Communities In Schools of Chatham County

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News & Events

Where Are They Now? CIS Chatham Nurtures Growth

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Communities In Schools Chatham County (CIS CC, and formerly Chatham County Together!) has been serving at-risk youth in Chatham County since 1989. Over the years, programs have evolved, new programs have been added, programs’ names have been changed, and some programs have even been moved to other local agencies to oversee. What has stayed consistent is CIS CC’s commitment to support Chatham County’s youth. To achieve our mission—to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life—everything Communities In Schools does is guided by the following five essentials: A one-on-one relationship with a caring adult, a safe place to learn and grow, a healthy start and a healthy future, a marketable skill to use upon graduation, and a chance to give back. Meet two remarkable individuals whose involvement with CIS CC has been very different—one a volunteer and one a program participant—but who both embody the spirit CIS CC works to promote.

Bieisy didn’t speak English when she started the pre-K Head Start program in Siler City, but she was making almost all A’s in her eighth-grade year at Chatham Middle School.  Bieisy was one of a hand-picked group of students chosen to participate in Jordan-Matthews High School’s AVID (Advancing Via Individual Determination) program. In high school, Bieisy took Advanced Placement Spanish, multiple honors’ classes, and volunteered for CIS CC’s Teen Court program. As a Teen Court volunteer, Bieisy served the roles of jury member, clerk of court, and she was in the process of being trained as an attorney. In addition to volunteering with CIS CC’s Teen Court program for several years in high school, Bieisy also volunteered with Chatham Area Network for Therapeutic Riding (CAN-TR). She graduated from Jordan-Matthews in 2014 and started college at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.

Due to some unexpected circumstances, Bieisy had to take time off from school at UNC-Pembroke and ended up back in Siler City for a while. Not one to sit idle, Bieisy returned to volunteer with CIS CC, this time with the Hablando Claro, or “Plain Talk” Program. She first came with a friend and saw that there were often young children present who needed supervision and engagement. Bieisy did a good job with the children and was asked to “officially” help with the kids each time the Hablando Claro program met. In the summer of 2016, CIS CC’s Family Advocacy Program needed a part-time assistant. Bieisy had a good track record from helping with the children and was hired to work five hours a week assisting with paperwork and filing. She did this for one year.

What is Bieisy doing now? She is in her last semester at Randolph Community College where she’ll be graduating in May of this year with a Human Services Technology Associate in Applied Science Degree and a Human Services Technology Substance Abuse Certificate. Oh, and she works full time with CIS CC as the Program Assistant for three programs: Community Service & Restitution, Family Advocacy, and Teen Court. When asked where she saw herself in five years, she said she wants to pursue her Bachelor’s Degree and eventually study Social Work.

Jordan, also a graduate of Jordan-Matthews High School, said that his family has been helped by CIS CC as long as he can remember. CIS CC secured school supplies for Jordan and his two sisters, as well funding for all three children to attend summer camp, through the Send a Kid to Camp program of the Triangle Community Foundation. Both sisters had CIS CC mentors, and Jordan participated in the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) when it was one of CIS CC’s programs.

Jordan said that his grades in high school weren’t very good and his options for college were limited. The WIA program provided opportunities for Jordan and other youth to prepare for and advance their education and careers. Jordan learned a lot of work-related skills and also skills he could use in real life such as how to bank and manage money. He was exposed to occupational skills training and employment services information through workshops and seminars. Travis Patterson, the WIA Program Manager at the time, was a mentor to Jordan. Travis assisted Jordan in enrolling in Central Carolina Community College where Jordan earned his Associate in Arts Degree. Jordan said being part of the WIA program delivered the motivation he needed that ultimately led him to going on to college and choosing a career field in helping others as others had helped him.

What is Jordan doing now? He transferred to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and is in his second semester where he is studying Elementary Education. He wants to teach Kindergarten through Second grade. Jordan also works while being a full-time student. He commutes to Greensboro three times a week, and back home in Siler City he works as an assistant manager at Wendy’s.

Kim Caraganis, ED says of Bieisy and Jordan, I can’t think of two better examples of advancing via individual determination! Biesy says that ever since she was young she has wanted to help others because she wants to return the favor that other people have given her. Likewise, Jordan is excited about his future as a teacher. He looks forward to molding young people in positive ways.

CIS Chatham’s spring “Tapas” event represents its primary source of community support. Support that encourages kids like Bieisy and Jordan to stay in school and achieve in life. This year’s April 15 event is at the Agricultural Conference Center in Pittsboro. Catered locally by Angelina’s and 39 West, it will include a silent auction, 50/50 raffle for a chance to win $2,000 (only 100 tickets sold), and local music by the Onyx Club Boys, renown from Bynum to Bear Creek and beyond, featuring swing and gypsy jazz. Please join us at Juke, Jive & Jazz for the Kids. Sponsorship, event and raffle ticket sales, and additional details can be found at CIS Chatham’s website www.cischatham.org.

