By Amy Jimenez, Cove Board Member
I was busy rushing around the hallways of the Cove adding last minute touches to the decorations for our first Annual Alumni Dinner. The Cove staff, board members, and volunteers had worked hard to make the Cove feel special to welcome home our Cove Scholars who graduated the past two years. Our theme was “Welcome Home,” a homecoming of sorts, and we hoped the night would feel just that for our students: like home.
He walked through the door a few minutes early, and to me, it was Deja vu. He was home. He was our first student ever to walk through the doors of the Cove on the first day it opened in October 2016. He was the same student whose eyes lit up at the Marvel art on the walls and said, “This place is for me?”
He jumped right in to help me put the silverware and napkins on the table. I yelled his name in excitement and he just smiled and said that not much had changed. He shared that he was trying to survive college and that it was a lot harder than he ever thought it would be. I encouraged him that he was already 3/4th of the way of finishing his first year, that in itself is a huge accomplishment. Not everyone makes it that far.
The other students began to pour in. They immediately found their spots and rhythm as though time had not even passed. The hallways filled with laughter and chatter, as old and new volunteers, staff, and students reminisced.
Current Cove Scholars lovingly decorated a Welcome Home sign that sprawled the dining room entrance. Our graduates admired it and asked how certain students were doing.
The Cove is a nurturing center for youth experiencing homelessness. Our goals are to ensure students have the opportunity to thrive. In Waco ISD, approximately 1,000 students were identified as homeless in the 2017-2018 school year. 335 of those students were in high school, and at least 1/3 of them were unaccompanied, which means they were not living with their parent or legal guardian. What does this mean?
It means many of our students are experiencing homelessness on their own. They are couch surfing—staying place to place—but are still attending school and trying their best to graduate. They are missing the adult support at home to encourage them to show up to class, do their work, and make it across that stage at graduation. That is where the Cove comes in.
The Cove offers a safe environment Monday through Thursday, 4 – 8pm, for students to access showers, mental healthcare, case management, a family-style dinner, healthy snacks, an optional workout program, washer/dryer, tutoring services, educational programming through community partners. The Cove is filled with loving, caring adults that want to ensure our students have every opportunity to finish high school and become thriving adults. The past two years, we have seen 31 of our Cove Scholars graduate from high school and enter into adulthood prepared to succeed.
At our Alumni Dinner, the warmth that filled the room brought to mind every person in our Waco community who has committed their love to the Cove. Every dinner made, every hour tutored, every dollar donated, every Uno game played—these were the memories students rattled off, and these commitments have changed the course of our students’ lives. I am thankful for a community like ours, who comes alongside our most vulnerable community members and gives them care, opportunity, value, and empowerment. The deep connections that are built here change the trajectory of all our lives, and I believe Waco is better for it.
Haven’t been to the Cove? We would love for you to schedule a tour! Also, please consider donating. Your commitment will impact students by providing a safe place for them this summer, as well as all throughout the year!
The Cove is currently seeking volunteers this summer so we can be open to meet the needs of our students. The Cove will be open June-August from 12pm-4pm, so our students can have a safe place to be, catch up on school work or prepare for STAAR tests or college entrance exams, and to have access to the important resources they need. If you would like to support the work at the Cove, please visit www.thecovewaco.org.
Amy Jimenez is a community member of Waco and lives with her family in the Brookview neighborhood. She is a licensed social worker with Waco ISD who proudly works alongside youth who are experiencing homelessness. She serves on the board of the Cove, alongside many in our Waco community who devote their time, love, and expertise to ensure students have the opportunity to thrive. She is a proud wife, Baylor Bear, follower of Jesus, and is loving her new role as a first-time mom.
By Nathan Embry
Lemonade Day is coming! We are well underway, working with the enthusiasm and energy that this ambitious program deserves.
For those of you who are not yet familiar with Lemonade Day, it is program that encourages kids to become entrepreneurs by creating their very own small business: a lemonade stand. The program started in Houston in 2007 and has grown from serving 2,700 kids in one city to involving 1 million children across North America – including Waco! This year we are thrilled to have well over 100 kids participating.
Kids in all parts of Waco have the optimism and energy to become successful entrepreneurs. Through the Lemonade Day program, parents, teachers and mentors sign up to guide kids through lessons that help turn that optimism and energy into business success.
They begin by teaching students to have a dream and vision, then create a business plan, and finally, they execute the plan by building and running a real Lemonade Stand on Lemonade Day – May 4!
The curriculum has many exciting aspects that we love to talk about:
1. It encourages the kids to find business partners, or investors, to invest in their lemonade stand. They ask for loans to get started and are expected to pay the investors back.
