encourages
students to stay in school, helps them make informed career decisions
and helps them prepare for success in the workforce after high
school. CEO addresses the following Alaska Content Standards for
graduation: English/Language Arts, Math, Employability, Technology, and
Library/Information Literacy.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
Children ages 0-5 who are registered for the program receive a book
every month to encourage a love of reading and learning. If a family has
more than one pre-school aged child, each child may participate and receive
his/her own library. Developmentally appropriate books arrive
monthly through the mail and are addressed to the child. Current IL sites
are in Nome, Juneau, Fairbanks, Wainwright with planned replication in
Anchorage (Mountain View), Mat-Su and Girdwood.
The Imagination Library has been endorsed by Best Beginnings, Rotary
District 5010, Weed and Seed of Mountain View and ConocoPhillips. CIS
of Alaska is taking the lead to assist interested communities in replicating
the Imagination Library in their areas.
CIS of Alaska services include academic
enhancement programs, mentoring, leadership development, life skills
training, community service activities, pre-employment development,
parental and cultural engagement programs, substance abuse
prevention/intervention, violence prevention, school safety, summer and
after-school programs and health and human service referrals.
Additionally, CIS of Alaska CEO and the University of Anchorage have
recently partnered to provide a CIS CEO Scholarship (providing free tuition
and books) for youth interested in a logistics operations career certificate
program. Web Site: http://ceo.cisalaska.org
CIS of Alaska believes that caring, one-on-one relationships between adults and young
people make the crucial difference. Programs don’t change kids –
relationships do. We help communities through facilitating a more
comprehensive, locally controlled and owned support system around
schools. Through partnership with local school districts, we identify
the most critical needs of students and families, and work to connect
community resources and volunteers with the schools (both during the
day and after school) thereby making the work of our educators more
effective.
State Office:
Tom Morgan, State Director
Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 140090
Anchorage, Alaska 99508
Office Address:
Communities In Schools of Alaska, Inc.
1569 Bragaw, Suite 205
Anchorage, Alaska 99514-0090
Phone 907 333-4003
Fax 907 333-4008
email cisak@alaska.net
Download a fact sheet about Communities in Schools of Alaska.
CIS of Anchorage  
AVAIL
Gina Pastos, Principal
425 C Street Anchorage, AK 99501-2323
Phone: 907-742-4930
Fax: 907-742-4933
Pastos_gina@asdk12.org
CIS of AVAIL operates through the Anchorage Vocational Academic Institute
of Learning. AVAIL is an alternative high school program devoted to teens that have dropped out of more traditional schools and exists from a joint partnership between the Anchorage School District, CIS and local businesses. AVAIL is designed to help students return to the educational system, obtain skills for employment, and build self esteem, with an emphasis on students earning a high school diploma. AVAIL focuses on six basic components: Life Skills, Academics, Employment Skills, Personal Responsibility, Individualized Learning, and Preparation for the High School Qualifying Exam (HSGQE).
CIS of Mat-Su
Dennis Boyer, CIS Coordinator
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District,
501 N. Gulkana, Palmer, AK 99654
(907) 746-9218
CIS of Mat-Su has partnered with the Mat-Su Borough School District and Alaska Family Services to establish a new school named the Mat-Su Day School. This school opened on August 15, 2007. CIS of Mat-Su referred to the Mat-Su Day School's Alternative to Suspension (ATS) program 27 students who were at extremely high risk of dropping out of school. Twenty-five of these students were successful in continuing their education and CIS worked to transition them back to their boundary school.
Program Description
The Mat-Su Day School is an educational placement (K-12) for students with IEPs who require a separate school for special circumstances including dropout prevention, transitions, safety concerns, and behavior challenges.
Targeted Youth
This program is designed for K-12 students whose needs cannot be met within the regular school environment. These youth include:
- Students with IEPs facing long-term suspension or expulsion
- Students who are 19-22 years old who need to transition to community programs and access additional educational or behavioral opportunities.
- Students returning from residential placement outside of Alaska.
- Students demonstrating behavior challenges requiring a more restrictive environment than self-contained programs in regular schools.
Targeted Skill Development and Anticipated Outcomes
The goal for all students is full community and educational reintegration.
Performance Measures
Each student will have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) developed by a team of professionals that will address the specific needs of the student. This team will review progress on the IEP goals every nine weeks. Grades, placement success, job performance and others data will be kept and used to make program changes based on students progress and needs.
Staffing/Project Administration
This program is designed as an interagency cooperative model.
- The Mat-Su School District provides building space, a principal, four teachers, four teaching assistants, a part-time School psychologist, and a Secretary/Registrar.
