By Dr. Fred Hills
The Heart of Texas (HOT) P-20 was created over 6 years ago to promote streamlined, transparent degree pathways for students in Central Texas to help them move quickly and successfully through their education and onto college and/or a career. We are part of the larger P-16 movement, a state-wide initiative in support of the “Closing the Gaps“ initiative dedicated to increasing the number of Texans to be college and career ready. The HOT P-20 includes representatives from the independent school districts (ISD), institutions of higher education (IHE), Region 12 Education Service Center, and industry and government across six counties: Bosque, Hill, Falls, Limestone, Freestone and McLennan. Among the higher education representatives are McLennan Community College, Texas State Technical College, and Hill County with representation from both Tarleton State University, Texas Tech through MCC’s University Center.
The HOT P-20 mission is to maximize the utilization of educational resources, programs and services for all students while instilling in them a culture of life-long learning. To accomplish this, the HOT P-20 has three main goals:
- coordinate activities among ISD, IHE, government and industry to improve coordination of activities and set common goals in promoting college and career preparation,
- provide educational and support resources to member institutions, and
- advocate for promising and best educational practices and models.
Some of our ongoing projects include:
- Offering Academic Vertical Alignment Training and Renewal (AVATAR) program that brings together faculty from the high schools and post-secondary institutions who teach Math and English to discuss differences in instructional techniques and ways to better prepare students for college-level work while in high school. This year we also included high school and college counselors to address ways to better advise students in preparation for their transfer to college and/or a career.
- Partnering to support local educational initiatives and programs such on Region 12 ESC’s Connect 3, Teacher’s Gone Tech, Girls in STEM, career fairs, etc.
- Building collaborative agreements among secondary, post-secondary and industry to offer degree pathways and college preparation courses for students while still in high school.
- Providing an annual forum on “State of Education in Central Texas” in the fall for partner institutions to share ongoing educational initiatives and career preparation opportunities.
- Working with Prosper Waco and the Waco Chamber to inform them on ongoing educational initiatives and promote education to career programs.
- Surveying the community for ways to better serve all partners in this effort.
HOT Regional P-20 operates as a voluntary organization with operating expenses paid by Region 12 ESC and TSTC.
For more information on the HOT P-20 and its programs, email Fred Hills at [email protected] or Chris Holecek at Region 12 ESC at [email protected] .
Dr. Fred Hills is the current president of the HOT P-20 and Dean of Arts, Science and Business at McLennan Community College. He has worked and lived in the Waco community for over 20 years and has served on the HOT P20 for the last four years.
by Daryl Meyer
My days are filled with the welcoming of newborns, listening to children laughing and talking– and the occasional cry– as my office sits inside the Pediatric Unit of Baylor/Scott and White Hillcrest Medical Center. Children are a gift – they represent new beginnings, hope, a fresh and innocent outlook –but not for everyone. Part of my day includes rounding on the unit to visit with the new mothers and I witness a myriad of other emotions – worry, fear, and anxiety, generally feeling overwhelmed –as they want to be the best parent they can be, and provide more opportunities for their child then what they may have had. Some feel ill-equipped for this task –partially because close to 40% of these new mothers are under the age of 21.
“Children having children” was just media garble until I took on this role as Coordinator for Nurse-Family Partnership. On my first day of work, a young girl- age 16 – came to labor and delivery to give birth to her second child. Yesterday, I visited with a very pretty, very smart and very scared 8th grader who will deliver her first baby in August. Last month at Hillcrest we celebrated the delivery of nearly 250 live births. 62% of those births were to women living below the poverty level and 9% of those babies needed time in the Neo-Intensive Care Unit. As a facility that cares for women and children, our goal is to improve the overall health of mothers and infants, and now through a relationship with the Waco Foundation we have begun the implementation of a program proven to do just that.
Nurse-Family Partnership is an evidence-based community healthcare program that empowers low-income, first-time mothers to become confident parents and strong women by partnering with nurse home visits. Nurse home visits begin early in the mother’s pregnancy and continue visitation until the child’s second birthday. Nurses provide support, resource connections, education and counseling on health, behavioral and self-sufficiency issues. NFP is one the most rigorously tested programs of its kind—randomized, controlled trials conducted over the past 30 years demonstrate positive multi-generational outcomes for families and their communities. These include improved prenatal health, fewer subsequent pregnancies, increased maternal employment, improved child school readiness, reduced criminal involvement, and less child abuse, neglect and injuries.
The Nurse-Family Partnership program makes a difference today and for generations. A report from Harvard University and the Center for Developing Child studied the extent to which very early childhood experiences influence later learning, behavior and health. It supports positive results when skilled home visitors interact with vulnerable families expecting their first child, and continuing during that first 30 months of a child’s life. Basic brain functions related to vision, hearing and language development can be hugely impacted during this window of opportunity – and will impact the future of both mother and child.