2. Kids need to pick a spot for their stand in Waco. This allows them to discover real-life lessons in real estate, like traffic counts and commercial areas of the city.
3. The book the kids receive talks about budgeting, income, expenses, and goal setting.
These basic business lessons plant the seeds for kids to start thinking of themselves as entrepreneurs when they get older.
Another awesome part of this program is that it teaches kids to save and give as well as to spend on themselves. Students research then select a nonprofit they want to support. They are encouraged to donate a portion of their profits to that charity.
On a micro level, we know the program is working. The kids that participate love the idea of making their own money and being the boss of their company for a day. Studies from previous years show participants improving in problem-solving by 82%, self-esteem by 84% and major improvement in communication skills by 86%!
We currently have 115 kids registered. Many of the kids are working in groups, so we will have around 30 lemonade stands spread out around Waco on May 4. If you want to help, there are several ways you can get involved:
Participate – Would your kids or a kid you know like to participate in Lemonade Day? Registration is nearing the end for this year, but a few slots are still available. If it’s too late for this year, consider signing up for next year. Contact me for more information by emailing Nathan Embry at [email protected].
Donate – Donations can be made to this local effort that will go only to the Waco Lemonade day, and Waco kids. Contact me for more information by emailing Nathan Embry at [email protected] .
Enjoy some Lemonade! – The most important way you can support Lemonade Day and Waco’s young entrepreneurs is to shop Lemonade Day! On May 4, find a lemonade stand in Waco and spend a few dollars on some lemonade. They can only count the money they earn.
This year we are lucky to have several sponsors that believe in the youth of Waco and want to see this program succeed. Local companies like Texas First State Bank, H-E-B, Canes Chicken, Baylor University, Stiba Wealth Management, KWTX, The Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce, Stan Parker, the Northwest Optimist Club, Watermill Express, and Lemy’s Soft Freeze Lemonade have donated time, money or services for this to be a success.
We are off to a great start. With so many talented kids in all parts of Waco, there is great potential to bring this fun educational program to many more people in the coming years. With your help this year on May 4, we know we will see many young entrepreneurs running successful businesses all across Waco.
Nathan Embry is the City Director for Lemonade Day and works in commercial real estate. He has lived in Waco for 11 years and hopes to never leave. He faces each day with his best friend/wife, Emily (Toots). Together they do the best they can raising two children, Reagan and Madison. You might find the Embry’s serving on city boards, feeding the homeless, helping tourists downtown, and patronizing local businesses.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
WACO, Texas, April 9, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Today, Extraco Banks launches its 2019 Extrapreneur Award program, which focuses on providing Central Texas entrepreneurs and small business owners with a $25,000 cash prize along with mentorship and business consultations for an entire year.
PALS Home Health was recognized as the program’s inaugural winner during a press conference held on April 9th. PALS specializes in pediatric home health private duty nursing for children who are medically dependent. Tyler Martin and Natasha James, owners of PALS Home Health, said being awarded this program will positively impact the company’s growth for years to come.
“We feel very blessed to be the first winner of Extraco’s Extrapreneur program. As a small business owner, the financial resources, business consulting and mentorship that is given to the program’s winner are invaluable,” said Tyler Martin, Chief Executive Officer for PALS Home Health.
“We plan to use the $10,000 cash prize to purchase a pediatric ventilator system to train our staff in house instead in the field on patients,” said Natasha James, Chief Operations Officer and Director of Nursing for PALS Home Health. “We are also very excited for the business consulting and mentorship. It is hard to have on staff every area of expertise, such as marketing. Being paired with an Extraco marketing expert for the entire year will significantly make a positive impact on our company’s expected growth.”
Applications for the 2019 Extrapreneur Award open April 9th and close August 13th. Finalists will be announced on September 10th, and will be paired with an Extraco mentor to help prepare for the “Shark Tank®” pitch event on September 24th. The winner will be announced at a banquet on September 26th.
To apply for the program, applicants must meet a host of requirements including: for-profit, not a franchise, must be a legal entity, owners must be at least 20 years in age, annual revenue not to exceed $3 million, applicants must have at least 20 percent equity in the company, and the business must operate in one of the following counties: Bell, Brazos, Coryell, Hamilton, McLennan or Williamson.
“Since 1902, we have listened to the needs of our community, and worked to develop and implement innovative, creative solutions to meet those needs,” said Chris Kincaid, Extraco’s Corporate Executive Vice President, Corporate Strategy. “We understand the unique characteristics of entrepreneurs and small business owners, which is why we created the Extrapreneur Award program. This program provides entrepreneurs and small business owners capital and business resources to further grow their business which helps build our communities.”
