OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
We have learned alongside our Community Partners as they have faced challenges, overcome barriers, and achieved extraordinary successes. Find out more about each project and the outcomes below.
YEAR
2010
GRANT CATEGORY
Education
GRANT AMOUNT
$105,000
Organization:
Communities In Schools of Central Texas
Project Title:
XY-Zone Expansion
Project Description:
Communities In Schools (CIS) of Central Texas is a dropout prevention program that creates a network of volunteers, social services, businesses, and community resources that work together to break down barriers and help students succeed.
The XY-Zone is a nationally recognized leadership development and peer support program for high school age males at-risk for school dropout. The XY-Zone challenges and empowers young men to aim high, get an education and break the cycle of poverty.
Impact Austin's grant will fund expansion of XY-Zone to the Bastrop High School Campus. The Communities In Schools of Central Texas XY-Zone program also received the 2005 Impact Austin Education Grant in the amount of $105,500, which expanded the program to Crockett and Lanier High Schools. In addition to remaining in school, the young men enrolled in the XY-Zone significantly improved academic performance and behavior at school. Many also stopped or reduced risk-taking behavior and demonstrated increases in developmental assets.
Grant Status:
CIS has three main goals for its participants in the XY-Zone program, which are to show academic improvement; reduce or desist from risk taking; and demonstrate an increase in developmental assets.
Thanks to Impact Austin’s grant, CIS was able to serve over 55 young men in Bastrop, 46 of whom were actively engaged throughout the 2011/2012 academic year. CIS provided over 4,000 hours of individual and group services to these participants, which led to the 13 participating seniors all graduating and 97% of the remaining participants graduating to the next grade. During the year, the young men honed their presentation and leadership skills by delivering community presentations, which also raised awareness for the program in Bastrop. Additionally, participants in the XY-Zone were involved in planning and organizing annual events with the Bastrop Downtown Business Alliance, which further raised awareness of the program as well as allowed the program participants to see the value of helping others.
During the 2011-2012 academic year, the Bastrop community struggled to recover from the wildfires that consumed the region. In the wake of this tragedy, CIS was able to provide individual counseling and emergency support to participants and their families.