Barrick Gold Corp. announced a new partnership with Communities in Schools of Nevada (CISN), committing $1.2 million over four years to fund programming in two Nevada middle schools. The company made the announcement at a student celebration at Marvin M. Sedway Middle School in North Las Vegas, one of the two schools that will benefit from the partnership.

Barrick’s contribution will also enable CISN to provide programming at Adobe Middle School in Elko, Nevada. Poverty is a reality in the lives of many students in both schools. Approximately 85 percent of the 1,400 students at Sedway Middle School and 40 percent of the 700 students at Adobe Middle School are currently living below the poverty line. As a result, these students face obstacles that affect their academic performance and behavior, putting them at greater risk of dropping out of school.

“The youth of Nevada are facing more challenges than ever, and we want to give them a better chance to succeed in school and graduate,” said Michael Brown, Barrick’s vice president of corporate and external affairs. “Barrick chose to partner with Communities In Schools because of its proven track record. This funding will enable students to receive critical services such as medical care, food, clothing and tutoring. Our hope is that this support will remove obstacles to learning and put these students on the right path for the future.”

CISN will work with school administrators and students both inside and outside the classroom to remove obstacles and improve promotion rates. By providing this support at the middle school level, Barrick and CISN seek to improve student graduation prospects. At Sedway, funding will support two full-time CISN coordinators to facilitate programs and services, which include tutoring, a food pantry, and a resource room with school supplies. A site coordinator and case manager will be based at Adobe to serve the needs of students, which include administering a school-wide breakfast program.

“I applaud Barrick for its commitment to these children and for supporting the services needed for them to achieve their goals and move forward to a successful life,” said Terri Clark, CEO of CISN. “This funding will be vital to their future and will provide the services needed to transition into high school, higher education and vocation.”

In the 2011-2012 school year, CISN supported nearly 22,500 students across 36 school sites in southern and northeastern Nevada with services valued at over $1 million. These services contributed to the 94 percent graduation rate of seniors enrolled in the CIS Academy. (The CIS Academy provides case management and academic support to students deemed a high risk to drop out of school.) Additional accomplishments include:

Southern Nevada:
· 90 percent of students had either zero absences or decreased absences by an average of 10 days per student
· 59 percent of students increased grade point average by an average of .52 points per student
· 74 percent of CIS Academy students maintained or increased the number of course credits earned

Northeastern Nevada:
· 63 percent of students had either zero absences or decreased absences by an average of 31 days per student
· 61 percent of students increased grade point average by an average of 1.03 points per student
· 81 percent maintained or increased the number of course credits earned