Urban Connection Austin

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Overview

Community Building Programs

Our work at building a healthy and enriching community in the neighborhoods along the "Rundberg corridor" of north Austin. What follows are the initiatives where we are currently spending most of our time and resources.

  • Family Resource Center

    Family Resource Center

    In the Spring of 2010, we opened the Family Resource Center at J. Frank Dobie Middle School in partnership with Austin Voices for Education and Youth and Austin ISD. The purpose of the center is to assist families in crisis move to stability and, eventually, self-sufficiency and keep their children in the classroom every day, ready to learn.

  • Community / School Alliance

    Community / School Alliance

    As the name implies this is an alliance between school administrators and teachers and community leaders (churches, business, associations, etc.) to align services and strengthen the neighborhoods surrounding the schools.

  • Summer Feeding for Hungry Kids

    Summer Feeding for Hungry Kids

    For the last two years we have partnered with our parent organization, CitySquare (formerly Central Dallas Ministries) to feed hungry kids in Austin through the Summer Food Service Program of the Texas Dept. of Agriculture. This year we will continue to work with them to help feed children in apartment complexes throughout the entire city and beyond (Elgin, Taylor, Lockhart, Pflugerville).

  • Summer Youth Employment Training

    Summer Youth Employment Training

    Every year the Health and Human Services Commission offers summer employment training to kids from 14 to 18 that live in Travis County. This outstanding program offers these kids employment training, from job applications and resumes, to proper etiquette in a job interview. Then, after this training, if they are selected for one of these summer jobs/internships, they will earn money and experience working part-time for five weeks during the summer. Local organizations, like UCA, and individuals are recruited to provide the essential training that qualifies these kids to participate in this program.

    Urban Connection Austin enthusiastically supports and participates in this program. This year we focused on 20 students from J. Frank Dobie Middle School. Next year, we hope to dramatically expand that number to all students at Dobie that want to participate.

  • Summer Math Camp

    We are partnering with the Austin Chinese Church to offer a summer math camp at J. Frank Dobie Middle School this summer. Initially, this camp will provide remedial math instruction to 5th grade students entering Dobie in the fall. This will involve a week of camp at the beginning of summer (June 6-10) and another one before school starts in the fall (August 1-5). In between, the Family Resource Center will provide daily opportunities for students to reinforce their math skills using math software programs in the center. We need lots of volunteers for the entire summer!

    Please contact the Executive Director, Dean Smith, if you would like to participate, at (512) 659-5972 or dsmith@urbanconnectionaustin.org