Blog

From Birth, Engage Your Child With Talk

Posted on October 6, 2009 by Aviva Pinchas

A recent article in the NY Times reinforces much of the educational information provided by United Way’s Success By 6 and Born Learning initiatives. Lowe’s recently sponsored and installed the first Born Learning Trail in Central Texas–and there will be many more to come! Not only does the trail beautify Bartholomew Park, it offers parents many opportunities to engage their young children in communication to help them develop properly. From the NY Times article: Communication begins as soon as a baby is born. The way you touch, hold, look at and talk to babies help them learn your language, and the different ways babies cry help you learn their language — “I’m wet,” “I’m hungry,” “I’m tired,” “I hurt,” “I’m overwhelmed” and so forth. “Talk to your baby whenever you have the chance,” the American Medical Association advises parents. “Even though he doesn’t understand what you’re saying, your calm, reassuring voice is what he needs to feel safe. Always respond to your newborn’s cries — he cannot be spoiled with too much attention.” The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association urges parents to reinforce communication efforts by looking at the baby and imitating vocalizations, laughter and facial expressions. Stay tuned for more information about Born Learning activities and trails that will be appearing in Central Texas!

It all goes back to middle school

Posted on September 18, 2009 by Aviva Pinchas

Today’s Statesman editorial says it all: “If you want to fix high school, start with middle school.” Middle school, says University of Texas researcher Ed Fuller, is the gatekeeper for student success in high school and college. Students who do poorly in middle school — particularly on the eighth-grade math portion of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills — are the ones most likely to fail ninth grade and eventually drop out. And low performers who do graduate from high school are less likely to be prepared for college work. So it all goes back to middle school. The Legislature and school superintendents should pay attention to this. Fortunately for Central Texas, 1 Hour For Kids and its partners are paying attention to this!

Day of Caring — Pictures and Thank You!

Posted on September 14, 2009 by Aviva Pinchas

On Friday, September 11, 2009 United Way’s Day of Caring was truly one of the most memorable United Way Days of Caring ever in the history of Central Texas. We kicked-off not only United Way’s Day of Caring event, but also the 2009 community-wide giving campaign. We started the day with a volunteer breakfast, followed by a tribute to those whose lives were lost on September 11, 2001; turning remembrance of a day of tragedy into a day of hope and caring. The presentation of colors by the Civil Air Patrol Pegasus Squadron Elite Color Guard and the National Anthem sung by Tanya Winch, a local artist who brought tears to the eyes of many of the volunteers. Guest speakers spoke about the importance of volunteering in Central Texas and rallied hundreds of volunteers who gathered at the kick-off breakfast event. Will Matthews, representing the Athletes for Hope Organization, shared his passion for philanthropy and talked about the importance of improving lives and strengthening communities through volunteer service. Throughout the day more than 1,000 volunteers worked at over 50- project sites throughout Central Texas, helping local nonprofits. Volunteers upgraded childcare facilities, trained for disaster response, beautified community gardens, improved parks and much more. The estimated dollar value of the volunteer time on this single day was $111,172! See more pictures from the event here: Share your United Way Day of Caring volunteer experience by posting your pictures and comments! Thank you, Diana A. SantosCorporate and Volunteer Relations Director

Update! Professional athletes to speak at our Day of Caring!

Posted on September 8, 2009 by Aviva Pinchas

Athletes for Hope are participating in our Day of Caring, as part of President Obama’s 9/11 Day of Service. Professional athletes Will Matthews and Ahmad Brooks will be our “Special Guest Speakers” at United Way’s Kick-off Event, and they will volunteer along with seven other professional athletes at Kealing Middle School. There are projects still available! Click here to sign up.

Lowe’s sponsors the first Born Learning Trail in Central Texas!

Posted on September 1, 2009 by Aviva Pinchas

Thank you Lowe’s for sponsoring and installing the first Born Learning Trail in Central Texas during Lowe’s annual Heroes volunteer program on August 28 & 29, 2009. Because of your work you have added a “value add” to one of the larger neighborhoods in Austin, Texas, Windsor Park. Offering families a wonderful place to get active, and elevate awareness of early childhood education. A special thanks to the City of Austin, Parks and Recreation Department and the Windsor Park Neighborhood Association for your cooperation and support. As part of our Day of Caring activities, the Windsor Park Neighborhood Association will hold a dedication ceremony to celebrate the Born Learning Trail at Bartholomew Park on Friday, September 11, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. The Born Learning Trail is located at Bartholomew Park and features ten signs and stations along a path with activities that encourage everyday, teachable moments with young children. Quote from Windsor Park Association Director: The Learning Trail is AWESOME! I went to the park to check it out today (Sat) and there was a man with his toddler daughter playing in the area (hopping) and they didn’t even live in the neighborhood. He was driving by and the colors caught his eye so he turned around and was playing with his little girl! Yeah! You guys ROCK! Want your corporate team to sponsor and construct a Born Learning Trail? Contact: diana.santos@unitedwayaustin.org Diana SantosCorporate and Volunteer Relations DirectorUnited Way Capital Area

