Burke Community Partnership is a non-profit 501c3 organization dedicated to being a catalyst to improve results for children and families. BCP is the umbrella organization for Communities In Schools and Family Connection. >>> the merger

BCP has provided programs and services to over 8000 students in the Burke County School System. We have a volunteer pool of over 100 community residents who recognize the tremendous need for community intervention in the lives of school age children. Volunteer opportunities include serving on the Board of Directors, mentoring, tutoring, speaker, leadership class and camp presenters, after-school presenter, field trip chaperones, service projects and other activities.

Burke Community Partnership has a volunteer Board of Directors and a staff of 6 full-time employees: Executive Director, Programs Director, Parent Educator, GoodWorks Personal Advisor, Job Coach/Mentor Coordinator, and Administrative Assistant.  BCP also has sixteen part-time employees: 6 Americorps members, 3 Foster Grandparents, 6 After-school staff and an AmericaReads Coordinator. We have an additional 9 volunteer and repositioned staff members assisting in meeting the organizations goals.

The Merger...

In October of 2003, the Board of Directors of Communities In Schools of Burke County, Inc. and Burke County Family Connection voted to merge the two organizations. As a result of the merger, the Board decided that an umbrella organization should be created to represent these two organizations as well as our partners in the community. From that meeting, members voted to name the umbrella organization Burke Community Partnership (BCP). BCP's purpose is to serve the needs of children, families and the community as a whole.

Both CIS and Family Connection's mission is to garner the resources that exists in our community to address the needs of the community that were identified though a community assessment conducted in 1998. Through our partners, we have been able to lower the dropout rate, lower the teen pregnancy rate, and increase the family literacy rate. Programs and services are offered through this umbrella organization that directly impacts these factors. Our partnership is made up of social service agencies, local government, law enforcement, the school system, churches, business and other non-profit organizations.

Communities In Schools is a national chartered non-profit (501c3) organization dedicated to helping students succeed. Established in 1991, CIS of Burke County, Inc. is a local model of the national Communities In Schools stay-in-school process. CIS of Burke County, Inc. has served over 8000 students in the Burke County School System, and has a pool of over 100 community volunteers who recognize the tremendous need for community intervention in the lives of children.

Family Connection is a public-private partnership created by the State of Georgia and funders from the private sector. Building upon more than a decade of Family Connection success, the state Partnership serves as an intermediary working with the 159 Family Connection collaboratives in Georgia. The local collaborative was organized in 1998 to serve as a catalyst to improve conditions for children, families, and the Burke County community as a whole. Through the years, Family Connection has provided community forums, health fairs, summer camps, tobacco prevention activities, early learning activities, and many other activities to address the needs of the community.