Teen Court: A Positive Side of Peer Pressure

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The courtroom was silent, except for some shuffling papers and nervous whispers. Eyes locked on the judge: “Would the defendant please stand and face the jury. Now, if the Foreperson would please read the sentence of the jury.” Eyes shifted to the Foreperson as he stood and read the verdict: “Four hours of jury duty; Fifteen hours of community service; One self-advocacy seminar, and a mediation session with the victim.” “Do you understand your sentence?” asked the judge, and, “Do you agree to complete this sentence?” “Yes,” said the defendant. The judge then explained that if this had been traditional district court, s(he) could have received up to 60 days in a juvenile justice facility for committing a Class 2 Misdemeanor.

 

This wasn’t, however, district court; this was Teen Court. Run by Communities In Schools of Chatham County (CISCC), Teen Court is managed by program coordinator Jeremiah McCaffity and program assistant Bieisy Santiago, who also coordinate CISCC’s Community Service & Restitution program. Teen Court is a key element of juvenile diversion, an intervention strategy that redirects youths away from formal processing in the juvenile justice system, while still holding them accountable for their actions. Teen Court accepts referrals of first-time offenders ages 11-17 who have admitted guilt to misdemeanor offenses such as assault, affray, underage possession/consumption of drugs, alcohol and or drug paraphernalia, vandalism, disorderly conduct, and larceny/shoplifting. Cases are referred by law enforcement, school resource officers, judges and court counselors.

 

Sessions in Teen Court are structured to resemble traditional district court as much as possible. Sessions are held each month during the school year, and the location alternates between the Siler City courtroom at City Hall and the historic Chatham County Courthouse in Pittsboro. An adult judge presides over court proceedings, and an armed deputy serves as the bailiff. Jeremiah and Bieisy provide supervision in the deliberation room, but everything else is conducted by the youth. The trained student volunteers take on the roles of attorneys, jurors, and clerk of court. The attorneys present the facts of the case, the defendant makes a statement, student jurors question the defendant and the defendant’s family (if applicable), and the jury deliberates until a consensus is made about a constructive sentence that benefits the defendant and the community. At a recent session, student juror ‘Ray’ asked the defendant thoughtful questions such as, “What are your hobbies? Do you have any friends you can talk to? Have you ever thought about seeing a professional to help you with your negative view of yourself?” The youth take their positions seriously, because they know that what they say and what they ask directly affect the defendant.

 

Teen Court is powerful and effective. According to Paul Bauer, a retired chemical engineer who has been volunteering with the Teen Court program for over three years, the peer jurors make a big impact on the defendants in a way that adults aren’t able to. The jury members are teens too, and they understand first-hand the environments, pressures, and temptations the defendants face. Also, many of the jurors have been defendants themselves and are fulfilling their jury duty as part of their sentences. ‘Sandra’ is one of those jurors. ‘Sandra’ is a sophomore at Jordan Matthews High School who recently participated in her first session volunteering as a Teen Court jury member. ‘Sandra’ was positive, polished, showed empathy when questioning the defendant, and was especially engaged in the deliberation process. She says, “You really learn no matter what side you are on. You’ve been a defendant and you learn from your mistake. You’re nervous at first, going into a real courtroom.” By having been a defendant already, she feels that it is easier to know what questions to ask that will get to the root of the issues that will lead to an appropriate verdict.

 

As a long-time volunteer, Bauer helped develop the extensive training module for the student attorneys, and he currently serves as the lead judge for Teen Court. He is proud of all of the teen volunteers and has seen them mature as they take on new roles. The volunteers are middle and high schoolers from all parts of the county, representing all races and socio-economic levels. During deliberation, the jurors determine the facts of the case, discuss their personal conclusions, listen to other points of view, and reach a consensus. They learn to work as a team since all judgments must be unanimous. The volunteers are exposed to real-life events containing sensitive information. They treat the defendants with respect and sincerely listen to what they have to say about their offense, their home life, and plans for the future. Bauer says that “leaders develop in the jury room.” ‘Justin,’ a junior at Jordan Matthews, has been associated with Teen Court for three years, and currently knocks it out of the park as a prosecuting attorney. ‘Justin’ says that working with Teen Court has opened him up to many experiences including interacting with people he wouldn’t typically interact with.  He feels that Teen Court is beneficial to the community in a variety of ways. After the sentencing, defendants have closer ties to the local community, there is less recidivism, and Teen Court is much less expensive to operate than traditional court. ‘Justin’ said, “Juvenile Detention Centers are the ‘end of the line’ and at Teen Court, youth get a second chance.”

