Organization: EDUCATE MIDLAND
Mission: EDUCATE MIDLAND ALIGNED A LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, PARTICIPATING NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESS INDUSTRY PARTNERS IN ORDER TO COLLECTIVELY INCORPORATE THE DISTRICT'S ONLINE READING AND MATH TOOLS INTO THE ORGANIZATIONS' SUMMER PROGRAM CURRICULA. THE GOAL WAS TO HELP STUDENTS MAINTAIN AND IMPROVE THEIR READING AND MATH PROFICIENCY DURING THE SUMMER AND TO PREVENT SUMMER SLIDE. EDUCATE MIDLAND CONVENED THE PARTNERS TO PLAN THEIR STRATEGY, LEVERAGE NEEDED RESOURCES, AND ASSESS PROGRESS.THE FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA) IS THE COMMON APPLICATION USED TO DETERMINE STUDENT ELIGIBILITY FOR FEDERAL, STATE, AND OTHER FORMS OF STUDENT AID. EDUCATE MIDLAND FACILITATED THE EXPANSION OF THE FAFSA TASKFORCE, A GROUP OF PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS AIMING TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE FAFSA, AS A PRECURSOR TO COLLEGE ENROLLMENT AND REGISTRATION. THE FAFSA TASKFORCE WAS A CATALYST TO THE FORMATION OF EDUCATE MIDLAND'S
Activities: EDUCATE MIDLAND ALIGNED MIDLAND ISD WITH CASA DE AMIGOS, UNLOCK MINISTRIES, THE MIDLAND YMCA, KALEIDOSCOPE MINISTRIES, AND BREAKING BREAD KITCHEN TO UTILIZE THE SAME READING (ISTATION) AND MATH (IMAGINE MATH) TOOLS THAT MISD IS USING THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR WITH THEIR SUMMER PROGRAMS. THROUGH THIS ALIGNMENT, EDUCATE MIDLAND HOSTED AN MISD TRAINING SESSION WITH OUR PARTNERS. MISD PROVIDED THE USE AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT OF THE SHARED ONLINE TOOLS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER MONTHS. THE USE OF SHARED TOOLS PROVIDED BY MISD ALLOWED EACH PARTNER THE ABILITY TO TRACK THE PROGRESS OF PARTICIPATING STUDENTS. EDUCATE MIDLAND ALIGNED XTO ENERGY WITH OUR SUMMER PROGRAM PARTNERS, INCLUDING THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF THE PERMIAN BASIN. THIS ALIGNMENT BY EDUCATE MIDLAND OF THE PARTNERS AND FUNDER PROVIDED 56 NEW LAPTOPS, 45 REPURPOSED LAPTOPS, AND 100 HEADPHONES TO SUMMER PROGRAMMING AND ITS STUDENTS. EDUCATE MIDLAND ALIGNED XTO ENERGY AND THE UNITED WAY OF MIDLAND TO SUPPORT/FUND THE UNITED WAY OF MIDLAND'S CLUB READ PROGRAM!EDUCATE MIDLAND HELPED TO COMPOSE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SECONDARY EDUCATION WITH MISD, THE 2019-2020 RISING CITY FAFSA COMPLETION CHALLENGE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. THIS PLAN WAS SUBMITTED TO THE NATIONAL COLLEGE ACCESS NETWORK WHICH HAS PROVIDED GRANT FUNDING TO MISD TO ENABLE NATIONAL COLLABORATIONS WITHIN THE NCAN NETWORK. SEPTEMBER OF 2019, EDUCATE MIDLAND SENT OUR DATA MANAGER TO THE NATIONAL NCAN CONFERENCE WITH MISD'S DIRECTOR OF GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING SERVICES. EDUCATE MIDLAND FACILITATES THE FAFSA COMMUNITY TASK FORCE, WHICH IS COMPOSED OF MISD, MIDLAND COLLEGE, REGION 18, UTPB, ODESSA COLLEGE, GREENWORD ISD, AND CASA DE AMIGOS. EACH OF THESE PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS WORK TOGETHER TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE FAFSA, AS A PRECURSOR TO COLLEGE ENROLLMENT AND REGISTRATION.IN A RECENT STUDY, WE FOUND THAT NEARLY HALF OF THE KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS AT MIDLAND ISD WERE NOT DEVELOPMENTALLY PREPARED FOR KINDERGARTEN. EDUCATE MIDLAND SERVED AS THE GUIDING