Communities In Schools of Nevada Announces Fourth Annual Elaine P. Wynn Stronger Together Scholarship

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (Jan. 30, 2025) – Communities In Schools of Nevada (CIS), part of the nation’s leading evidence-based stay-in-school organization serving 118 schools in the Clark, Elko, Humboldt and Washoe County school districts, has announced the opening of the application window for its fourth annual Elaine P. Wynn Stronger Together Scholarship, a four-year scholarship created for CIS case-managed high school seniors. Applications are due March 2.

CIS encourages all its case-managed senior high school students to apply for this CIS scholarship opportunity. The application includes a personal essay, in either English or Spanish, about how post-secondary school will contribute to the student’s academic and career goals and what drives them to pursue post-secondary education. The scholarship, valued up to $10,000 and paid out at a maximum of $2,500 annually, is paid directly to the educational institution, renewed yearly and can be used toward full-time enrollment at an accredited college, university, community college or trade school. Renewal and yearly payments are contingent on meeting scholastic requirements including a 2.0 GPA and continued academic progress demonstrated in transcripts that are provided every semester. This year’s winner will be announced in April.

Last year’s Elaine P. Wynn Stronger Together Scholarship winner, Alondra Castro Ramirez, is a graduate of Proctor Hug High School in Reno, Nevada and is pursuing her college degree in healthcare. With the support of CIS Site Coordinator, Robert Ramirez, Alondra applied for scholarships and worked on improving her grades to become a nurse. Last April, Alondra was surprised to hear she received the Elaine P. Wynn Stronger Together Scholarship, to pursue her education. After graduating with a cumulative weighted GPA of 3.81, her dreams of

pursuing a career as a registered nurse are coming true. Thanks to this support, Alondra is now attending Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) for her associate’s degree, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

The Elaine P. Wynn Stronger Together Scholarship is made possible by Elaine Wynn, the founding chairperson of Communities In Schools of Nevada and former national chairperson for Communities In Schools. For nearly two decades, she has been actively engaged with CIS National, the organization that serves 2 million children in 3,460 schools in 29 states and DC, empowering students to stay in school and achieve in life. An indomitable crusader for children’s welfare and an influential philanthropist, her commitment to improving children’s lives through education has engaged her in multiple leadership roles at local, state, and national levels. More about the Elaine P. Wynn Stronger Together Scholarship can be found at cisnevada.org/strongertogether.

Since 2004, CIS of Nevada has demonstrated measurable success in student outcomes. Of note is the high school graduation rate of 97 percent for CIS case-managed graduation-eligible students in Nevada for the 2023-2024 school year, a record for CIS. Over the past three years, CIS achieved a remarkable 5 percent graduation rate increase.

About Communities In Schools of Nevada

CIS places full-time and professionally trained site coordinators in 118 Title I and high-needs schools across Nevada to support more than 100,000 students in grades K-12 who face barriers to their success—increasing the likelihood of students staying in school and graduating on time. The organization taps into a statewide network of more than 120 community nonprofits, partners, and agencies, bringing the community into the school to get students whatever they need to overcome the barriers they face that prevent them from achieving academically. From eyeglasses, dental care, health care, transportation, and professional counseling to food, school supplies, clothing, and housing, CIS identifies student needs and finds a way to address them, closing the gaps they experience in their everyday lives. CIS's long-term vision is for every child enrolled in a Title I or high-needs school to access a CIS site coordinator and their evidence-based model of integrated student support, otherwise known as wraparound services. The graduation rate for CIS case-managed high school seniors in Nevada for the 2023-2024 school year was 97 percent. For more information, visit http://www.cisnevada.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.