 

We all make mistakes, and Teen Court provides youth an opportunity to learn from their mistakes as they develop positive life skills. Some skills are learned as they take the other side as jury members. Other skills are developed through working their community service hours, educational seminars, and additional sanctions. Jeremiah works hard to ensure that the experience of completing a sentence is restorative instead of punitive. He is always looking for new ways to partner with the community and offer high-quality evidence-based educational seminars that will serve our youth well. Teen Court has volunteers that set examples for their peers, helping them understand there are positive alternatives to the choices that have led them down their current path. All involved are learning skills that they can apply now as well as take with them as these youth mature into contributing members of their communities and of society at large.

 

For more information on any aspect of the Teen Court Program, including ideas on new and expanded educational seminars, please contact Jeremiah McCaffity at: jmccaffity@cischatham.org or (919) 663-0116 ext.406

 

Restorative Justice: An Opportunity Rather Than a Punishmet

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It’s not a person’s mistakes which define them—it’s the way they make amends. ~Freya North

Teenagers often make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes get them in trouble with the law. When someone breaks the law, they have to face the consequences. What if the consequences for delinquent youth focused less on punishing them and more on helping them take responsibility for their actions while making amends for the damage they caused? This less punitive approach is known as restorative justice and is the approach that the Community Service & Restitution Program at Communities In Schools Chatham County (CISCC) uses. The restorative process seeks to repair the harm by involving the entire community in rehabilitating offenders and holding them accountable for their behavior. CISCC’s Community Service & Restitution Program is led by Coordinator Jeremiah McCaffity and Program Assistant Bieisy Santiago. Youth in the program are referred by the Department of Juvenile Justice, are between the ages of 10-17 living in Chatham County, and have committed non-violent crimes as first-time offenders.

The first step is completing a comprehensive intake. In addition to assessing the youth’s risk to the community, Jeremiah and Bieisy have a chance to learn about the youth’s hobbies, interests, schedule, and family life. A vital part of the intake includes establishing an Individual Service Plan that maps out how the youth will fulfill their court-ordered service and/or restitution commitments. Each person’s plan is thorough and includes specific and measurable goals, dates for regular Work Site visits, dates for progress reviews, and a well-developed exit strategy. Once the intake is complete and the plan is in place, the youth are placed in one of our 13 partner Work Sites throughout Chatham County, based on their interests and availability.

 

Youth might not be thrilled about having to do community service hours, but every effort is made to pair them with Work Sites that will provide them with the most personal growth and the best possible outcomes for the community at large. Some youth like working with animals. Others prefer working outside harvesting food from local gardens. We are grateful for the partnerships with our current Work Sites as they provide diverse opportunities for youth to integrate into the fabric of their communities while being exposed to resources they might not otherwise have access to. Our current Work Sites are:

 

Chatham Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore

Chatham Trades Inc.

Communities In Schools Chatham County

Community Lunch at St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church

Chatham County’s Health & Wellness Committee Garden

Happy Hills Animal Foundation Inc.

Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge

Small Museum of Folk Art

Take and Eat Food Pantry

Virginia Cross Elementary School

West Chatham Food Pantry

 

An advantage of implementing the restorative justice model on our county’s youth is that the benefits are observed well after the community service and/or restitution has been satisfied. When deliberating with his peers about what sentence to give a youth defendant in Teen Court, “John” recently said, “I think we should give the maximum number of hours. Maybe (s)he’ll enjoy the community service work and want to continue doing it. I enjoyed mine. Mine was fun.” In addition to “John” enjoying giving back to his community, he was great at it. His Work Site was Virginia Cross Elementary School (VCE) where he helped distribute food bags to families in need. Site Supervisor/Student Support Specialist Jazmin Mendoza said, “I am very happy with “John.” He did an amazing job and teachers love him. He came to VCE, and he is remembered by teachers as a great student.”

The youth aren’t the only ones who gain from the Community Service & Restitution partnerships. Courtney Goldston is the Human Resources Analyst at the Chatham County Manager’s Office. She is the volunteer Site Supervisor for Chatham County’s Health & Wellness Committee’s shared garden. One of our youth recently completed community service hours at the garden, and Ms. Goldston had only positive things to say about him and his work. She said, “It was such a pleasure working with and getting to know “Jay.” I could not have asked for a more perfect garden companion!  He was knowledgeable and very helpful to our novice gardeners. Our youth can teach us so many things about life, ourselves and others.  His grandparents have raised an exceptional young man and I hope they are very proud of him.  I look forward to seeing what the future holds for “Jay”!

 

Jeremiah is passionate about the program being a positive experience for youth to learn, grow, and develop and is always seeking out new, creative ways to build relationships with new partner Work Sites and volunteer Site Supervisors. Currently, there is a need for more volunteer Site Supervisors in the northern part of Chatham County. Mahatma Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” We invite you to become a part of Chatham County’s youth finding themselves.