- Communities In Schools of Alaska provides a Program Coordinator.
- Alaska Family Services provides full time on-site Master level mental health clinician and a full time Behavior Analyst.
- Mat-Su Health Services provides mental health worker as needed by Memorandum of Agreement.
- Boys and Girls Club is providing gym space and opportunities for recreation and physical education within their facility.
CIS of Juneau 
Elsa Demeksa, CIS Executive Director
2204 Douglas Highway, Suite 100
Douglas, Alaska, 99824
907-364-3801
elle@gci.net
CIS of Juneau operates through the Juneau Effective Prevention Project.
JEPP's focus is on substance use and violence prevention in teenagers.
Efforts being led by CIS of Juneau:
Family Involvement - Alaska Native Elder's Mentoring Program
Alaska Native Elder's mentoring program was initiated to help Alaska Native
students by reconnecting them to their rich culture. Elders provide
help to students and their families by addressing the need of positive
adult role models. That interaction in turn will reduce risky behaviors that
lead students into truant habits. In addition, the Elders educating parents
about the importance of their involvement in their children's education by
attending parent teacher conferences and helping them with homework or
merely showing interest in their school work.
Truancy Prevention - After School Program
"Ethics and Leadership" is an after school program that was initiated the
last semester of the school year. This program is designed to reduce delinquency
through programs that teach positive virtues such as respect,
moral courage, and ethical decision making. Students learn to develop a
personal code of ethics and demonstrate a greater awareness of personal
values and other factors influencing one's own behavior.
Individual Counseling through Care Coordinator
A student's failure to attend school is due to many factors, such as family
related issues, personal, academic and school climate. The care coordinator,
after meeting with the individual student and maybe the family, determines
what sort of services would best help that student. The referral
service can include alcohol and substance evaluation and treatment, temporary
family assistance for families, assistance from division of family
and youth services or mental health evaluation and counseling. The care
coordinator is ready to respond at the first notice of truancy.
Imagination Library
An early literacy program initiated in partnership with the Association of
Young Children of Southeast Alaska. The program now has 700 students
enrolled.
CIS of Bethel
Kerri Fox, Site Coordinator
Bethel Alternative Boarding School (BABS)
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1949
Physical Location: 124 Gunderson Court
Bethel, AK 99559
Phone: (907) 543-0622
Fax: (907) 543-5603
Email: CISBethel@alaska.net; kerri_fox@lksd.org
CIS of Bethel operates through Bethel Alternative Boarding School. BABS
actively recruits students who have dropped out of school, have had trouble
with the law, have had struggles with alcohol or drugs and are ready to turn
their lives around.
Efforts being led by CIS of Bethel:
Bethel's MCA Community Diversion Panel - an alternative to the regular
court system for first-time Minor Consuming Alcohol offenders, which utilizes
restorative rather than punitive measures to change behaviors and
help youth get their lives back on track. Tribal Courts and Traditional Councils
work with youth in villages outside of Bethel providing a link to local resources,
often meeting with them weekly for Elder-led counseling, overseeing
Community Work Service, and connecting them with other caring adults.
Court Advocacy - support and assistance for families going through the
confusing maze of the legal system for minors charged with consuming alcohol
(MCA), help connecting them with legal free legal representation and
acting as a liaison between their attorney and the Diversion Panel.
Youth Support Group - support group open to all youth covering a variety of
issues they may encounter. The group is organized by CIS and offers transportation
for youth to attend. Social Workers, Chemical Dependency Counselors
and other professionals volunteer their time to lead the group.
Support for Big Brothers Big Sisters - financial resources for the training
and support of high school mentors in Bethel.
CIS of Nome
Executive Director Pending
P. O. Box 131
Nome, AK 99762-0131
(907) 443-2231 443-5144 fax
CIS of Nome operates through Nome Public Schools. It offers a variety of
services to address the "Five Basics" of Communities in Schools.
Services include:
Community Service/In-School-Suspension Program - serves to reduce risk
factors and increase protective factors for students so that they can more
positively engage in school to improve their attendance, reduce negative
behavior incidents and improve achievements.
Educational Enhancement Services - focusing on tutoring (1:1 and webbased),
homework assistance and summer school.
After-School Opportunities - a range of pro-social, recreational, vocational
and cultural activities such as: Chess Club, youth basketball, Native Youth
Olympics, Eskimo dancing and arts instruction for both students and
adults.
Imagination Library - an early literacy program targeting local children up
to age five and their families.
Dropout Prevention Specialist - coordination of resources throughout the
community with the goal of meeting the needs of potential dropouts to
keep them in school.
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