Extraco is committed to building people, businesses and communities in the Central Texas area. For more information about Extrapreneur and to apply, visit www.EBextrapreneur.com.
About Extraco Banks®
Extraco Banks and its affiliate
companies are dedicated to building people, businesses and communities. Since
the Great Recession, Extraco has extended over $2.5 billion in loans
to 25,000 customers, while financially supporting over 1,275 community
organizations working to create economic vibrancy, job growth and overall
quality of life to our communities across central Texas. Founded as a
cotton warehousing company, Extraco, at $1.4 billion in assets, is
the largest and most comprehensive locally owned bank
between Dallas and Austin, serving over 120,000 customers’
banking, mortgage, insurance and wealth & trust needs with creative and
innovative excellence. Learn more at: https://www.extracobanks.com/.
About PALS Home Health
PALS Home Health is a rapidly
expanding Waco based pediatric home healthcare company that provides Private
Duty Nursing to children and young adults with special medical needs.
PALS Home Health is passionate about improving the lives of families and children
in the special needs community by providing exceptional home healthcare.
PALS Home Health hires great nurses and equips them with the training and
support needed to deliver the care their patients deserve. The goal of
PALS is to give every special needs child the opportunity to achieve their full
potential for health, happiness and success in life. Learn more at: https://www.palshomehealth.com/.
CONTACT: Libby Cain, Senior Vice President, Mission and Marketing Strategy, Extraco Banks, (P): 254-717-6163, (E): [email protected]
By Krissica Harper
The cliche term of “finding your first love” came through the conduit of basketball for me.
Since the age of 5, that’s what I did. I played it well and played it at a high level. Every athlete who wants to go pro gets told to have a Plan B. I won’t say that they never listen, but it can fall on the ear that is a little resistant to that advice.
For me, I wanted to play in the WNBA. Now, as a 5’0” point guard, my chances were slim, but I believed it wholeheartedly. Fast forward to my sophomore yr. of collegiate basketball, I go down with my last (and 6th) concussion of my career. I had been diagnosed with a back and petite brain injury that ended my career for good (completely healed now, gratefully).
For 15 years I woke up every morning with the clear purpose of learning and training and struggling towards becoming the best. Then it was over. I didn’t come close to many of the goals I set out to achieve. I was not only brutally hard on myself; I was depressed. Finding my way, and learning “Krissica” outside of the game of basketball was and is one of the hardest transitions and difficulties of my life.
I choose this story because that was my first experience with “the halt” – that pause in life when you wonder why you exist. You question God and wonder what’s next. I was the basketball girl. I had my plan set. I was in God’s will. Why would this happen to me? I was a 20-yr. old millennial, so I needed those questions answered by the end of the next day! But, God is so intentional and meticulous, and you don’t always learn that until you’re at your lowest point. Through this experience I learned a great deal about the love of God and God’s purpose for my life. The greatest lesson of all was learning to be useful for Christ.
So, “what did I do?” I would say that I didn’t give up on pursuing championships. The championships that arise in all areas of our lives. I continued to believe that God still had a plan for me. I decided that I was going to be useful, and that I couldn’t let the ball stop bouncing.
Now I am given the opportunity to work with students and athletes who struggle through the same transitions in life. We all have the halt… which comes many times over in our lives.
This time, my ball is the gift of empowering students to achieve excellence. I take those lessons and I apply them to my work with young adults in academia. As though I were 20 yrs. old again, waking up before the sun to train, I know I am made for this work. This time I know not by the circumstance of my dribbling or shooting skills, but rather by the pull somewhere in my chest when I am allowed to look at a student during a hard moment, or walk with a student while they are pursuing God’s will.
Lastly, I never lost my teammates; colleagues who are in the same fight for wins for and beside our students and communities. The transition was painful but purposeful, and I am who I am because of it. The journey I embarked on almost 10 years ago give me the strength, patience, and discernment I need to lead students today. If I could go back, I wouldn’t change a thing; I think I found the answer I was looking for so many years ago – this is what I was born to do, too.
To everyone transitioning, questioning, doubting: Keep hoopin’, running, shooting, swinging, throwing… it may not be a ball or what you thought it would be, but God has so much in store for you and you will fall in love with what he has created for YOU to specifically do here on earth!
Krissica Harper is a coach and educator who is passionate about helping students, athletes, and professionals identify and develop their gifts and talents to live their lives in purpose, on purpose. Krissica is a proud Wacoan (Waco,TX native) and alumna of Henderson State University; and recent graduate of St. Edward’s University, where she completed her Masters in College Student Development.
By Darius Brown
My goal is to be the person I needed when I was younger.
