LAS VEGAS – Google has announced a $100,000 contribution to Communities in Schools of Nevada (CIS Nevada), a statewide organization dedicated to helping students graduate, reducing chronic absenteeism, and providing resources young individuals need to succeed in the classroom and beyond. Google’s support will help launch CIS Nevada’s new Achieve In Life program, a postsecondary education program designed to help young adults ages 18 to 24 navigate the transition period following high school graduation.
The Achieve In Life program aims to assist students in drafting a support plan with a chosen postsecondary pathway that includes access to wraparound services, workshops, trainings, and networking events designed to increase their social capital; all with the end goal of having students learn life skills to be self-sufficient, ensure social-emotional competency, and graduate from a postsecondary institution, obtain employment in their preferred career pathway, enlist in the military, or launch a business.
“At Google, we believe every young person deserves the opportunity to pursue their goals with confidence and support,” said Kate Franko, Google’s Regional Head of Data Center Public Affairs. “Communities In Schools of Nevada is making a meaningful difference by ensuring students not only graduate high school, but are prepared for their future. We are proud to support the Achieve In Life program and help supply Nevada’s young adults with the resources and connections they need to thrive in life post-high school.”
“We are profoundly grateful for Google’s $100,000 contribution, which will allow us to launch our Achieve In Life program,” said Tami Hance-Lehr, CEO and State Director, Communities In Schools of Nevada. “Witnessing our philanthropic community believe every student deserves to graduate, prepared for their future, is inspiring. Google’s support is not just fueling a program, it is igniting a vision of success that continues to grow, evolve, and change lives across the state. With this gift, we can provide more alumni with the resources, guidance and opportunities they deserve.”
In 2023, CIS of Nevada launched its Alumni Program to continue supporting CIS graduates as they pursue postsecondary education, careers, military service or entrepreneurship. Today, that program has grown with the 2024-2025 alumni cohort of 301 graduates. Through CIS, the Alumni Program creates pathways for graduates to get involved, network, volunteer, and build community.
In July 2025, construction began on the Shaquille O’Neal Youth Complex, the future home of the nation’s first CIS Achieve In Life Alumni Center. Made possible through the generosity of the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation and with partial funding from the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation, this center will offer a permanent space dedicated to ongoing support and opportunities for CIS graduates. Scheduled to open in fall 2026, the Achieve In Life program at the complex will launch with support from Google, whose contribution is essential to bringing this vision to life.
On a national scale, the CIS national network looks to Nevada as an example of how to partner philanthropy with programs for innovative ways to change lives. This is one of example of how investing in postsecondary programs will make a lasting impact on students, families and the economy.
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About Google in Nevada:
Google has called Nevada home since 2019 and operates data centers in Clark and Storey Counties. The company has partnered with trusted community institutions across the state to bring digital skills training, grant funding, and other resources to more Nevadans. In Nevada, Grow with Google has partnered with more than 50 organizations to train more than 126,000 Nevadans in digital skills, including public libraries, chambers of commerce, community colleges, and more. Since 2008, Google and Googlers have given more than $4 million in philanthropic giving to organizations and nonprofits in Nevada. Learn more about Google in Nevada at: g.co/economicimpact/nevada.
About Communities In Schools of Nevada
CIS places full-time and professionally trained site coordinators in 117 Title I and high-needs schools across Nevada to support nearly 100,000 students in grades K-12 who face barriers to their success—increasing the likelihood of students staying in school and graduating on time. The organization taps into a statewide network of more than 120 community nonprofits, partners, and agencies, bringing the community into the school to get students whatever they need to overcome the barriers they face that prevent them from achieving academically. From eyeglasses, dental care, health care, and professional counseling to food, school supplies, clothing, and housing, CIS identifies student needs and finds a way to address them, closing the gaps they experience in their everyday lives. CIS’s long-term vision is for every child enrolled in a Title I or high-needs school to access a CIS site coordinator and their evidence-based model of integrated student support, otherwise known as wraparound services. The graduation rate for CIS case-managed high school seniors in Nevada for the 2023-2024 school year was 97 percent. For more information, visit http://www.cisnevada.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
