Center for Schools and Communities

What Center for Schools and Communities does

Center for Schools and Communities (CSC) is a non-profit educational intermediary organization founded in 1988 and operating as a division of Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU 16), headquartered in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. CSC administers more than 25 branded initiatives and programs spanning school safety, social and emotional learning, bullying prevention, family support, youth development, foster care educational stability, refugee education, migrant education, and out-of-school time programming. Its portfolio includes Center for Safe Schools, Center for the Promotion of Social and Emotional Learning, I Can Problem Solve, Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN), Pennsylvania Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH), Education Leading to Employment and Career Training (ELECT), Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool/Youth Development Network (PSAYDN), and Pennsylvania Parents as Teachers State Office, among others.

CSC delivers services through five core service lines — Professional Learning, Intermediary Services, Custom Products and Services, Support Services, and Research and Evaluation — and supports these with custom-built digital infrastructure including web-based case management systems (notably the PASSHE Professional Development Organization case management platform), statewide data collection and monitoring systems for the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, the Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation data system via Pennsylvania Key, and the SWAN Helpline platform operated in partnership with Diakon.

The organization is funded through contracts with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Pennsylvania Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Education, and other state and federal agencies, supplemented by grants from foundations including Charles Stewart Mott, Grable, Pritzker Traubert, and Claude Worthington Benedum, plus a growing subscription revenue line launched in 2023 via Center for Safe Schools and individual donations to designated funds. CSC serves all 500 Pennsylvania school districts and 67 counties as its core market, with extended reach to 38 states and 18 countries as of 2023-2024. Leadership is headed by Shileste Overton Morris, Ed.D., who serves as both CSC Director and CSIU Chief Programs Officer; the organization operates with a staff of approximately 45–100.

Name

Center for Schools and Communities

Legal name

Center for Schools and Communities

Website

https://centerforschoolsandcommunities.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Center for Schools and Communities is a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit educational intermediary that administers 25+ initiatives in school safety, social-emotional learning, bullying prevention, family support, and youth development for all 500 PA school districts, with national and international reach.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

After-School Academic Support Programs (Centers & Clubs) (EDAJALAM), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Professional learning services
• Education program management
• Research and evaluation
• School safety services
• Youth development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Camp Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts and Grants: CSC receives funding through contracts with Pennsylvania Department of Education, Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Pennsylvania Department of Labor, and other state agencies. They also receive federal grants including U.S. Department of Education funding.
2. Foundation and Nonprofit Funding: CSC receives support from foundations including Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Grable Foundation, Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, Pritzker Traubert Foundation, and others for specific programs and initiatives.
3. Donations and Fundraising: CSC accepts donations for specific funds including Center for Safe Schools Fund, Myrna B. Shure Learning Fund, and PSAYDN Fund to support programming.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Center for Schools and Communities is a non-profit public education division of Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU 16) that delivers professional learning, research and evaluation, intermediary coordination, support services, and custom products to schools, state agencies, foundations, and community organizations. It administers more than 25 initiatives spanning bullying prevention, social and emotional learning, school safety, out-of-school-time programming, child welfare, migrant and refugee education, and family support. The organization reaches all 500 Pennsylvania school districts and 67 counties and serves as an intermediary connecting state agencies with local implementers.

Product overview

Center for Schools and Communities (CSC) is a division of Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit that operates as a multi-initiative organization offering a portfolio of programs and services focused on education, family support, youth development, and school safety. The organization provides five core service lines: Professional Learning Services, Intermediary Services, Custom Products and Services, Support Services, and Research and Evaluation Services. CSC administers over 25 initiatives and programs including Center for Safe Schools (CSS), Center for the Promotion of Social and Emotional Learning (CPSEL), I Can Problem Solve (ICPS), Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP), Pennsylvania SUN Bucks School Help Desk, Pennsylvania Children's Trust Fund (CTF), Pennsylvania Parents as Teachers (PAT), Pennsylvania Strengthening Families, SWAN Helpline, ELECT, ECYEH, Migrant Education Program (MEP), 21st Century Community Learning Centers, PSAYDN, and Refugee Education Program. These initiatives work together to strengthen systems and improve outcomes for children, youth, families, and communities across Pennsylvania and nationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Center for Safe Schools (CSS): Supporting schools, educators, parents, law enforcement, and community agencies to create positive school climates and establish safety measures.
• Center for the Promotion of Social and Emotional Learning (CPSEL)
• I Can Problem Solve (ICPS)
• Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP)
• Pennsylvania SUN Bucks – School Help Desk
• Pennsylvania Children's Trust Fund (CTF)
• Pennsylvania Parents as Teachers State Office
• Pennsylvania Strengthening Families
• Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN)
• Assisting Students Experiencing Education Instability (Act 1 of 2022)
• Education Leading to Employment and Career Training (ELECT)
• Educational Stability for Children and Youth in Foster Care
• Pennsylvania Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness (ECYEH)
• Pennsylvania Migrant Education Program (MEP)
• Pennsylvania 21st Century Community Learning Centers
• Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool/Youth Development Network (PSAYDN)
• Pennsylvania Refugee Education Program (REP)

Products and services

• Professional Learning Services Access to CSC staff and thought leaders bridging research to practice through conferences, workshops, multi-session courses, certifications, and on-demand virtual, in-person, and hybrid training for educators and program staff.
• Intermediary Services
• Custom Products and Services
• Support Services
• Research and Evaluation Services
• Center for Safe Schools Subscription Service Subscription offering launched in 2023 by the Center for Safe Schools initiative that delivers priority access to professional development, preparedness reviews, crisis support, implementation support, and grant writing support.
• The Bridge Project in Pennsylvania No-cost online mental health service for children and youth experiencing homelessness, accessed during the school day in partnership with the child's school under the PA ECYEH program; funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000 individuals served annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, strategic and minor.

• Pennsylvania Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary state agency partner for education programs including Refugee Education Program, Migrant Education Program, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, ELECT, and foster care educational stability initiatives.
• Pennsylvania Department of Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner for human services programs including SWAN Helpline, child abuse prevention through Children's Trust Fund, and family support services.
• Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit (CSIU 16)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization. CSC is a division of CSIU, providing administrative, operational, and strategic support infrastructure.
• Afterschool AlliancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner for out-of-school time programming advocacy and awareness, supporting PSAYDN initiatives.
• Parents as Teachers National OfficemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partner for Pennsylvania Parents as Teachers state office, supporting affiliate programs and Blue Ribbon status achievement.
• Shippensburg UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for professional development organization case management system and early childhood educator tracking on Pennsylvania's Career Pathway.
• Dorset Council (UK)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner in UK facilitating implementation of ICPS (I Can Problem Solve) curriculum in primary schools.
• DiakonmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN) Helpline, managing adoption and foster care services in partnership with Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.
• National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting school safety initiatives and training through Center for Safe Schools.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Education Development Center (EDC): EDC is a global nonprofit that designs, delivers, and evaluates education and health programs alongside schools, agencies, and communities — directly comparable to CSC's role as an education R&D and intermediary serving state agencies and districts.
• AVID Center: AVID is a nonprofit that partners with schools and districts to deliver college and career readiness programming through professional learning — comparable to CSC's evidence-based program model, professional learning, and school-district intermediary function.
• Regional Education Service Centers (e.g., BOCES network, NY): New York's BOCES and other state-level regional education service centers perform the same intermediary role for school districts that CSC performs for Pennsylvania's districts — comparable in service mix (PD, cooperative purchasing, special education supports) and governance structure.
• Communities In Schools: Communities In Schools is a national nonprofit that places coordinated support services inside K-12 schools — directly comparable to CSC's intermediary role connecting schools with social-emotional, family support, and youth development programs.
• WestEd: WestEd is a nonpartisan, nonprofit research, development, and service agency that works with education and other agencies — a close functional analog to CSC's research/evaluation and professional learning services for schools and state agencies.

Emerging players

• National AfterSchool Association (NAA): NAA is the professional association for the afterschool field — comparable to CSC's PSAYDN initiative in providing intermediary, advocacy, and capacity-building services to out-of-school-time programs at state and national levels.
• Vela Education: Vela is a nonprofit that supports high-quality, community-driven out-of-school-time programs through capacity-building and funding — adjacent to CSC's PSAYDN and 21st CCLC intermediary work in the afterschool/youth development space.
• RMC Research Corporation: RMC Research Corporation is an education research and evaluation firm serving districts, states, and federal agencies — comparable to CSC's Research & Evaluation service line and its federal program evaluation work (e.g., OBPP monitoring).
• Parents as Teachers National Center: Parents as Teachers National Center is a national nonprofit that trains and supports state affiliates delivering the PAT home-visiting model — CSC operates the PA PAT State Office as an affiliate, making it both a partner and a structural peer in the family-support/early-childhood space.

Broad incumbents

• American Institutes for Research (AIR): AIR is a large nonprofit behavioral and social science research organization with a substantial education practice — comparable to CSC in serving federal/state education agencies with research, evaluation, and technical assistance, but at significantly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/center_schools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for Schools and Communities