MENTORSHIP is a relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps to guide a less experienced or less knowledgeable person. An effective mentor can provide training, advice, motivation and support. I believe in the process of mentorship because It worked for me.
I understand that it’s hard trying to become something that you’ve never seen! Growing up in Waco, I found most of my mentors at church or in the community. Positive relationships create growth, they push you unto your full potential! Mentors are most effective when the mentee is open to change by choice and not by force. Studies show that young people with mentors are 55% more likely to enroll in college, 90% more likely to become a mentor, and 130% more likely to hold a leadership position!
In 2016, I launched a non- profit called “Saved and Successful” to benefit at risk youth in Waco. I honestly had very little knowledge about starting an organization, but I had a deep passion for youth.
My passion started with teaching students at the church and seeing families seeking help with disciplinary issues. Being a police officer, I had a positive influence with both children and families, so I used that as an advantage.
The non-profit “Saved and Successful” held monthly gatherings in my apartment lounge for both youth and young adults discussing various topics such as Respect, Love, and Courage. Every meeting was a safe environment for everyone to share over punch and pizza! My first meeting had about 7 people and in a few months we had about 50 people attending our monthly gatherings. We also host community events several times a year to benefit families (Easter, Career Day and Back to School).
Stepping out in faith allowed us to see great things happen in Waco. Multiple organizations are working together and lives are being transformed. Thanks to our partners we are now able to provide WEEKLY mentoring for boys and girls 4th-8th grade at the Doris Miller YMCA. We also provide incentives, meals, and transportation for youth. Volunteers from colleges and churches committed to one Thursday a week to invest. “Becoming Better Boys” and “Grow Girls” focuses on helping youth to strive for success in academics, attendance, and attitude.
If you would like to volunteer to help with “Becoming Better Boys” or “Grow Girls” contact the Doris Miller YMCA to complete the background form. Contact Darius Brown by email at [email protected] or phone at 254-214-9795.
The programs are open to 4th through 8th grade youth. If you know a young person who would like to participate, contact the Doris Miller YMCA.
Darius Brown was born in the big city of Hillsboro, Texas in 1991 but considers himself a native of Waco. “It’s the heart of Texas, and I love it!” he says. He’s been a police officer for 5 years and is currently employed at Waco ISD Police Department. He’s also a proud product of Waco ISD, Class of 2010. He enjoys traveling, anything community, and spending time with family.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Autumn Outlaw
My family of five tries to visit the many museums, shop the local boutiques and explore Cameron Park as often as we can. It’s hard to find the time, even living right here in Waco. A few weeks ago, two of my friends and I decided we wanted to have a girls’ day with our daughters. Our goal was to experience Waco as tourists. We set out with our walking shoes on to see why two million people have flocked to our city each year and why they keep coming back!
We started the beautiful Saturday with brunch. I have heard many of my friends and co-workers mention how tough it is to find a bunch location that isn’t overly busy on a Saturday morning, so I explored our options. We decided on the restaurant inside Hotel Indigo. We arrived at about 9:45 a.m. and we were only one of two tables seated – it wasn’t busy at all! The food and service were incredible! Even our girls liked the food – but who doesn’t love chocolate drizzled waffles?!
From Hotel Indigo, we drove to the corner of Franklin and University Parks to park our car. We were happy to have no problem finding parking. We visited Giddy Up Boutique and walked to Bolt Boutique. Bolt has those hard-to-find-gifts and super fun t-shirts that the owner screen prints herself. She also had champagne and rosé for customers.
From Bolt we walked to the Dr Pepper Museum. Now, I must be honest, I am the biggest (self-proclaimed) Dr Pepper fan and love to visit the Museum, so I may have been the one who led us there. We decided to stop by the soda fountain for a Dr Pepper float and we perused the gift shop. Although it was busy, we were able to get through the line quickly.
From the Museum, we walked to a place you might have heard of – Magnolia Market. It was about 1 p.m. and it was pretty busy but very manageable. We took a ton of photos, explored the garden area, bought gourmet popcorn, and the girls lounged on the cushions on the lawn. I will tell you that the line to buy tea in the glass mason jars at Alabama Sweet Tea was quite long – it must be delicious! I can’t wait to go back soon to try it!
Next, we walked the short block over to the Findery. The two-story building holds beautiful home goods and trendy clothes and jewelry. If you venture outside to the back of the building, you’ll find the “City with a Soul” mural. In full tourist fashion, we had a group photo taken in front of the mural to document our day as tourists.
We then walked just next door to The Backyard, where they were setting up for a concert that evening, but that added to the atmosphere. The girls played cornhole and we enjoyed food and drinks.
