CISE Launches 2026 Annual Campaign, “Stronger Than Ever”

CISE (Catholic Inner-city Schools Education) launched its 2026 Annual Campaign, Stronger Than Ever, this month at DePaul Cristo Rey High School, bringing together supporters, students and friends of CISE to celebrate the impact of their generosity and look ahead to the year to come.

Led by co-chairs Dr. John M. Tew and Peter Klekamp, the campaign has a goal of raising $5 million to support the ongoing needs of students attending CISE-supported elementary schools and Catholic high schools throughout Greater Cincinnati.

CISE President and Executive Director Phil McHugh joined Tew and Klekamp for a conversation about the work ahead and the importance of annual support as CISE continues to serve more than 3,000 students from preschool through high school.

Guests also heard from young people whose educational journeys reflect the opportunities made possible through CISE support.

G’Vonte Lee, a sophomore at St. Xavier High School who attended Saint Francis Seraph, opened the program by leading guests in prayer.

MyKala Sanford, a senior at DePaul Cristo Rey High School who attended Corryville Catholic, shared her experience as a high school student supported by CISE.

Enaisha Turnbow offered a look at where that journey can lead. After attending Corryville Catholic, Enaisha received a CISE scholarship to attend St. Ursula Academy, graduating in 2024. Today, she is a sophomore at Mount St. Joseph University studying Criminal Justice.

Together, their journeys reflect the continuum of opportunity CISE works to provide, beginning in the elementary years, continuing through Catholic high school and helping prepare students for what comes next.

For more than 45 years, CISE has helped provide access to a values-based Catholic education for students in Cincinnati’s inner-city communities. Today, that commitment extends beyond tuition assistance to academic support, student wellness, career exploration, high school advocacy and programs that help students thrive in school and beyond.

The Stronger Than Ever campaign celebrates what has been made possible through the generosity of the CISE community while recognizing that more students are counting on that support every year.

Support the 2026 Annual Campaign →

Photos by Evan Haines.