Communities in Schools Takes on Chronic Absenteeism in the US with Powerful Campaign
M&C Saatchi SS+K has launched a new campaign 'Being Present Matters', a powerful new public service spot from Communities In Schools (CIS®), the national organisation that has worked for the past 47 years to ensure every K-12 student, regardless of their ability, zip code or socioeconomic background, has access to the resources they need to realize their full potential in school and beyond.
In this latest series of public service announcements, young women and men take attendance in empty schools across the country while a larger-than-life, six-foot-tall “Longest Roll” etched with the names of 15 million absentee students barrels down a vacant school hallway and campus. It represents the millions of children whose lives are affected by not showing up to school, which was exacerbated by the global pandemic in 2020. Also addressed in the PSA are the obstacles that lead to their lack of attendance: “Transportation absent; WiFi absent; childcare for siblings absent; housing absent, healthcare absent; mental health support and anti-bullying absent.”
The solution for these 15 million kids at risk of being left behind? Being present matters for both students and adults. Caring adults can make a huge difference in a student’s life. That’s why CIS Site Coordinators are trained to be the ultimate caring connectors. “With chronic absenteeism growing in America, the work Communities In Schools does is more important than ever,” said Stevie Archer, chief creative officer, M&C Saatchi SS+K. “They not only make it easier for kids to show up, but help 99 percent of them graduate. We were inspired to bring that story to life with a huge, 15-million-name roll call. It helps people understand the scale of the issue, with real CIS Site Coordinators showing how they help fight that massive problem.”
From school-wide initiatives to intensive, individualized support, site coordinators work one-on-one with students at various levels of involvement and are the reason 99 percent of students show up ready to learn every day, stay in school, and graduate – demonstrating not only the program’s impact, but also the urgent need to support its critical services.
“Students who attend school regularly from the onset have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who are chronically absent or tardy,” said Anya Harrington, vice president, marketing and communications, Communities In Schools. “This compelling new campaign shines a spotlight on this nationwide epidemic, which affects millions of children and the solutions CIS offers to eradicate it.”
CIS hit a critical milestone in 2024: It has provided a wide range of services to two million students across 3,460 schools nationwide – including attendance initiatives, mentoring, life-skills workshops, supportive guidance, academic enhancement and enrichment, health and human services, parent and family engagement, college and career readiness – helping K-12 students improve attendance, test scores, and graduation rates.
In addition, 200,000 students benefited from targeted and intensive support through one-on-one case management with 90 percent or more remaining in school, progressing to the next grade or graduating from high school. This was made possible through strong relationships with families, school leadership, teachers, counselors and close to 9,000 community partnerships and 17,500 volunteers.
