Our Partners

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Opportunities, Alternatives, and Resources (OAR)

For the past forty years, OAR has been protecting the civil liberties of those incarcerated in the Tompkins County Jail and assisting with their transition back into the community after incarceration. As a program of OAR, CIU has access to all of OAR’s services, including assigned counsel, reentry services, and assistance with housing and employment. CIU is also able to meet with individuals incarcerated in the Tompkins County Jail who are interested in attending college after release. Please visit OAR's website to learn more about the incredible work they do.

Tompkins County and Ithaca City Courts

As an Alternative to Incarceration, CIU works in close collaboration with the local court system, judges, and specialty courts – including the Felony and Family Treatment Courts. Judges and Treatment courts refer potential students to CIU for one-on-one Orientation Sessions. This gives court-involved individuals the opportunity to either explore higher education for the first time in their lives or reconnect with an interrupted course of study. The courts accept attendance of CIU Orientation/ College Prep instead of community service, and in some cases, in place of incarceration.

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Tompkins County Department of Probation and Community Justice

Probation is one of the primary agencies that refer potential students to CIU. Referrals come through Probation Officers who encourage probationers to explore their next educational step, as well as through Day Reporting. Individuals attend the Day Reporting Program as a condition of probation or violation of probation, as a Drug Court sanction, as a pre-trial supervised release, or during re-entry into the community following a period of incarceration.

Tompkins Cortland Community College (TC3)

TC3 is CIU’s primary partner for anything academic and it is the college that the majority of CIU’s enrolled students attend. TC3’s diverse areas of study allow for the growth and exposure to educational opportunities that change the trajectory of student lives, and they line up with the workforce opportunities in the Tompkins County area. Additionally, CIU’s College Prep ATI sessions are held under the umbrella of TC3 Biz, which allows us to offer our classes at the TC3 Extension Center on the Ithaca Commons. To learn more about TC3, please visit their website.

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Tompkins County Whole Health

Tompkins County Whole Health combines Public Health and Mental Health under shared leadership and helps to build a healthy, equitable community by addressing the root causes of health disparities and integrating mental, physical, and environmental health. They provide a variety of services to support children and youth, adults, households and communities, and businesses and envision a future where every person in Tompkins County can achieve wellness. Residents of Tompkins County, you can find offerings and programs to improve their wellbeing.

Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE)

Communities are defined in many different ways by the diverse people who belong to them. CCE works with communities of all kinds, providing training, resources, and facilitation to help identify the most important issues, envision potential strategies and solutions, and organize and take action for change. They help individuals learn about the rich human diversity in our local communities and facilitate community dialogue on local policy issues.

Partner with us and facilitate change

Want to learn more about becoming a community partner? Have a service or resource that can assist our students? Give us a call at 607-351-3201 or 607-351-5028!

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