The end of the school year is a time to stop and celebrate successes, and that’s especially true for Austin’s Out-of-School Time (OST) community who works tirelessly year-round. Each year, the Central Texas Afterschool Network (CTAN) bring students, families, providers and funders together for the Breakfast of Champions event, to recognize excellence and the important work these collaborators do. Educators and afterschool professionals submitted more than 100 nominations this year to nominate OST champions in 12 award categories. The winners are chosen by a nominations committee, made up of volunteer OST leaders and staff. This year, it’s a privilege for UWATX and the Target Graduation team to join the larger community in applauding one of our key partners, Principal Alejandro Góngora, who received the award for “Best OST Collaborator.” Principal Góngora of Decker Middle School in Manor ISD has been a tireless collaborator with United Way through a variety of channels related to our Middle School Matters program. This award is a testament to his responsiveness, creativity and commitment – especially after the loss of federally funded afterschool programming last year. OST staff from Camp Fire and our Volunteer Project Leadership (VPL) programs are quick to commend Principal Góngora for his willingness to collaborate on events, participate alongside students in the classroom and assist with everything from communication to translation of materials. We’re grateful to Principal Góngora for embracing collaboration before, during and after the school day. This award is a reflection of his leadership and the hard work of […]
Read MoreUWCA receives Partner of the Year award for Youth work
United Way Capital Area was honored at yesterday’s Breakfast of Champions event with the Partner of the Year award for our work to improve out of school time programs in our community. The event was hosted by Central Texas Afterschool Network (CTAN) and recognized community organizations, school officials, volunteers and government entities. See the full list, including UWCA Youth Leadership Council member Raphael Travis and numerous UWCA partners. “Out of School Time programs are paramount in moving our children forward,” said Debbie Bresette, President, United Way Capital Area. “UWCA is proud to receive this award and to be a part of making a difference in the lives of children in our community.” This year, CTAN embarked on a mapping study to identify gaps in Out of School time services in 17 high-need zip codes in Travis County. UWCA helped design the study and survey questions. UWCA also worked with CTAN to add three new categories to this year’s awards: Program Quality Staff, Program Quality Site and Program Quality Organization. “This sends an important message that we need to maintain high standards for out of school time programs,” said Laura LaFuente, Director of Community Building for UWCA’s Youth Initiative. “These categories highlight the importance of quality out of school programs and will hopefully inspire others to reach these same standards.”
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