I think the best part of the day for our girls was riding the trolley. The City of Waco Transportation Department offers free trolley rides. We hopped on in front of the Findery and rode to Austin Avenue. The trolley driver had a fun personality and added interesting facts along the drive. Our first stop was Caliente, and although I have driven by dozens of times, I had not visited it before. We also visited Simply Irresistible, another gem of a shop!
We were going to wait for the trolley to take us to our car but decided to start walking back, and I am so glad we did! We walked two blocks to Hey Sugar! This was one of the highlights of the day for the girls. They each bought a sweet treat – it was the afternoon pick-me-up they needed to walk the next few blocks.
We stopped in to Adorn, and unfortunately, we just missed the hours of Linen and Cake. We did look through the window and this is another place that is on my list to visit soon!
As we walked down Austin Avenue, we were all in awe of how alive downtown was. It’s the first time I appreciated the busyness – we were actually a part of it, not working to maneuver through it as a Wacoan, but enjoying it as a “visitor.” I saw the quaint, adorable things that tourists fall in love with while visiting. It made my Waco-loving heart full and happy.
We continued walking and headed into Interior Glow. They offered us a Dr Pepper (a Waco staple), and we stayed a bit longer to look at the pretty home decor and men’s products at Brazos River Dry Goods.
I can confidently say that we absolutely enjoyed the very full day. Our girls are still talking about how much fun we had. I am so glad we finally took the time to look at Waco through a different lens and experience what tourists love about our community – from friendly shop owners to a knowledgeable trolley driver to the beautiful murals, fabulous food and the excitement we felt in the air, I cannot wait to plan the next Waco day and find new ways to experience our wonderful town.
Wacoans, I hope you take the time to explore Waco through the eyes of tourist and discover a new love for our changing city.
Autumn Outlaw works in marketing and communications. She grew up just outside of Waco, in Clifton. She resides in the China Spring area with her husband, Mark, and three children, Knox, Ellis and Jetta. The Outlaws are very involved in youth sports and volunteering at the Dr Pepper Museum.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Ashley Futris
First things first, I am NOT a writer. Ashley Bean Thornton reached out after seeing a recent post of mine and asked if I would expand upon it a bit. So here I am. My name is Ashley Futris, owner of Bolt Boutique downtown. Prior to that I worked for the Waco Chamber as VP of Sports and Special Events. Many of you may have seen my post recently on my Bolt Facebook/Instagram page.
I chose to sit down and write said post after having so many of the same conversations with customers & other merchants downtown. Without knowing the impact, I wrote it on a Saturday while at the store and scheduled it to post the following week. I was at the gym when it posted and came out to an outpouring of messages and similar sentiments by so many local businesses. Being the new kid on the block, even I had assumed, surely not all these other well-established businesses are met with the same struggles I am currently battling. Well friends, I’m here to tell you, even I was blinded. Like I said below, and as Hanna Braud mentioned in her post on her Hanna Braud Design account, that business you think is killing it, still very much needs you. If you missed my post on Bolt’s social channels here is what it said:
“This post is something that’s been heavily on my mind lately, especially with Spring at the Silos approaching [the all inspiring Hanna Braud recently touched on the subject]. I haven’t had quite the right words and I’m not sure I ever will, but here we go…recently I’ve spoken to so many downtown merchants and the truth is, contrary to popular belief, it’s tough out here. Yes, we have lots of tourists coming to Waco, most would assume that if you’re a downtown merchant that must mean you’re killing it. Nope. We do see a small percentage of the visitors, but I assure you it isn’t the majority.
What I’m trying to say is Waco, we need ya. We love ya. We are essentially here for the locals! Waco is transforming, and it has grown quite a lot. BUT, we still need your support. I promise it isn’t as crazy downtown as it seems. There is MORE parking than you think. We can only do what we do, make this city “cool,” change the “there’s nothing to do in Waco” if you’re supporting it. I assure you we are doing everything we can to love our locals and provide for you! Marking that “you’re interested” in an event on Facebook so that it shows up on your feed to all of your followers (even if you don’t plan on attending), attending said event, liking or sharing a photo/post, telling friends, choosing us instead of online…means the WORLD to us. We are competing against some giants these days, but we are committed to making what we offer unique!
Please don’t get me wrong, the outpouring of support has been outrageously great for me and I am blown away by it. But, just when you think that small business you see on social media is killing it, just know at any level of success or business size, we are grinding. We are struggling. We chose this life and we wouldn’t trade it for anything, but that is the reality. YOU inspire us to do what we do and we do what we do for YOU.”