Our NFP program at Baylor/Scott&White Hillcrest Medical Center is scheduled to begin accepting clients in October, and will utilize a nurse supervisor and 6 Bachelor Prepared RN’s to visit clients within McLennan County. Partnering with other local social agencies targeting women’s health- like those who are part of the Healthy Babies Coalition – and collaborating on important resource referral tools with the Texas 211 program and Baylor Social Work interns –we can ensure teen mothers get the right care, at the right time, through the proper agencies –to produce a healthier outcome and future.
How does all of this affect you? Independent analyses have shown that communities benefit socially and financially when they invest in NFP; the RAND Corporation calls Nurse-Family Partnership “a wise choice” that has favorable economic return to communities of up to $5.70 for every public dollar invested in the program. At this time we will have grants and state funding to finance our model but our five year strategic plan includes sustainability campaigns to support growth and capacity building.
Please visit the website www.Nursefamilypartnership.org
or feel free to contact me [email protected] or 254-202-1130
Daryl Meyer came to Waco 16 years ago when her husband accepted a position at Baylor. She is a mother of two daughters and grandmother to 3 dogs! She has worked as a patient advocate for the past 15 years and has her certification as a Recreation Therapist, Senior Advisor, a Licensed Nursing Facility Administrator, and an Early Childhood Educator. In her free time she enjoys cooking, volunteering, and watching Baylor sports.
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 Sarah McPherson
On June 30th, just a couple of weeks ago, I launched my new personal and professional project, a website called Not My Taboo (read about it at the end of this post!). Not My Taboo has been in the works since April, and in my introductory post from early June I mention how every two years or so I would get the idea to start up a new online project, but I would only get so far as the name and a vague idea of what the site was going to be. But this past April, when I got the name and vague idea for Not My Taboo, I was moved to actually follow through and make it happen.
I was inspired by a few different things this time around. I am a new mom; my daughter Eleanor was born in February. I’ve completed my master’s degree and I’m out of school, which had a tendency to deplete me of all my creative (and otherwise) energy. I’m 26, nearly 27, so, I don’t know, maybe I see things a little differently than I did at 22 and 24. And yes, I now live in Waco (I moved here in December from Temple, where I’d been commuting from for two years), and I do believe that had something to do with it.
What is it about Waco that inspired me to finally do something I had been putting off for four years?
What is it about Waco?
Waco is home to brilliant minds. I am fortunate to have been taught by some of them, like Dr. Helen Harris and Dr. Gaynor Yancey at the Diana R. Garland School of Social Work at Baylor University. From them I learned (so many things, including) the importance of community, and the awareness of my own ability and skill to be a world-changer.
Waco is home to exciting organizations. I am lucky to have been a part of some of them, like the Texas Hunger Initiative, working to address and end food insecurity in our state. From them I learned that talented, passionate people, doing innovative, smart things, can create effective, systematic change. (But really- they can, and they do)
Waco is home to conflict and contention. I am honored to work to ease some of these wounds and to emphasize that Waco is more than that. From this I learned that we have a long way to go, and more good will always be welcome.
Waco is home to great success, and deep struggle. I am witness to both sides. From this I learned that motivation, and inspiration, are all around.
Waco is home to the Waco Downtown Farmers Market. I am a frequent patron on Saturday mornings (you can also go on Tuesday afternoons!), and I can always count on seeing smiling and familiar faces, and purchasing delicious, locally-grown and made food. From this I learned that community can serve multiple purposes, and nourishment comes in many forms.
Waco is home to poverty, hunger, gender-based violence, inequality, racial discrimination, homelessness, and abuse. I am surrounded by people whose eyes are open to these issues and hearts are set on fixing them. From them I learned that change takes time (often a very, very long time), and small victories should sometimes be celebrated with the fervor of monumental success.
Waco is home to Dr. Pepper. I am inclined to share this fact whenever my people up North ask about Waco, so it just kind of slipped into this list, too.
Waco is home to the Brazos River and Cameron Park. I am refreshed by the beauty of nature (less refreshed during the unforgiving summer heat) and the simplicity of putting one foot in front of the other. From these walks I learned the importance of spending time doing what you love.
Waco is home to my friends and colleagues, who have welcomed and loved me and my daughter like family. I am made better by their friendship and support. From them I learned that this isn’t just a place for us to live until we can leave.
And now that Waco is my home, it’s really no wonder that inspiration hit.
