The mission of the CIT program is to ensure that homeless students stay in school and have access to academic success. The program does this by coordinating necessary supports to get students to school each day, and by offering them consistent after-school assistance to facilitate effective learning. CIT is staffed by 15 tutors who are generally either certified teachers or college students enrolled in an education program. Their primary duty is to provide targeted students with individualized after-school tutoring four times a week, for two hours each day. To effectively do this they must also work in classrooms and carefully coordinate their efforts with classroom teachers.
Tutors work at seven local shelters.
The teachers direct the tutors and other activities that pertain to their age specialty. The homeless education specialist is the liaison for community, transportation, and social services. Although each coordinator has their own responsibilities, there is much overlap between all tasks. Similar collaboration within the school system and with community agencies is paramount. Parents often express surprise that the school district's commitment extends to the shelter's onsite district-staffed program.