This simple honest post, without a boost or paid ad, reached 25,567 people, 427 likes, 33 comments and what shocks me most, is that it was shared 124 times. The shares tell me A LOT. This post was felt by so many local business owners. I wrote the post mentioned above, right before Spring at the Silos. I was super prepped for Spring at the Silos and excited for the influx of people (January/February were rough retail months). I ordered extra inventory for the store, reserved a golf cart to help shuttle people around downtown to my store, prepped branded water bottles, had a pop-up tent at the Live Oak LuLuBelle Market…I.was.ready!
The truth is, the days leading up to the event were busy days, Spring Break was in full effect and my locals were out and about downtown. The week was looking to be a busy one! Spring at the Silos rolled around, and I have to say, it was lackluster in terms of business for me. In talking with other businesses downtown the sentiment was the same. While it makes sense, the people visiting the Silos are spending a lot of money with the vendors at Spring at the Silos and not in many other stores downtown. I’m so excited and proud for all the local small businesses that participated in that, and how successful it was for them! (I hope to be able to one year myself!) The frustrating part of it all is that the locals, understandably, do not come downtown during a busy event like that. The media outlets are sharing information that “crowds pack downtown businesses”, and while that’s true for the few, it was not the many. Leading to a huge misconception that we are all battling.
Some of my closest friends are shocked when I tell them, yeah, I’m struggling. The response is usually but there are so many people visiting and downtown? The truth is, locals, you are our bread and butter.
I think there’s another misconception that as downtown merchants we don’t try to attract the locals and only care about the tourists. I can only speak for myself, but that is not the case. Naturally, like everyone else, we see the tourist numbers being reported and we are going to at least try to attract them if we can. But, what allows us to stay and make it, is you. Again, the support has been outstanding, all I am asking is that you think twice and try to shop local when you can.
In addition to that, I hope it opens your eyes to the many merchants that are struggling that you may not have otherwise had any clue about, because, how would you? As businessowners we aren’t going to shout it from the rooftops or social media that we are struggling. We are going to post the best of the best and put our best face on. So occasionally skip that Target trip and try to find that gift locally, pass on Starbucks and grab a local coffee, try on some clothes in a local store and let us help you find the perfect fit, and check out that event that we put together to try to bring you into our space! Locals, we love ya!
Ashley Futris, owner of Bolt Boutique downtown.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Julie Talbert
By now, most of us know something about the remarkable rate of brain development that occurs from birth to age five. Development during this period has a lasting impact on a child’s success in school and life. Not only are there lifelong benefits for young children who participate in high quality early learning programs, but all of us benefit from a more capable and productive workforce.
Even though we know that there are significant benefits to high quality early childhood programs, our current system is fragmented and is failing children, parents and businesses. It is also limiting our potential as a state.
Parts of the Texas early learning and care system can be found in seven different state agencies and include programs like Child Care Services, child care licensing, Head Start, Prekindergarten, home visiting programs, services for children with disabilities and others. It probably wouldn’t surprise you to learn that these programs frequently have different goals, eligibility criteria, and standards, which makes coordination difficult and creates a maze for parents to navigate.
The good news is that Texas recently received a federal Preschool Development Grant Birth – Five (PDG B-5) that provides Texas with a historic opportunity to design and implement an early care and education system that gives equitable access to high-quality programs for all children and families. The award amount is $1,789,455 and when added to the required state matching funds, the project totals $2,236,292.
Below are the seven state agencies involved with PDG B-5 and are tasked with coordinating their services, streamlining their infrastructure, and improving the quality and availability of early care and education services.
To demonstrate the need to coordinate services, consider the current child care crisis that is impacting parents, children, child care providers, and businesses. Parents are struggling to find and pay for child care and many have concerns about the quality and safety of available programs.
Child care teachers are struggling to provide for their own families while their wages remain near the bottom of all occupations. Not surprisingly, more than half of child care workers qualify for some kind of public assistance. If you want to know more about that, I recommend The Early Childhood Workforce Index of 2018 http://cscce.berkeley.edu/files/2018/06/Early-Childhood-Workforce-Index-2018.pdf . Keep in mind that child care teachers are doing a job that we all agree is important and that working parents and businesses consider essential. Businesses lose billions a year in productivity due to the child care problems of their workforce.
Even though Pre-K, Head Start, and child care share similar goals around early care, education and family support, their delivery system doesn’t always meet the needs of today’s families. The child of a busy single parent may be unable to attend a Head Start or PreK program down the street because the family doesn’t qualify. This can be true even when space is available. Similarly, after attending a Pre-K program, a 3 or 4-year-old may have to ride a bus to a child care center because the parents work until 5. I understand that this arrangement works for the program, but what’s best for children and families?