*
Not My Taboo is an online space and host for taboos, stigmas and stereotypes to be normalized and explored through the sharing of stories, fact, and good dose of humanity. It is somewhere between a social media campaign, social justice venture, a creative outlet, and an ambitious attempt to change the world. In addition to posts by the (currently one-woman) Not My Taboo team, each week NMT features posts by contributing authors who in some way reflect on taboos, stigmas or stereotypes in their lives– whether they have experienced stigma themselves, witnessed taboos in their communities, or they are reflecting on stereotypes that have weighed on their minds. Based on the famous and debated Plato quote, “be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle,” Not My Taboo seeks to make this premise more accessible and easy to live-out in the real world, where it is sometimes easier to judge and skimp on kindness. Head over to www.notmytaboo.com to find out more and see what others have shared so far (you can also check out Instagram and Twitter @notmytaboo)! If you are interested in contributing to NMT, send me an email at [email protected]; I would love to hear from you!
Sarah McPherson is originally from Toronto, Canada, and arrived in Texas by way of California, Pennsylvania, Finland, and Washington, DC. She received her MSW from Baylor University in 2014. Sarah is wife to Kyle, mom to Eleanor, and feeder/snuggler/vet bill-payer to Darwin, Huxley, and Luna (two cats and one dog). She is the founder and editor of Not My Taboo.
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 Chris McGowan
My old college roommate used to say, “Nobody really ever thought Gallagher’s jokes were funny, people came to watch him smash watermelons, so get to smashing Gallagher…” What he meant was that he wanted me to quit talking and start doing.
This past Year Waco has been portrayed incredibly positively on the national stage regularly thanks to College Gameday, Fixer Upper, and others. Suddenly Waco is becoming a place people want to be. It’s increasingly viewed as an up and coming interesting place, and our best days are ahead. Our community has made spectacular progress in the last few years, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of everyone involved.
Take a minute to pat yourself on the back, because if you’re reading this, you are a big part of this community’s success…
…ok now let’s get back to work…
2015 will be the year that we see the most significant change to date in greater downtown. Market pressures have built up a head of steam and public sector priorities are aligned to make great things happen. It will only be successful if you continue to work to make it so.
The time to capitalize on momentum that has been building for the past several years is now. Along those lines, it’s time for us to do what we came to do. It’s time to start smashing watermelons.
That’s means actively engaging to make Waco a better place; Acting locally is all you have to do. Make Waco yours. Support local business, buy local art, or do something to make your community more beautiful — it’s fun and that’s all it takes.
Along those lines here are ten things you can do to connect in your neighborhood.
- Go outside, this is important, it’s not so scary out there.
- Get to know your bartenders and barristas.
- Have a contact in your regular dining and shopping establishments, relationships are everything.
- Befriend the neighborhood pets, Evie loves you!
- Organize a regular weeknight get together and do it every week.
- Talk to strangers.
- Vote. Make sure your voice is heard.
Evie the Downtown Dog enjoys the Hippodrome.
- Do something to make your neighborhood more beautiful, if not you who will?
- Act like a tourist sometimes and check out museums, monuments, etc…
- Take some time once a month to just walk around and explore.
Want to get even more involved? Join 1000 Friends of Waco. The primary goal of 1000 Friends of Waco is to prepare residents to be advocates for a vibrant, successful Greater Downtown Waco. Join us in being a part of the discussion daily by following us on Facebook and Twitter @1000friendswaco.
Thank you for working to make Waco a better place. We can’t do it without you.
This Act Locally Waco blog post is written by Chris McGowan. Chris is the Director of Urban Development at the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce. At the Chamber, Chris has been responsible for working with the business community, the public sector and other stakeholders to help revitalize our urban core and strengthen the heart of our city. He is husband of Cristi, dad of Ollie, and for fun he is a charcutier. If you even know what that word means, you are probably eating way too much bacon!
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 Megan Henderson
How do you say to your child in the night?
Nothing’s all black, but then nothing’s all white
How do you say it will all be all right
When you know that it might not be true?
What do you do?
Careful the things you say
Children will listen
Careful the things you do
Children will see and learn
Children may not obey, but children will listen
Children will look to you for which way to turn
To learn what to be
Careful before you say, “Listen to me”
Children will listen.
–Stephen Sondheim, Into the Woods
When I look at my children, I don’t really see their outward appearance. Perhaps this is why they are more often than not dressed in miss-matched outfits, their hair is more matted than brushed, and they have to complain of the blisters on their feet before I realize they’ve outgrown their shoes. For better or worse, my husband and I work to meet their basic physiological needs and then spend the majority of our parenting efforts on their behavior and attitudes—and our kids are precocious, so this is a more monumental task than we bargained for.