 

For more information on any aspect of the Community Service & Restitution Program, including how to become an approved partner Work Site, or how to become a volunteer Site Supervisor, please contact Jeremiah McCaffity at: jmccaffity@cischatham.org or (919) 663-0116 ext.406

“The best thing a kid can tell you is, ‘I don’t need you anymore!’”

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Steve Townsend became connected to CISCC almost 10 years ago when it was Chatham County Together! Prior to his retirement and coming to NC, Steve lived in Houston, Texas and worked in the Oil and Gas Industry. While in Houston, he felt a calling to mentor kids at risk—students identified as “on the brink of success”— and joined an initiative similar to CISCC’s “Lunch Buddies” Program.” When he moved to Chatham County, he discovered the mentoring program run by Chatham County Together! Steve first assisted with a Graduation Project and soon after became a mentor to a boy in the second grade. This boy is now in High School and is consistently doing well. Steve’s approach then—as it is now—is “M&M” (Math and Mentoring).Fueled by his passion for education and his desire to help those kids who need extra support to succeed, he encourages his students to believe in themselves as they build their confidence in math. Steve has helped with summer math “catch-up” programs and is always looking for more ways to contribute individually. This year, Steve began tutoring multiple students at Chatham Middle School during weekly intervention time. Steve maintains high standards, expecting students to strive for 100% on their assignments. He never gives up on students and does not let them give up on themselves. Steve says, “My goal is to bring them to the point of feeling confident enough in math that they don’t need me anymore.” And when asked what the most rewarding aspect of volunteering is, Steve doesn’t hesitate; “to have the opportunity to help these kids.”

“I Feel Privileged to be a Part of It”

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Johnny Davis is a Jack-of-all-trades and master of all! He was first recruited to serve on the CISCC Board of Directors and currently serves as the 2017-18 fiscal year board Treasurer. Johnny also is a mentor, facilitator for the Cooking Matters classes, volunteers with the Youth Garden and volunteered for Challenge Day at Chatham Middle School in the fall of 2016. And he does it all with a smile! Johnny found Challenge Day to be a phenomenal experience in terms of how it was able to get adults and kids to think about life, why they do the things they do, and the consequences for their actions. For the Cooking Matters classes, the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle in Raleigh provides the food, the curriculum and the structure. Johnny drives his truck every week to Raleigh to “shop” for the food the class needs. Participants take leftover food home and put their new culinary skills to work right away! Johnny thinks it’s cool to watch kids sometimes look at food they think they don’t like, but have different ideas at the end of class. For the CIS Youth Garden, Johnny recently installed the complicated irrigation system that is connected with a cistern, harvesting water from the roof of a nearby building. By far the most rewarding aspect of volunteering with CISCC, though, is Johnny’s relationship with his mentee, Fernando. During the school year, Johnny and Fernando meet twice weekly for shorter blocks of time to focus on homework and physical activity. In the summertime, however, they often spend entire days together. One time Johnny flew Fernando and his cousin to the beach for the day, and they all had a blast! Johnny keeps a journal of everything he and Fernando have done together. How meaningful it will be for both Fernando and Johnny to look back on years from now to reflect on their shared experiences. Johnny understands the essential pieces of our nonprofit puzzle—both on-stage and behind the scenes—and he is gifted in how he communicates these pieces to the various stakeholders. Johnny says, “Everybody here is focused on the kids, and I feel privileged to be a part of it.”

“Relationship Before the Task”

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Erika Guy’s entrée into CISCC came by way of “Challenge Day” held at Chatham Middle School (CMS) in Siler City in October of 2016. The Challenge Day school program provides teens and adults with tools to break down the walls of separation and isolation, replacing them with compassion, acceptance, and respect. Retired after having worked in several states and cities as a professional counselor, advisor, and advocate for school children in grades 7-12, Erika has been involved with and exposed to hundreds of private programs and groups helping children. She says that Challenge Day accomplished more in a six-hour time frame than anything she’s been a part of. After one day, Erika was hooked and wanted to keep up the momentum with the middle-schoolers by helping to harvest the seeds that had just been planted. Since the fall of 2016, Erika has spent her Thursdays at CMS leading three grade-level intervention groups, serving a total of twenty students. She also helped launch the first “Cooking Matters for Teens” program at CMS and is now coordinating the third class. Erika has partnered with CMS counselor Abby Bishop to lead a bullying prevention and self-help hotline workshop to the entire student population and faculty. Recently, Erika facilitated a ‘ Working with Youth and Grief’ seminar for CISCC mentors. Erika can’t imagine a life without kids, and because of that she feels like she’s “never had a job.” Her work as a “kid advocate” and “teacher always” is an extension of who she is. And, she always puts the “relationship before the task,” because in her experience working with children, “until they know how much you care, they couldn’t care less how much you know.”

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