New Survey of Nonprofits with Greenlights

Posted on August 26, 2009 by Aviva Pinchas

We recently partnered with our friends at Greenlights for NonProfit Success to conduct a survey of Central Texas nonprofits. The goals of the survey were to; 1. Have actual data on how the downturn is affecting nonprofits aside from anecdotes2. Compare how our region’s nonprofits are doing versus other parts of the country We sent the survey to over 800 organizations, and 100 responded. Not surprisingly, many nonprofits locally are having a tough time. Demand for their services is up, while more than 50% have experienced a drop in donations over the past year. The crunch is affecting organizations in the critical health & human services, and children and youth-focused service areas the most. Please click the links below for full survey results and data presentation. Taking the Pulse of the Central Texas Nonprofit Sector – a presentation on the 2009 survey. New Survey Shows Austin Area Nonprofits are Experiencing Significant Increase in Demand for Services and Fewer Resources – a brief on the 2009 survey. 2009 Nonprofit Pulse Survey – a comprehensive summary of the 2009 survey results.

Your Baby Is Smarter Than You Think

Posted on August 20, 2009 by Aviva Pinchas

A recent article in the NY Times provides a refreshing look at how children under the age of five learn. It’s no surprise to our Success By 6 supporters that “babies and very young children know, observe, explore, imagine and learn more than we would ever have thought possible,” but the article also underscores the importance of developing pre-K programs that aren’t loaded with focused, planned learning and results-based testing. This approach may work for children over the age of 5 or so. But babies and very young children are terrible at planning and aiming for precise goals. When we say that preschoolers can’t pay attention, we really mean that they can’t not pay attention: they have trouble focusing on just one event and shutting out all the rest. This has led us to underestimate babies in the past. But the new research tells us that babies can be rational without being goal-oriented. Want to learn more about what United Way and Success By 6 are doing to ensure that Central Texas kids are ready for their first day of school? Go to unitedwayaustin.org/sb6

United We Serve – Austin Activities: Volunteer Leader Training & 1 Hour for Kids

Posted on August 14, 2009 by Aviva Pinchas

Hi there. I wanted to let todos know about our United We Serve – Austin activities. All projects & trainings are open to volunteers, nonprofits & community members. Hope you can join us! Volunteer Project Leader Training – Equipping citizens to lead & organize volunteer projects Tuesday, August 18 from 6:00 – 8:30pm Register here: http://bit.ly/21p6YP Tuesday, August 25 from 6:00 – 8:30pm Register here: http://bit.ly/ODIiG 1 Hour for Kids Information Session – The most important hour you’ll spend all week Wednesday, August 19 from 6:00 – 7:00pm Register here: http://bit.ly/PUqKz Wednesday, August 26 from 6:00 – 7:00pm Register here: http://bit.ly/4mVDJ You can also view all our trainings and projects on our website at www.handsoncentraltexas.org.

1 Hour for Kids Information Sessions

Posted on August 14, 2009 by Aviva Pinchas

The goal of 1 Hour For Kids is to recruit 400 new volunteers to be mentors or tutors for Austin/Manor ISD middle school students. In this information session, you will learn how volunteering for just one hour a week to mentor or tutor a kid makes all the difference in the world! Wednesday, August 19, 20096:00PM – 7:00PM Wednesday, August 26, 20096:00PM – 7:00PM To learn more and sign up, go to the Hands On Central Texas website.

Hands On Central Texas launches United We Serve – Austin

Posted on August 7, 2009 by Aviva Pinchas

Join us for United We Serve – Austin! President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama have announced a nationwide service initiative, United We Serve, spanning 81 days, culminating with a National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11. These 81 days will be the beginning of a sustained, collaborative, and focused effort to meet community needs and make service a way of life for all Americans. These 81 days will be the beginning of a sustained, collaborative, and focused effort to meet community needs and make service a way of life for all Americans. Hands On Central Texas & United Way Capital Area, in partnership with the OneStar Foundation, UT Volunteer & Service Learning Center, Keep Austin Beautiful, Communities in Schools of Central Texas, College Forward, UCP Texas & Texas Campus Compact are answering the President’s call to service with United We Serve – Austin! In these tough economic times, we’re facing increasing demands for services, and we need volunteers to help fill this growing need, now more than ever. We are pleased to participate in United We Serve and thank the President for making this call to service this summer and beyond. You can answer the call too. Sign up for volunteer projects & opportunities, organize and lead projects in your neighborhood, attend our Volunteer Leader trainings, 1 Hour for Kids information sessions, Hands On Innovation Workshops or volunteer for Day of Caring on September 11 to close off the United We Serve – Austin campaign. To […]