Communities In Schools Of North Carolina’s Linda Harrill Delivers Keynote Address At Fuller Performance Learning Center Graduation
Posted: 05-22-2009 : RALEIGH, N.C.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Communities In Schools of North Carolina (CISNC) , a nonprofit that helps N.C. public school students successfully stay in school and prepare for life, has announced that Fuller Performance Learning Center, a small, non-traditional high school in partnership with CIS of Cumberland County and the Cumberland County Schools, will hold its graduation at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 22 at E.E. Smith High School, located at 1800 Seabrook Road in Fayetteville. The school will graduate 47 students in only its second graduation since opening its doors in 2007. Linda Harrill, president and CEO of CISNC, will deliver the keynote address.

Fuller Performance Learning Center is one of five CIS model high schools in N.C. that gives students who are not succeeding in a traditional school a chance to complete a regular high school diploma. The vision of the Fuller Performance Learning Center, which is based on the successful CIS national model, is to provide educational opportunities that will enable students to attain the academic and emotional foundations necessary for their future endeavors. The school creates a business-like learning environment where students complete assignments using online, computer-based curriculum with the assistance of learning facilitators. Fuller PLC also utilizes project-based learning, service learning, job shadowing, internships, mentoring, and dual enrollment with technical and four-year colleges. Communities In Schools provides support and resources to the school.

“We are pleased to see Fuller Performance Learning Center graduate such a large class,” said Harrill. “This year’s graduating class is proof positive that non-traditional stay-in-school initiatives create a wealth of opportunities for these students.”

About Communities In Schools Of North Carolina:
Communities In Schools of North Carolina (CISNC), an independently incorporated nonprofit, was established in 1989 as a part of the national Communities In Schools network. The organization is the nation's largest community-based dropout prevention program with nearly 200 communities serving 1.2 million youth in the United States. CISNC is overseen by a board of directors that represents both public and private interests for the state. The 39 local CIS affiliates across North Carolina connect existing county-wide resources with students and their families at schools to ensure that youth continue to stay in school, learn necessary skills and are well-prepared to begin working or attend a post-secondary school after graduation. CISNC provides both regional and on-site training and technical assistance, serves as an information center for local communities concerned about young people at risk of school failure, and builds partnerships with state agencies and organizations to benefit youth across the state. For more information, call (800) 849-8881 or visit their Web site at www.cisnc.org.