Beating The Odds is a powerfully raw and emotional film that follows the lives of two students from different backgrounds who faced non-academic barriers that presented challenges in reaching their fullest potential. Communities In Schools of Atlanta (CIS of Atlanta) employs staff called Site Coordinators who are embedded in local schools to offer needed resources to economically disadvantaged families and students in some of the poorest neighborhoods in metro Atlanta.

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The award-winning film connects our students' own triumphs and tragedies with the organization’s CEO, Frank Brown. Brown, a child who lived in poverty in Charleston, SC, overcame insurmountable odds despite his zip code. Given an opportunity to thrive by caring adults within his local community, Brown graduated from college with honors, finished law school, worked on Capitol Hill, and used his experience to help under-served African American and Latinx students in New York City and Atlanta.

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In the film, you get a first look at how Brown uses his own family tragedy to inspire and warn kids about the power of their decisions. Brown's life reflects the power of community, opportunity, and paying it forward to help thousands of kids like him beat the odds to be full participants in the American Dream.