If you agree that we could improve our early care and education system, YOU can help by completing a survey. The PDG B-5 is intended to rally stakeholders around a common vision and goals for young children.
Governor Abbot has appointed a 20-member Texas Early Learning Council (TELC) to oversee the work and it is just beginning. The first step is to conduct a state-wide needs assessment. This is required and must be completed and analyzed before any planning can begin. If you use early childhood services, work in early childhood programs, or have some stake in the system, please complete the survey. It will take less than 20 minutes. I finished it in 10 minutes.
The survey is open from Monday, March 25, 2019 to Friday, April 5, 2019
Click here to participate in the survey.
For more information:
En Espanol
El Consejo de Aprendizaje Temprano de Tejas (Texas Early Learning Council) está llevando a cabo una encuesta en todo el estado para entender mejor las necesidades y los desafíos de quienes acceden, proveen y apoyan programas y servicios de la infancia temprana en Tejas.
La encuesta está abierta desde EL LUNES 25 DE MARZO HASTA EL VIERNES 5 DE ABRIL DE 2019 y no debe tardar más de 20 minutos en completarse. Las preguntas dirigidas a las familias y a los proveedores de servicios y programas de la infancia temprana están disponibles en inglés y español. Si recibe el enlace a la encuesta más de una vez, por favor completa la encuesta solo una vez.
¿Quién debe completar la encuesta?
Familias
Personal de programas y servicios de la infancia temprana (guardería, Head Start, programa preescolar público, ECI, etc.)
Personal de organizaciones de la infancia temprana (Afiliación de organizaciones de la infancia temprana, organizaciones de apoyo, socios de avanzar negocios, centros regionales de recursos y servicios de educación, etc.)
Organizaciones de la comunidad (negocios, proveedores de servicios de salud, gobierno local, organizaciones religiosas, etc.)
Por favor, ayúdanos a asegurar que la encuesta llegue a tantos tejanos como sea posible. PUEDE REENVIAR LA ENCUESTA A SU FAMILIA, AMIGOS, Y COLEGAS. Organizaciones están invitados a distribuir la encuesta a las listas de distribución.
https://tea.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cUeyDqwqLh2u8V7
Julie Talbert is the Manager of Child Care for the Heart of Texas Workforce Development Board. If you are working or in school and have a child under the age of 12 who needs child care, visit our website to see if you are eligible to receive a child care subsidy. https://www.hotworkforce.com/ChildCare/parent_info.php
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Amy Cook
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? The pyramids of Egypt? To Italy to see the Leaning Tower and taste authentic pizza? Or perhaps the beautiful beaches of Greece? People ask each other this question all the time, but why not take it seriously!
Some people don’t have anyone to travel with, some are intimidated by international travel, and some are worried about finances. That used to be me, then I took a community trip through MCC to Australia and New Zealand. I would never have attended a Maori dinner, hiked through beautiful scenery punctuated by steaming geysers, or visited the Sydney Opera House if it hadn’t been for that trip. Being able to share that experience with a great group of people made me feel comfortable and happy.
That brilliant experience inspired me to organize “Waco group Travel.” Waco Group Travel aims to alleviate the fear and intimidation factor so more Wacoans can enjoy traveling the world together.
Each year we will plan an international adventure booked through a tour agency. Our first destination will be Barcelona, Spain with dates set for Sept 12-17, 2020. This advanced date will give you plenty of time to plan and keep monthly payments low, making the trip more accessible. The price of this adventure includes flights, transportation to and from your destination airport, hotels, a few fantastic excursions, and a few meals.
Did you know Barcelona is the first city to win a RIBA Royal Gold Medal for its architecture? It is also considered the “best beach city” in the world by National Geographic. Activities for the Barcelona destination include Flamenco show and Tapas, a trip to Park Guell and Hospital de Sant Pau, and an authentic cooking class to fully immerse yourself in another culture. There is also free time to explore on your own or together- no person left behind!
Interested? Come to the information session for the trip on April 4th, 2019, at 6:45pm. Please RSVP at the FB page or phone number below for location of meeting and other details.. Carpe Diem!
For more information visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/wacogrouptravel or the website at http://www.grouptoursite.com/tours/amycook1. or call 254-292-3275.
Amy Cook has lived in the Waco area doing massage therapy for the last 10 years and loves it!! In college she spent a month studying Shakespeare in England and this August will be visiting Russia. Amy loves group travel, but wasn’t able to find any local opportunities and so wanted to create a way to bring fellow locals with wanderlust together. She loves museums, outdoors, and random acts of kindness.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.
