By Marilyn Armour As another school year goes by, it seems teachers are becoming more and more of an endangered species. Many teachers-in-training find themselves struggling to master teaching demands with fewer resources, more students, and ever-increasing high-stakes testing and accountability. They also find they are ill-equipped to manage the classroom and student behaviors that […]
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Keeping children in school
Communities In Schools of Central Texas brings resources and relationships to school campuses, surrounding students with a community of support, and empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. This organization was recently recognized by Greenlights as one of Austin’s non-profits of the year. We talked with Chief Program Officer Eric Metcalf, MSSW […]
The immigrant paradox
By Christopher Salas-Wright It is not unusual to see negative depictions of immigrants in the media and in popular culture. In particular, immigrants are often viewed as dangerous and prone to involvement in problem behaviors like violence, crime, and substance abuse. However, our research — and the research of scholars across the United States — […]
Advocating for immigrants in East Austin
According to the Pew Research Center, as of 2012 Austin ranked among the top 20 Hispanic metropolitan areas. About thirty percent of Austin Hispanic residents are foreign-born. Leonor Vargas (MSSW ’89) works with many immigrant families in her position as director of the Family Resource Center-The Austin Project, at Consuelo Mendez Middle School. We talked with […]
Power to the people (of South East Austin)
Neighborhood revitalization initiatives can address various issues affecting underserved communities. We talked with Alba Sereno, MSSW ’11, who is the community programs coordinator for Go! Austin/Vamos! Austin (GAVA) in South Austin. GAVA targets communities with higher than average childhood obesity rates, and employs place-based health models to improve the environment that causes the health issue. […]
Restoring Rundberg: One Running Man at a time
By David Springer Broderick James, better known as “The Running Man,” can be found at the corner of Rundberg Lane and Lamar Blvd., spreading optimism and hope through the power of dance. He has been an informal promoter of community engagement for an improved Rundberg area for over seven years, and he dreams of a […]
It’s all about food justice
Food access is an issue dear to Max Elliott (MSSW ’12). He is executive director and co-founder of Urban Roots, an Austin nonprofit that uses sustainable agriculture to transform the lives of young people and increase access to healthy foods. During the spring and summer months, East Austin high-school students receive paid internships to work […]
Our neighborhoods affect our food choices and health
By Catherine Cubbin We know that conditions within our homes are important for our health. We might be less aware of the fact that neighborhood conditions can also have major health effects. Neighborhood environments can be overtly hazardous— for example, polluted or crime-ridden. They also can severely limit the choices and resources available to individuals. […]