INTERMEDIARY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF TWO NEW SEL PILOT PROGRAMS, REINVENT: CHOOSE TO SUCCEED AND MINDFUL CLASSROOMS. REINVENT: CHOOSE TO SUCCEED IS A COLLABORATIVE MENTORING PROGRAM THAT EDUCATE MIDLAND HELPED TO DEVELOP AND NAVIGATE THROUGH COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS, ADOPTED BY AGAPE COUNSELING AND SUPPORTED BY MIDLAND HEALTH, MISD, UTPB, & WES PERRY TO PROVIDE MENTORING, GUIDANCE, AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO STUDENTS AT COLEMAN HIGH SCHOOL, AN ALTERNATIVE CREDIT RECOVERY SCHOOL OF MIDLAND ISD. THIS PROGRAM WAS AWARDED THE 2019 BEACON AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN COLLABORATION (COLLEGE, CAREER, & MILITARY READINESS). MINDFUL CLASSROOMS WAS IDENTIFIED AS A NEEDED PROGRAM IN OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS THROUGH THE MISD SCHOOL HEALTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, WHICH WAS CHAIRED BY OUR PROGRAM DIRECTOR. MINDFUL CLASSROOMS WAS FOUNDED BY JAMES BUTLER OF AUSTIN ISD AND IS IMPLEMENTED THROUGHOUT AUSTIN ISD. THE EQUIPPING OF OUR EDUCATORS WITH MINDFUL LEARNING TECHNIQUES WILL HELP CLASSROOOM MANAGEMENT BY REDUCING STRESS AMONG BOTH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. MINDFUL LEARNING HAS BEEN PROVEN TO ENHANCE STUDENT FOCUS, SELF-AWARENESS, AND SELF-DISCIPLINE, AND TO REDUCE STRESS AND ANXIETY. CURRENTLY, ALL MIDLAND ISD COUNSELORS, NURSES, AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHERS HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN MINDFUL CLASSROOMS. EDUCATE MIDLAND SPONSORED THE FOUNDER OF MINDFUL CLASSROOMS TO SPEAK AT THE MISD ELEVATE CONFERENCE IN AUGUST WHERE SEVERAL HUNDRED TEACHERS PARTICIPATED IN HIS PRESENTATIONS. THIS COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP HAS RESULTED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF MINDFUL CLASSROOMS AT BOTH TRAVIS ELEMENTARY AND FASKEN ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES AS WELL AS THROUGHOUT MOST PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES IN MISD.CURRENTLY, 1 TO 1 IS OFFERED AT FIVE MISD SECONDARY CAMPUSES; MIDLAND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, LEE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, SAN JACINTO JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, ABELL JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, AND GODDARD JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL. THIS TEAM OF VOLUNTEERS WAS CREATED PRIMARILY THROUGH THE PARTNERSHIPS WE HAVE WITH THE FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY. THESE PARTNERS INCLUDE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, GOLF COURSE ROAD CHURCH OF CHRIST, AND STONEGATE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH. SEVERAL OIL AND GAS COMPANIES ALSO PARTNER BY ALLOWING THEIR TEAM MEMBERS TO TUTOR WHILE ON THE CLOCK.THE MIDLAND COUNTY EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AWARDS EVENT WAS HELD TO PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE THEM WITH DINNER AND AWARDS SPONSORED BY LOCAL BUSINESSES AND FOUNDATIONS. FORMALLY A PROJECT OF THE MIDLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE EVENT WAS ORGANIZED BY VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY LEADERS IN 2019, AND EDUCATE MIDLAND SERVED AS THE FISCAL AGENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL PARTNER.
NTEE category: Education
Secondary category: Youth Development