Our Community Impact

2011
Health & Wellness Grant Recipient:

Austin Child Guidance Center


Project:

Children’s Mental Health Expansion Initiative

Austin Child Guidance Center offers mental health treatment for children through early intervention, diagnosis and treatment.  Impact Austin’s grant will aid the Children’s Mental Health Expansion Initiative, which will allow the organization to hire two new therapists to provide individual, family and group therapy, parenting classes and psychological assessments for Central Texas children.  This will increase the number of children and families served at the center by 67%.  These therapists will complete a process to qualify for reimbursement for their services from private insurance companies and government agencies, making this one-time investment self-sustaining.

For more details, visit: www.austinchildguidance.org

2010
Culture Grant Recipient:

Badgerdog Literary Publishing

Project:

It’s Elementary!

Badgerdog Literary Publishing’s mission is to publish work that furthers our culture’s collective vision and to equip at-risk children with the language skills necessary to create literary art from their joy and their jeopardy. With the Impact Austin grant, Badgerdog’s "It's Elementary!" program will bring the art of creative writing and the joy of seeing their work in print to 4th graders at all eight East Austin elementary schools that feed into Eastside Memorial High School. Each school will be assigned a paid "Writer in Residence” (a published author) who will work with each class for 25 weeks, teaching the children to use a wide variety of literary forms such as poetry, playwriting, fiction and creative non-fiction. 

For more details, visit: www.badgerdog.org

2010
Education Grant Recipient:

Communities In Schools of Central Texas

Project:

XY-Zone Expansion

Communities In Schools (CIS) of Central Texas is a dropout prevention program that creates a network of volunteers, social services, businesses, and community resources that work together to break down barriers and help students succeed. The XY-Zone is a nationally recognized leadership development and peer support program for high school age males at-risk for school dropout. The XY-Zone challenges and empowers young men to aim high, get an education and break the cycle of poverty. Impact Austin's grant will fund expansion of XY-Zone to the Bastrop High School Campus. The Communities In Schools – Central Texas XY-Zone program also received the 2005 Impact Austin Education Grant in the amount of $105,500, which expanded the program to Crockett and Lanier High Schools. In addition to remaining in school, the young men enrolled in the XY-Zone significantly improved academic performance and behavior at school. Many also stopped or reduced risk-taking behavior and demonstrated increases in developmental assets. 

For more details, visit: www.cisaustin.org

2010
Environment Grant Recipient:

Austin Parks Foundation

Project:

Barton Creek Trail Corps

Austin Parks Foundation is committed to creating and sustaining beautiful and active parks throughout Austin by seeking to fill the gap between what needs to be done and what the Austin parks department can afford to do. The Barton Creek Trail Corps addresses environmental issues through a restoration and improvement project for the Barton Creek Greenbelt wherein young adults gain professional experience in the green job sector. The program incorporates a multifaceted approach, which involves educating the public, raising awareness, increasing financial donations, and thus continuing to fund the Barton Creek Trail Corps into the future. The improvements will take place along the eight mile main trail of Barton Creek Greenbelt running from Zilker Park to Camp Craft Road. 

For more details, visit: www.austinparks.org

2010
Family Grant Recipient:

CASA of Travis County

Project:

Transitioning Youth Program

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Travis County recruits, screens, trains, and supervises volunteers to provide Guardian ad Litem representation for abused and neglected children to help them reach safe, permanent, and loving homes. Impact Austin’s grant aids the Transitioning Youth Program expansion, providing support to an estimated 100% of the cases assigned by the courts for youth ages 14 to 18 who are at risk of leaving foster care without being adopted or having a network of support to prepare them for adulthood. The program utilizes innovative services for youth, specialized training for volunteers, and broader networking with community partners to ensure that these very vulnerable youth will be able to transition to successful and independent adult living.

For more details, visit: www.casatravis.org