Bill Milliken is vice-chairman of Communities in Schools (CIS), the organization he founded in 1977 to help troubled students graduate and succeed in life. This dropout prevention program, which connects schools with community resources to help disenfranchised youth, reaches more than two million young people in 27 states and the District of Columbia. CIS believes that before kids can focus on academic success, they have to have the Five Basics: a personal, one-on-one relationship with a caring adult; a safe place to learn and grow; a healthy start and a healthy future; a marketable skill to use upon graduation; and a chance to give back to peers and community. This solution to the dropout crisis is proven, effective, replicable, and sustainable and has been tested over three decades. Bill Milliken has been a tireless advocate for kids and believes that “You gain your life by giving it away.”
