CIS Founder: Bill Milliken

Bill Milliken, founder and president of Communities In Schools, Inc., is one of the nation’s leading pioneers in the movement to help young people successfully learn, stay in school and prepare for life. The year 2000 marked the 40th anniversary of Milliken’s commitment to children.

Mr. Milliken has served three U.S. presidents. During the Carter Administration, he was the White House Advisor on Youth Issues. In 1989, he advised President Bush for the Education Summit with the nation’s governors. Most recently, Milliken was involved in the planning of The Presidents’ Summit for America’s Future and serves on the board of Gen. Colin Powell’s America’s Promise foundation.

Mr. Milliken is the recipient of the Edward A. Smith Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Leadership, honoring executives who exemplify “extraordinary leadership” over a lifetime of service; and the “Champion for Children” award from the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), honoring nationally known non-educators whose contributions have significantly and positively influenced the lives of children. Mr. Milliken received both these awards in March 2000. He is also the author of three books, So Long, Sweet Jesus; Tough Love; and The Last Dropout.

NEW BOOK: The Last Dropout

The Last Dropout offers nine key principles that Communities In Schools has tested over three decades. Interwoven are the dramatic life stories of CIS founder Bill Milliken and his colleagues, a journey that began in the turbulent 1960s as youth workers with a spiritual mission struggled to turn around the lives of dropouts and addicts. It traces the evolution of the CIS movement from a handful of groundbreaking "street academies" to a national network of hundreds of local affiliates. The Last Dropout also features stories about how CIS leaders have adopted these principles in their own communities with stunning results!

You can order The Last Dropout at Amazon.com, Costco.com or BarnesandNoble.com.

Read the review, "From Expelled to Excelled", written by Keith Hefner, in the December/January 2009 Issue of Youth Today here.