Community Organization

Program Description

Third Coast Workers Cooperative (TCWC) is an new cooperative development center in Austin that works with low-income communities to help them produce their own environmentally friendly, worker-owned businesses.

TCWC houses the Co-operative Business Institute (CBI), which is a comprehensive, 16-week, training program. The program is designed to teach prospective co-ops the worker cooperative model, the green economy, and the legal, organizational and business aspects specific to cooperatives. The following eight months consists of technical support to help launch the new cooperative business. [Read more →]

Community Organization

The Big Picture

LifeWorks mission is to transition youth and families from crisis to safety and success. The non-profit organization provides a continuum of services in the areas of  housing, counseling, and education to help individuals create positive change in their lives. LifeWorks is the product of four agencies (Child and Family Service, Pathways Community Counseling, Teenage Parent Council, and Youth Options) that merged in 1998 when the agencies realized they were referring the same clients to each other.

The three main goals of LifeWorks are to:

• Help homeless youth become more self-sufficient and avoid long-term dependency on social services;
• Provide at-risk children and youth with support and skills to help them be successful;
• Support and strenghten families in crisis.

LifeWorks has strategically located centers that provide social and counseling services for the community. There are currently three multi-service centers in Austin. Another four sites focus on housing and serving homeless and runaway youth. In addition, LifeWorks has a service site in Round Rock and has programs that serve 34 area schools at all levels

This blog will focus on the Educational Services related to commerce and employment.

Programs

The Education Programs of LifeWorks include:  GED & Literacy Program, Adult Basic Education(ABE), English as a Second Language(ESL), Foster Care Transitional Services, HACA Enrichment Program, Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention, and Teen Parent Services.

The GED Training targets youth ages 16-26 with special life circumstances. It’s a self-paced program offered on an “open entry/open exit” basis. LifeWorks offers classes three times a day Monday-Thursday. By popular demand, they have developed a job skills component each Thursday that includes: resume, job application and interview help; guest speakers; and field trips. LifeWorks collaborates with Austin Community College (ACC), providing a smooth transition from GED preparation to community college.

ABE & ESL classes are designed to teach adults, 17 and older; particularly those read below a 6^th grade level and or have limited English proficiency. The Literacy programs are supported through volunteers. There are currently 150 volunteers working at least 4 hours a week. Volunteers are matched with students individually and in small groups. Classes are free of charge and are offered at varying times and locations for the convenience of the student.  Student orientations are held monthly.  However, due to limited space only the first 30 students are accepted.

For more detailed information about these programs and more, please refer to the LifeWorks website.

Assessment

Both the GED and ABE programs utilize the Test of Basic Adult Education (TABE) to measure progress and placement. The ESL classes use the BEST Plus test to track the improvement of the students. Student feedback is also a very important aspect of LifeWorks. Often times students return after completion of the programs for advice and guidance.

Numbers

• 122 Students participated in the GED training track
• 91% of participants completing training demonstrated increased knowledge in at least half of the core topics
• 84% of clients who completed GED prep. and were eligible to take the GED exam were prepared to do so
• 115 clients participated in the Literacy training track.

¡Success!

 LifeWorks has helped improve countless lives through educational attainment. LifeWorks has seen many of its students attain jobs in the customer service industry due to increased English proficiency. LifeWorks graduates have gone on to attain associate degrees at ACC, enabling them to find higher paying jobs.

Professor Stephen Trejo is a labor economist and Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Trejo has studied the economic effects of overtime pay regulation; the impact of labor unions on compensation, employment, and work schedules; immigrant labor market experiences.

His current research encompasses the relative economic status and intergenerational progress of Mexican Americans and other immigrant groups. Dr. Trejo uses census material to gauge changes in education and earnings  in Mexican families to answer questions of assimilation. [Read more →]

Dr. Emilio Zamora is a Professor in the Department of History and is associated with the Center of Mexican American Studies and the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. He specializes in Mexican American history, Texas history, U.S. working class history. [Read more →]

Program Description

Capital IDEA is a non-profit organization created through the efforts of Austin Interfaith and the Central Texas business community to address the issues of generational poverty and a demand for highly skilled labor. The idea was to lift working families out of poverty by sponsoring educational services that lead to life-long financial stability. Capital IDEA funds participants’ tuition, books and childcare so that they may fully concentrate on their education. They also counsel participants so that they may find employment with a good salary, benefits and career growth opportunities. Capital IDEA maintains partnerships within the workforce so as to identify new career-driven curriculum to ensure the next generation of workers are properly prepared and educated. [Read more →]

Big Picture and Ultimate Goals

“Since 1987, El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission has fulfilled a unique role in Austin as a provider of integrated health care, emergency food, advocacy, leadership, development, and basic education for working-poor Hispanic families.

At El Buen Samaritano, the mission is to transform lives by engaging the strengths of working-poor Hispanic families to promote their successful participation in society.” (Source: About El Buen Samaritano)

The participants at El Buen Samaritano face challenges to their health, well-being and integration into the larger community. Accordingly they offer a range of services to address these barriers. Services generally fall into one of four categories: Education, Outreach, Health Clinic, and Social Services.

While El Buen Samaritano believes in the importance of a holistic approach, this blog will focus primarily on the Educational Services. [Read more →]

Big Picture

The Zephaniah Community Development Corporation (ZCDC) is a non-profit in Austin geared towards economically empowering low-income individuals through small business development and mentoring projects. The first of these projects is the Texas Pie Kitchen (TPK), which will be highlighted in this blog. ZCDC plans to expand their organization with a media and film project for middle school students as well as some self-sufficiency and mentoring projects. [Read more →]

Community Organization

Program Description

Dress for Success Austin is part of a worldwide organization. It has 101 affiliates in nine countries: U.S., Canada, England, Scotland, The Netherlands, Poland, New Zealand, Mexico and Jamaica/West Indies. The mission of Dress for Success is to provide women with professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help them thrive in work and in life. [Read more →]

Community Organization

Big Picture

American YouthWorks (AYW) is a comprehensive ‘human-investment’ organization devoted to strengthening the community by empowering individuals.  The project began as a Charter School for at-risk Austin youths and has developed into a multi-service institute.

This blog will highlight the Adult Education Programs offered at AYW.

Program Description

The Adult Education Program at American YouthWorks has two major components.

EL/Civics is an ESL class with a United States component to aid students not only with the advancement of English but also general education that may help certain populations of students pass citizenship examinations.

Early Childhood Development Classes are a new component in the Adult Education Program. The classes provide children ages 0-7 with the opportunity to learn basic literacy skills from an early childhood development specialist while their parents are participating in the El/Civics class. [Read more →]

The Big Picture and Ultimate Goal

“Caritas serves as an integral part of our community’s social services network and is Travis country’s largest source of non-governmental assistance. Our mission is to prove a service continuum for those experiencing poverty that begins with a safety net and links them to resources to achieve self-sufficiency. Caritas envisions a community where there is respect for all individuals, hope for those experiencing poverty and opportunities for self-reliance.” (Source: Caritas of Austin 2009 Fact Sheet)

Caritas’ services are divided into four directives: Housing, Food, Education and Employment

This blog covers the Employment Program.

Program Description

The Employment Program at Caritas provides clients the opportunity to attain self-sufficiency through employment. Historically, refugees have made up the largest percentage of clients in the Employment Program. However, the number of non-refugees in the program is steadily increasing. Clients receive assistance with both short-term job placement as well as long-term career development. [Read more →]