If I’m being honest, I should confess that we’ve never had a true parenting strategy session about how to talk to our kids about race relations in our country. We’ve kind of just navigated our path, generally on the same page, and things have worked out just fine. With just a little coaching, my kids started calling my skin peach, daddy’s skin dark brown, and their skin brown—because dark brown and peach make brown. These nomenclatures have stuck, giving my preschoolers a way to describe their world and their friends without having to understand the complex social and psychological issues behind race relations in America.
On June 17, a gunman opened fire on a Bible study at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, and my heart exploded with emotions that catapulted me into deeper contemplation about how we talk about race in our home and how my children are viewed in the Waco community. Let me be clear, my family has never experienced any overt racism in Waco. We’ve never felt physically threatened, and certainly have never had our lives in danger. We are blessed. We have been lucky. I also know, however, that if my husband and children had been in that church basement, they would have been the assassin’s targets just like the nine victims who share their skin color. When I think of the tragedy in that context, my instincts go on overdrive and I want to start attacking the world. I want to hunt down any and all injustices and do rhetorical battle, and I want to win. I want to seek out the adversaries and annihilate them with pithy arguments, litigation and prosecution. I want to go on the attack in a grandiose way to tackle the enormity of the task at hand.
But then I take a deep breath and look to the example set by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he delivered the eulogy for the victims of the Birmingham church bombings in 1963 saying, “[The victims] say to each of us, black and white alike, that we must substitute courage for caution. They say to us that we must be concerned not merely about who murdered them, but about the system, the way of life and the philosophy which produced the murderers.” And then I know that there’s a way to affect the community in which my kids will grow up without leaving people in my wake. It starts in my own home by changing our dialogue about race and bringing it to the forefront of our efforts to mold and shape our kids into the humans that we hope for them to be, that we need for them to be.
I will tell my 6-year-old daughter and my 4-year-old son what happened in Charleston because I want them to be a part of a society that does better, that produces more love and less hate. I will say to Miles, whose name means solider, “This is why my heart breaks every time you ‘play’ guns with your friends at school. Killing people with a gun is not playful and should not be fun. Yes, there is a time to fight injustice. Let’s learn to fight by choosing to lead by peaceful example instead.” I will say to Karis, whose name means grace, “This is why, when you say that you feel different at school and that kids tell you you’re not pretty because you don’t have blond hair, I’m extremely sensitive about you being ostracized and picked on by students and teachers alike. Forgive the friends who are mean to you and be kind to everyone always. Know that the content of your character is more important than your appearance.”
And, I would have this conversation with my kids even if their skin weren’t half black. Yes, I pray for peace and comfort for the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church and the friends and families of the victims, but I also pray that we all find a way to do something to change the system and the philosophy that produces these heinous crimes against humanity, even if that something starts with a simple conversation with our kids.
This Act Locally Waco blog post is written by Megan Henderson. Megan, by virtue of taking her husband’s last name, is often confused with the executive director of Waco Downtown Development Corporation. This Megan Henderson, however, works at Baylor University in Institutional Events and as an adjunct professor in Baylor’s department of journalism.
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 Hattie McGill
I would like to take the opportunity to thank Dang for being so kind to my youngest son Perry! Hoang Dang is a Baylor Graduate who became my son’s mentor through the Big Brothers and Big Sisters program when Perry was about 9 or 10 years old.
Having technology in college nowadays is a must since everything is done on computers from lecture notes, to tests! About two weeks ago Dang called me and said to take Perry to Barnes and Noble. He asked me not to tell Perry why he was there. Dang wanted it to be a surprise to him.
It was difficult to surprise Perry with a trip to Barnes and Noble because he knows that I get tired of going there — he loves that store. When we went in he asked, “So why are we here Mom?” My reply of “Oh! I just I came to pick up something,” only fueled the fire!
Dang gave Perry a NOOK TABLET!
I don’t think Dang could get a word in edgewise between Perry’s “Thanks Man!” and his “Oh! My God! Thanks!” Last week Perry received Dang’s older (looks like new) iPhone! What a blessing and a big help in college! I had been searching to find a used model for Perry’s birthday on the 20th of this month, but even they were too expensive. Perry, was so happy! He had received some very disappointing news earlier that day.
Look at God! How He will bless you, and how He allows others to be a blessing to you! Thank you Dang! Perry is going to need both of these technologies in College. They will be a big help to him to look up references and research information and various items of that nature. They will be a big blessing to him!
Big Brothers and Big Sisters is a worthwhile organization especially for children like my son who are from a single parent household. I was married to Perry’s Father and went through a terrible divorce! However, it does not matter HOW you’re single parent, you are still a single parent and when a person dedicates himself to your child and actually helps him over and beyond what he is required to, it is a big blessing!
I thank God for Dang!
I thank God for the Big Brothers, and Big Sisters Program in Waco, Texas, that helped my son and Dang to meet and form a lifetime relationship!
Dang taught Perry so many valuable lessons such as how to be a Christian male, how to be respectful, how to study and stay committed to your education, and how to work hard for what you want out of life. Dang believes in these principles; that is why he’s about to become a Medical Doctor in the coming months. Because he took the time out of his busy life to mentor and bless my child, God is taking the time to bless him!
Dang taught Perry how to play chess when he was very young and he has not forgotten it! He taught him how to reach and obtain his goals and he has not forgotten that either. With the encouragement from Dang, and his other mentor Garrett League, and his biological big brothers Steve and Kendrix Wilson, Perry finished his second semester of College at TSTC and he passed his classes! This Semester has been a very, very difficult time for Perry, but he pushed through it with his faith in God.
I thank God for Dang’s gift to my son! I thank God for Perry being a part of Dang’s life, and Dang being a part of ours. My mother took him as hers! I know that his patients are going to be blessed because he is going to be their Doctor.
Thank You Dang for caring for my child!
This Act Locally Waco blog post was written by Hattie McGill. Hattie is a mom of three sons, an author and she is known regionally as a gospel singer. She recently appeared in the Waco Civic Theatre production of the musical “Crowns.” Her children’s book, Daddy Practice What You Preach: Come Home Daddy, is available on Amazon.com.
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 Susan Cowley
You wake up in the morning and immediately your heart starts pumping fast and hard, because you’re not sure where you are. It’s not a room you know. And there’s a kid under the sheet with you and you don’t know her either. But you know she wet the bed.
Oops, not your story. Let’s head across town and back in time.
I’ll bet your mama gave you choices. You probably didn’t get to decide what to eat for dinner (“Eat what’s on your plate” is a good message, too). But she might have laid out two or three outfits and allowed your chubby hands to grab one that attracted you.
And Mom had a schedule for you, too. You were just a little kid, so she decided what time you ate your “green eggs and ham,” had your bath, read a bedtime story ending with “Goodnight, Moon,” said prayers if you were a religious family, followed by tucking in ~ likely by 9:00 at the latest.
Okay, maybe your house ran on a bit different “clock,” but you had sequential and repetitive experiences laid down again and again. Besides learning what time to hide behind the clothes hamper to escape bathing, you were also laying strong neural pathways that later gave you the ability to sit in your tiny chair in Kindergarten, stand in a lunch line, answer when spoken to, go to the pint-sized potty, and wash your hands.
Who doesn’t do that by Kindergarten? Millions of children don’t. Here’s how their brains formed. But we’ll call this child “you.”
You wake up in the morning and immediately your heart starts pumping fast and hard, because you’re not sure where you are. It’s not a room you know. And there’s a kid under the sheet with you and you don’t know her either. But you know she wet the bed.
You stumble out to find your Mom. She’s mad because you smell like pee and she won’t let you tell her that the other kid wet on you. Too late anyway. Time to leave. Maybe you’ll eat at the next stop.
You’re dropped off with Mama’s friend. He keeps running from house to curb as cars drive up and leave. But he does have a pickle and you’re happy to have it. Chips, too. But no toys or books. You see a belt hanging by the door. Better to stay as quiet as possible. Who could hear you anyway? The music is pounding so loud it hurts.
You feel a surge of hope: Mom’s back! But, she’s yelling at her friend. And he’s grabbing her by the arm. Your heart is beating so fast you can’t breathe. You don’t know what they’re saying but it sounds like FEAR, your fear.
Mama grabs you by the shirt and hauls you to the car, slams the door and keeps yelling. At who? Later when you get to Mom’s apartment, she’s crying. She pulls you out and hugs you all over tight and tells you she’s sorry, she’s so sorry. You’re afraid to take a breath. She might let you go.
Back in the apartment, your four sisters and brothers are shooing mice back into the walls. Because you still smell, you go through a pile of clothes on the floor searching for something that looks as small as you. No drawers. No hangers. Piles.
The TV is on and the other kids are watching a scary movie. It terrifies you, but you can’t take your eyes off it. Hours go by. Lots of hours punctuated by Ramen noodles and your brothers fighting till there’s blood.
Finally, you’re so tired you fall down asleep…wherever you land. At least tomorrow, you’ll recognize the walls.
We know from brain research that day to day repetitive experiences are the scaffolding that children’s brains use to organize themselves. Without these repetitive experiences children’s brains will organize around something. Children of deep poverty have their brains literally organized around chaos.
Fast forward to Kindergarten. Why would you sit in that little chair every time? What does it mean to stand in a line? If a boy hits you, you’ve learned to “beat him down” or not tell. It’s a world apart from, “Red shirt or purple?”
Your arm may grow to be longer and longer, but your brain will not grow to be a strong ally to your life when chronic stress pours cortisol, a hormone that interferes with learning and memory, into your brain. Jack Shankoff, director of Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child, says that excessive levels of stress hormones disrupt the formation of synaptic connections between cells in the developing brain – and even affect its blood supply. “They literally disrupt the brain architecture,” he says.
The next time you see a Waco child in deep poverty, really look. Is she ready to fight? Or is she so shame-based and terrified, she can’t look up. These are the kids whose amygdalas – the part of the brain responsible for decision making and emotional reactions – have already been hijacked over and over by PTSD, some by the time they were one to two years old. They’re in full fight, flight or freeze.
And, please, rein in blaming Mom. She is 6th generation urban poverty. No one bonded affectionately with her either. No choices. Same environment.
Why does all this matter? Ask Dr. Bonny Cain. If a child doesn’t feel safe, that child can’t learn. And Waco has a host of children who rarely feel safe or valued.
What can you do? Every chance you get, look into the eyes of a child in poverty and let your smiling gaze say, “My, how wonderful you are, what a treasure, how lovable!” You can practice at H-E-B or WalMart; or watch for them at a park or as you enter a public school.
And whenever you see a young parent with an infant or toddler, foster bonding. Point out how much the child prefers Mama or Daddy. “Oh, I see how safe she feels with you holding her.”
Then, be bold and brave. Mentor such a child. Don’t worry about being successful. Be faithful. And that’s everything.
Susan Cowley is the long-time owner of The Cowley Group, a Waco marketing firm. In 1999 she helped to co-found Talitha Koum Institute where she now serves as Executive Director. Learn more about TKI’s mental health therapeutic methods and its mentoring program at TalithaKoum.org.
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 Kevin Compton
It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon, and I am at home–soaking up air-conditioning. School has just ended. I am relieved, exhausted, elated, and sad all at the same time. Like most teachers, I have worked hard to get my students ready for “the next level.” Unlike most teachers, I teach the same students year after year. I am Coach Compton, and I am the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) elective teacher at University High School. I already miss my kids.
For my students the “next level” is college. My kids want to go to college; the problem is they are not ready for it. They do not have family members who are college graduates, generations of financial success, or knowledge of “the system.” They are not prepared, just as I was not prepared. I have a master’s and two bachelor’s degrees, and finished the last two with a 4.0 average. Sounds like I was well prepared. I was not. I had no idea how to be organized or how to study. I had to learn along the way. After posting a 0.something, and after finding myself on scholastic probation and HAVING to leave my first university, I left school for the work place. The oil-field gave me the motivation, determination, and work-ethic I needed to return to school and be successful.
Many of our students might be headed for the same experience I had – leaving high school with great aspirations and coming home deflated and discouraged. The difference is they have AVID, and I did not. AVID is designed to help students learn those crucial lessons about motivation, determination and work-ethic (the ones that I learned the hard and expensive way) while they are still in high school.
In the AVID elective class, students discover skills and behaviors for academic success. We support students through tutorials and strong student/teacher relationships. We create a positive peer group for students. We help them develop the sense of hope that comes from personal achievements gained through hard work and determination. The AVID culture is truly one of family. Also, AVID students learn about being good citizens by giving to the community. I help them identify opportunities to serve, but they are required to complete community service hours on their own. UHS AVID students have volunteered at the HEB Feast of Sharing—serving food and making arts and crafts. AVID students played a significant role in UHS’s designation as a “Keep Waco Beautiful” school.
The AVID elective is not for everyone. It targets students in the academic middle. Students who have the desire to go to college, who are capable of completing rigorous curriculum, and who have the will to work hard. Typically, AVID students are the first in their families to attend college and are from groups that are underrepresented in post-secondary institutions. They are students who are capable of success in rigorous curricula, but for many reasons, do not always achieve that success. AVID helps them bridge the gap.
At University High School, we began the AVID program in 2013 and recruited freshmen only. In the 2014-15 year we had freshmen and sophomores. Next year AVID will have 9th-11th graders. In 2016 UHS will boast its first AVID class to graduate. My dream is that all of my kids will be accepted at the college or university of their choice. But as I often tell them, getting to college is not my goal for them. My goal is that they have the tools to be successful in and graduate from college.
So with all of this good stuff, what’s the problem?
In today’s economic environment, money is always an issue. Our students come to school lacking the basic necessities and experiences that many of us take for granted—food, a safe environment, and experiences outside our neighborhood. Many of our students go home from school not to study but to clean the house, take care of younger siblings, and cook for the family. They often have only one parent, and that parent often works more than one job. (And we wonder why they struggle with school work…. ) Our school provides meals and supplies. The intangibles like safety and experiences are harder to come by. AVID helps by providing tutorials, college field trips, and expectations for success.
Waco ISD has been very supportive of AVID. However, we would like to do more. Rather than taking two college trips per year, we want to take four. We would like to have shirts that we can wear on and off campus to build pride and to make us distinctive as a group. Also, we are constantly looking for community service projects that we can take part in as a group. I want to be able to provide my students with the tools and the support they need to be successful college students and ultimately productive members of society who give back to the communities they live in. Would you be willing to help?
See pictures of my kids and learn more at http://aviduhs.weebly.com/, or go to the AVID web site at www.avid.org for more information. For ways you can help, contact me at [email protected].
This Act Locally Waco blog post was written by Kevin Compton. Coach Compton is the AVID Elective teacher at University High School. He is also the head baseball coach and an assistant head football coach. He has taught in Waco ISD for 10 years, the last two at University High School. Coach Compton is married to Caryl Miller-Compton, also a long time teacher for Waco ISD. Between them they have 5 boys, Andrew, Kyle, Ross, Matthew, and Koby.
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 Allison Abel
Compound interest.
Adjustable-rate mortgages.
Foreclosure.
Are you cringing yet? You’re not alone – 71% of adults report having financial worries. The United States of America is dealing with a financial literacy crisis.
Wait, what was that?
Yup, you read it right. It may not be the Stock Market Collapse of 2008 or the Great Depression of the 1920s, but, unless change happens fast, our situation will escalate into something for which no one can prepare.
From young kids setting up enterprising lemonade stands, to students paying for sky high college loans, to baby boomers preparing for a life of leisurely retirement, the health of our nation’s financial system relies heavily on its citizens’ abilities to take care of their own pocketbooks. With debt mounting and savings dwindling, it is evident that many Americans of all areas, ages, ethnicities, and income levels are unable to successfully manage their own finances.
Money management skills learned early in life serve as the foundation for future financial decisions. The National Financial Council reports that in 2014, 62% of middle and high school students were unable to pass a basic financial knowledge test. 62%! That is unheard of! If these poor financial literacy scores are the norm, what are we to expect for students who fall below national averages? Whether the task of teaching money management skills is placed on families, teachers, non-profits, or the media, financial knowledge is slipping through the cracks. Students around the nation are not building the needed foundation of economic knowledge.
As these financially uneducated youth grow into young adults, they are met with a flurry of decisions almost immediately…
Enter the workforce?
Travel the world?
Continue education?
Many high school graduates are ill-prepared to face life’s financial challenges waiting for them on the other side of the stage. Only one quarter of graduates surveyed could answer questions about inflation and simple interest. By college graduation, the average student has acquired $30,000 of student loan debt, according to US News. I could continue to throw out statistic after statistic, but instead, I’ll just state it like this: too many students are unprepared to take on debt and are financially irresponsible, causing distress for them, their families, and the community as a whole.
Project ASPIRE through NeighborWorks Waco strives to combat these issues from the start by teaching financial literacy to the students of McLennan County, equipping them with the skills they need to prepare themselves for a lifetime of financial decisions and stability. For example, this week (June 8 through 12) Project ASPIRE will be hosting its annual summer camp! This is a completely free camp for all 3rd-5th graders who may like to participate and learn more about financial literacy and healthy living habits. Lunch is provided each day, along with fun and educational field trips to a variety of locations throughout McLennan County.
This year, Project ASPIRE experienced unprecedented success in Waco ISD schools, showing what the program can accomplish. We have seen the direct impact our services have on students and are ecstatic with the opportunities that await us in future years. Through our continued growth, Project ASPIRE will remain committed to its central mission: providing high quality, comprehensive financial education to the youth of McLennan County and ensuring their future success.
**If you are interested in supporting or participating in this needed and growing program, please contact Allison Abel ([email protected]) at NeighborWorks Waco for more information about how to get involved!
This Act Locally Waco blog post was written by Allison Abel. Allison is the Program Specialist at NeighborWorks Waco. She received her degree in Child and Family Studies from Baylor University. A Waco native, Allison enjoys life connecting with family and friends, reading any novel she can find, and enjoying downtown Waco.
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 Kenneth Moerbe
“I have a ‘business card’ that has the usual info, my name, contact information, etc., while in the place where most folks indicate their business, vocation, etc., I simply have the word “Volunteer”. I’ve been blessed to be able to volunteer in our community throughout my almost two decades of being a Waco resident, especially since I retired from my last job at Caritas of Waco. Last week (5/19-5/22) was one of the most fabulous weeks of my volunteering experience, and not at all because of any time, energy, and gifts that I, as a volunteer, was able to give to our community, but because of the encouragement, delight and just plain human joy that I was able to derive from being with just a few of the remarkable children and youth living in our community!
