During the 1960's and early 1970's, staff who would later form Cities In Schools, Inc. (CIS) worked in inner city areas to develop what were then called "street academies" for high school dropouts.

The purpose of the street academy program was to offer an alternative to those young people, especially the economically disadvantaged, who had dropped out of school before graduation - kids who were headed for a lifetime of underemployment or unemployment.

CIS academies work collaboratively with local school districts and businesses and are located in off-campus centers. Students receive one-on-one attention, complete assignments at their own pace and develop a personal life plan with the assistance of CIS staff.

In Arizona, we currently have three CIS academies: