Courtney Bentley named the next director of Communities in Schools Milledgeville Baldwin County

Courtney Bentley named the next director of Communities in Schools Milledgeville Baldwin County

School of Continuing and Professional Studies Tuesday November 19, 2024

Courtney Bentley has been named as the next director of Communities in Schools Milledgeville Baldwin County and will begin this role January 2025. Bentley has been part of Georgia College & State University, as well as the Milledgeville/Baldwin Community since 2007. She has worked in various roles on campus but says he passion has always been in education. Bentley holds an undergraduate degree in middle grades education and a masters in public administration, both from Georgia College & State University.

"I have a unique worldview from the standpoints of an educator, a parent and a community member who brings together stakeholder perspectives to best serve our public schools and therefore the future of Milledgeville/Baldwin County," Bentley said.

Communities in Schools has resources and an avenue to provide a positive impact on students during their academic journey.

"We see firsthand that students in Baldwin County come to school with many things other than their education on their mind," Bentley said. "We want to be safe, caring adults who are a bright spot in these students' lives, inspiring them to work through their personal obstacles to succeed."

A need that CISMBC sees every year are uniform items for students. Bentley plans to establish a "Uniform Pop Up Shop" for students to "trade in" their gently used uniform items they have outgrown for "new to them" uniforms. This alleviates a financial barrier many families face when purchasing new uniform items annually. Uniforms are one of the most basic in-school needs that ensure students are present and prepared for their education. Bentley would also like to hire a part-time site coordinator to serve Oak Hill Middle School.

"At this time, this is the only school in the district without a dedicated site coordinator, and middle school is one of the most challenging times in a student's life. They deserve to have ample support during this time of growth and change," Bentley said.

During her time as interim director of Communities in Schools Milledgeville Baldwin County, Bentley increased donations with the latest being $1,500 from the Georgia Power Foundation. She has also grown the Board of Directors to include Frederick Ellington (Central State Hospital), John Jackson (GCSU/BCSD BOE), Ashley Copeland (GCSU GIVE Center), Tatrabian Jackson (CGTC) and Kendric Butts (Baldwin County Commissioners).

Next year, Bentley plans to hire a middle school site coordinator, which she says would give them continuous support for students in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade. Currently, Bentley is working with the College of Education at Georgia College & State University to increase pre-education volunteers in the CISMBC program.

Communities In Schools of Milledgeville/Baldwin County is a local affiliate of a national nonprofit organization. CISMBC is unique in that it is embedded within Georgia College & State University. To learn more about CISMBC or to donate, visit https://cismilledgeville.org/ or contact Courtney at [email protected].

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