This rewarding week began with a brief conversation with a fellow member of the Waco Kiwanis Club, who is the chairperson of the our club’s Kiwanis Foundation’s Board, which annually provides college scholarships to students in local high schools. In that conversation I learned that one of the recipients of our scholarships was the President of the Kiwanis Key Club at A.J. Moore/University High, whom I had met last fall while attending a meeting of this very active Key Club. We establish Key Clubs in high schools to encourage students to give their volunteer time and gifts to community efforts to improve the lives of children and youth. In a recent conversation with this student leader, I learned some of the specifics of the community service of this group, probably also the most active community service organizations at University High in terms of hours volunteered in community service. Examples of volunteer service this past school year included: collaborating with Communities in Schools to mentor and tutor students at South Waco Elementary and West Elementary schools, volunteering to help serve and clean up at the Salvation Army’s Thanksgiving and Christmas meals, park and recreational area clean-ups, participating in the Race for the Cure, etc., etc., etc.!
On Tuesday, as a member of the Mission Waco/Mission World Board, I spent some very enjoyable moments with some of our African American youth who were involved in Mission Waco Youth’s Wellspring Awards Banquet. This annual event usually involves some high school graduating seniors receiving scholarships. This program began some years ago when an anonymous couple, who believed in Mission Waco’s ministry among youth living in poverty and in the potential for urban youth to overcome the scourge of poverty in their lives through education. This couple made a significant donation to Mission Waco to establish this Wellspring Scholarship Program. However, this year there being no graduating high school seniors in this youth ministry, a group of youth from the 3rd grade through the 8th grade, were brought together and affirmed for their achievements that included spiritual growth, as well as growth in other qualities while taking part in this youth ministry. As Jimmy Dorrell talked briefly with them about the theme of this ministry expressed in the words, “You are Capable”, and they introduced themselves and shared their hopes and dreams, it was very apparent that they were not only high achievers in the Mission Waco program, but in their families, neighborhoods, schools and probably congregations. I left the experience incredibly thankful that I had been invited to experience and interact with these fantastic kids!
The next day I attended the Permanent Housing Task Force, a small and energetic group of professionals in several local agencies involved in trying to end chronic homelessness, increasing housing stability among our residents, and implementing the Almost Home Waco Campaign. One of the reports related to these efforts was specifically about the hundreds of youth in Waco ISD who ‘lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” This is the language of the McKinney-Vento Act which tries to insure that children and youth have some educational stability as they experience a form of homelessness. In recent years as many as 10% (1500 students) of Waco ISD students are classified as ‘unaccompanied youth’ as they live in motels, hotels, campgrounds, wherever they can find temporary housing, or children where primary nighttime residence is not used as a regular sleeping accommodation. As we approach a time of graduation from high school in our community, Cheryl Pooler, our homeless liaison staff person, reported that 40+ of these youth were graduating from high school this year, and that both Waco High and University High had at least one of these graduates in the top ten members of the senior class. In the last few years I’ve heard wonderful stories of these ‘unaccompanied youth’ completing graduation requirements while living in very unstable and constantly changing circumstances. I remain more than impressed with the resiliency, character and determination of these youth!
Finally, I have, for a number of years, served on the A.J. Moore Academy/University High Business Advisory Board. My specific responsibility in recent times has involved serving in leadership of the Fundraising-Scholarship Committee. As we approach the time of awarding these scholarships to seniors I’m involved, along with others on the Advisory Board, in the evaluation of these written applications. Also, last Friday, as part of this process we interviewed the top fifteen of these applicants. Again, it was the most amazing experience to listen as these brilliant, talented, creative, hardworking and articulate scholars talk about their lives and their hopes and plans for continuing their educations in a college or technical school, leading to a variety of careers. Most of these students had at least one part-time job, not only to hopefully be able to save money for their future education, but several of them held these jobs to assist and support their families to put food on the table and a roof over their heads.
One of these students, who was ranked near the top of the fifteen finalists, particularly captured my attention as the student shared that they worked at three part-time jobs, and also provides for much of the ‘parental care’ of the student’s two younger sisters. This student was brought by her parents to Texas when she was six years of age, and on several occasions during the interview when programs which might assist this student were referred to, the student simply said that they could take advantage of this program “because I am not a citizen of this county.” All that I could think of to say to this student as they left the interview was “I’m so glad you are here in this country”. I’m proud to live in this community with these remarkable kids. We are truly blessed!
This post was written by Kenneth Moerbe. Kenneth is a Lutheran minister and the former executive director of Caritas. He has participated on just about every committee and task force in town that has anything at all to do with increasing food security or reducing poverty. When he and his wife, Paula, are not gallivanting all over the world on one of their many travels, they are busy serving on various boards, delivering Meals on Wheels and generally being two of the finest and most fun folks in Waco.
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.