Posts by Ashley Thornton
2017 Greatest Hits #4: Fighting a Monster of our Own Creation
(During December we will be reprising some of “2017’s greatest hits” from the Act Locally Waco blog. I couldn’t possibly pick my favorites – so I used the simple (cop out?) approach of pulling up the 10 blog posts that got the most “opens” according to our Google Analytics. It is an intriguing collection that…
Read More2017 Greatest hits #7: What the research tells us about how to help your kids do well at school
(During December we will be reprising some of “2017’s greatest hits” from the Act Locally Waco blog. I couldn’t possibly pick my favorites – so I used the simple (cop out?) approach of pulling up the 10 blog posts that got the most “opens” according to our Google Analytics. It is an intriguing collection that…
Read MoreOne Summer, Three Takeaways
By Stephen Kuipers This summer I had the honor of interning with the Texas Hunger Initiative as a Share Our Strength Youth Ambassador. Essentially, my job was to help increase awareness and attendance at free summer meal sites across the Waco/Bellmead area. As expected, I got the hang of things the longer I was in…
Read MoreWaco is my home and I am here to stay
By Gwendolyn McKnuckles When I was a child my brothers and I would visit Waco and Valley Mills for the summer. We did this for many years until we reached the age we no longer needed babysitting in the summer time. I was one of 9 cousins, 8 of which were boys. We stayed on…
Read MorePopping in to a pop-up: How to enjoy new arts experiences
By Luann Jennings During August 2017, Creative Waco is hosting a temporary “pop-up gallery,” Waco 52, at 712 Austin Avenue (two doors up from the Hippodrome). Waco 52 had a blockbuster opening weekend, with around 1500 people stopping by between Thursday evening and Saturday afternoon. If you weren’t one of them, I hope it’s not…
Read MorePlenty to love about Leadership Plenty
By Holly Tate “The most dangerous leadership myth is that leaders are born – that there is a genetic factor to leadership. This myth asserts that people simply either have certain charismatic qualities or not. That’s nonsense; in fact, the opposite is true. Leaders are made rather than born.” – Warren G. Bennis Like most worthwhile…
Read More2 Girls and a Construction Crew!
By Dawn Broadwater Working for Skillpoint Alliance as Waco Program Coordinator has been both a challenge and a life changing learning experience for me. In January 2017, Mallory Herridge, Waco Program Director and I faced some daunting tasks: We needed to find a qualified HVAC/Construction Core Instructor and then test and interview potential candidates. Doing…
Read MoreTeaching and learning at its best…Freedom School
By Mary Duty The morning I read was just like the good old days of teaching. Up at 5:30, out the door by 7, I was on my way to the guest reader at the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School at Baylor University. The school was held at Cesar Chavez Middle School (CCMS) . Dr.…
Read MoreA coordinated effort to improve local employment
By Christina Helmick If you lived in Waco in 2014, then you might have heard about the Upjohn Economic Development Study. If you didn’t live in Waco then (or didn’t hear about it), the City of Waco commissioned this study to identify the components of an economic development strategy that could concurrently enhance the local…
Read MoreClose Out Your Summer at the Fabulous Waco 52 Pop-Up Gallery
By Caitlin Giddens If the Waco 52 Pop-Up Gallery isn’t on your summer bucket list, you’re missing out. This inspiring pop-up gallery, hosted by Creative Waco, will feature local art, live music, farm-to-table dinners, weekend yoga classes and more. The pop-up gallery is not a new concept, but it’s new to Waco’s Cultural Arts District.…
Read More