By Bridget Heins
Educators and parents know that a student’s journey to college begins long before their senior year. Exploring higher education options begins as early as middle school and in some cases earlier. While this task may seem overwhelming, college fairs are one tool in determining what each institution of higher education has to offer.
Every college is unique and offers its own brand of experience for students. Some choose a college that excels in their particular field or has a reputation for successful job placement upon graduation. Others may choose a particular institution based on academic rigor, sports prowess, or family connection. Students have options, and narrowing the choices to the find the right fit depends on knowing what questions to ask. The best way to practice this skill is to speak with college recruiters whenever possible.
Central Texas students have the opportunity to attend a unique college fair this weekend in Waco…and it’s FREE! The 2nd Annual Central Texas Historically Black Colleges and Universities Community Fair will take place in the City of Waco’s Multi-Purpose Building on Saturday, March 30, 2019, from 2:00 – 4:00 pm. This event is possible through a partnership between Rapoport Academy Public School, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Delta Alpha Omega Chapter, Cen-Tex African American Chamber of Commerce, Centex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Doris Miller Y.
Founded before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Historically Black Colleges and Universities initially existed to serve African-American students. Today, there are over 100 HBCUs nation-wide admitting students regardless of race. With a service mentality, they make an impact on all students but especially those underrepresented in higher education. Waco was once home to an HBCU, Paul Quinn College, before its move to Dallas in 1990. While Paul Quinn is no longer located on Elm Avenue, the campus still serves as a site to educate and promote the spirit of HBCUs as it provides the venue for this event.
While the event highlights the opportunities of attending an HBCU, this is not your typical college fair as it also focuses on college-readiness and supportive resources available in our community. There are three components of the fair intended to demystify the process: College – Community – Education.
Attendees will have the opportunity to speak with admissions counselors about entrance requirements, campus life, application deadlines, and prospective majors. Students are encouraged to bring copies of their transcript and resume as recruiters may take the option of admitting students on the spot. Colleges expected to attend include Paul Quinn College, Xavier, Morgan State University, North Carolina Central University, Prairie View A&M, Fort Valley State University, Lincoln University, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Arkansas Baptist, Texas State University, Jarvis Christian College, Wiley College, Texas Tech-Waco, and the University Center at MCC.
Local community organizations will be on-hand to offer valuable resources for college-bound students. Those resources include scholarships, mentorships, tutoring, leadership opportunities, SAT/ACT prep, assistance in understanding and completing the application and financial aid process, and much more. Over 15 organizations are committed to attending including members of the Sororities and Fraternities that make up the Divine Nine, Prince Hall Masonic Lodge, MAC College Money Program, CAP – VOICE, Mentor Waco, Jack and Jill of America, Links, Communities in Schools, East Waco Library, Creative Waco, with more expected. College and Career Counselors from Rapoport Academy, University High School, and Waco High School will also be available to answer questions related to college readiness, testing options, and pathways to dual-credit classes.
Alpha Kappa Alpha will lead the education component of the event using their CAP (College Application Process) which seeks to provide support and guidance in navigating the college application and enrollment process. Sessions include maximizing your financial aid led by VOICE, Demystifying the TSI (Texas Success Initiative) led by TSTC, and FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Facts led by the Waco Foundation’s MAC Money Program.
Colleges from across the country will travel to Waco in hopes of recruiting students from our community. Among our students, they will find those who are already earning college credit through dual-credit opportunities at McLennan Community College and Texas State Technical College and even earning an Associate’s degree before graduating from high school. They will encounter others who have taken advantage of leadership opportunities and internships offered by businesses and community organizations committed to providing our young people with experiences that inspire them to make and achieve their goals. They will also discover students who have benefitted from the creative, innovative programs offered through our local schools in a community that actively advocates for its children. Most importantly, they will engage some on the first step of the journey, those who are just beginning to dream.
Students in the Greater Waco Community are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to take the next step into their future, and this will be their time to shine!
The HBCU Community Fair is FREE and open to all area students, parents, or those interested in higher education. To register a student for the event, please visit rapoportacademy.org or the Central Texas HBCU Community Fair event page on FaceBook (@centexhbcu). Registration is encouraged but not required. Community organizations with resources for students may participate by contacting Bridget Heins at 254-218-9367.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Community Fair
- Saturday, March 30, 2019
- 2:00 – 4:00 pm
- Multi-Purpose Building
- 1020 Elm Avenue, Waco, TX 76704
- Cost: FREE
Bridget Heins is the Director of Community Relations for Rapoport Academy Public School and a proud, life-long resident of the Waco Community.
The Act Locally Waco blog publishes posts with a connection to these aspirations for Waco. If you are interested in writing for the Act Locally Waco Blog, please email [email protected] for more information.