Women’s History Month is a time to celebrate women’s achievements and also recognize their resilience, innovation and lasting impact across every industry. At Skillpoint Alliance, we honor the trailblazing women employed in the skilled trades—those who are breaking barriers, defying expectations, and reshaping the workforce. The trades have long been considered a male-dominated field but more and more are making the choice to step into careers that offer better pay, stability, and upward mobility.

At Skillpoint Alliance, we are committed to empowering women to take the next step in their career, and we provide support through the entire process. Women make up just 5% of the skilled-trade workforce nationwide, but they represent 16% of our participants—a testament to our program’s model and the impact accessible training has to break down traditional gender barriers.

Ayani*, who is 11 years old, likes to think out loud a lot, whether she is brainstorming new crafts to do at the Friends Austin Clubhouse or talking about her career goals, which can change from actor to singer to neonatal doctor on a given day. “From our first outing, I could tell she wanted to accomplish big things,” recalls her Friend, Lupe.

Friends of the Children Austin is committed to breaking the cycle of generational poverty. They do this by pairing professional, salaried, full-time, bilingual mentors (called “Friends”) with children facing life’s greatest challenges. Friends Austin commits to these children from kindergarten through high school graduation – 12+ years, no matter what.

The Friends Austin model is distinct, courageous, and proven. Friends of the Children redefined youth mentoring by creating the first and only long-term professional mentoring program in the country. Friends use their relationships with youth as the context for evidence-based, targeted interventions. Friends spend at least four hours of 1:1, intentional time every week in the classroom, home, and community with their youth, working toward goals and building life skills which enable them to thrive.

*Youth name changed for privacy.

On January 14^th Texas Empowerment Academy (TxEA) will celebrate a significant milestone, marking its first year on an expansive 89,000-square-foot campus. This growth is a testament to TxEA’s vision and resilience over its 26-year history as a pioneering charter school in Texas. Despite 86% of its students being economically disadvantaged, TxEA consistently demonstrates remarkable achievements, transforming narratives surrounding Black youth success.

In a broader educational landscape often focused on challenges like low graduation rates and achievement gaps, TxEA offers a compelling counter-narrative. The academy is dedicated to fostering an environment of educational equity and cultural responsiveness, enabling its Pre-K through 12th-grade students to consistently meet and surpass standardized assessment expectations. This tailored approach ensures personalized attention and academic success, challenging conventional perceptions of Black academic potential.

On August 9, 2024, Code2College held its inaugural AI Demo Day (AIDemoDay.mp4), showcasing the talents of young students.  These future tech leaders, some as young as 15 and 16, took the stage with confidence to present AI-driven projects developed over 8 weeks of hard work during the AI Fellows Program, which allowed students to immerse themselves in the exciting and rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence.

Students spent their summer not only learning cutting-edge AI technologies but also applying those skills to real-world challenges through their projects.  From enhancing accessibility to improving gaming experiences, these projects reflect the diversity of thought and creativity within our student cohort. 

Hello all! One of my goals as Executive Director of Sooch Foundation is to take a moment every month to spotlight the profound work of our partners in the community, and to occasionally bring broader light to the systems and issues related to the Foundation’s mission.

First, though, I wanted to introduce myself. For those of you who do not know me, I started in this role on July 1, carrying on the legacy of founding Executive Director Mary Ellen Pietruszynski. I’m coming from a 30+ year career in nonprofit leadership, most notably as co-founder and longtime CEO of LifeWorks here in Austin.

I’m also a moderately-paced but dedicated runner and cyclist, a yoga enthusiast, and a community volunteer for organizations such as Austin Together and The New Philanthropists.