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Texas Association of Partners in Education
"Connecting Volunteers, Communities and Businesses to School"
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2008 TAPE
Education Partnership Award Winners
The Texas Association of Partners in Education recognizes exemplary partners and partnership programs annually in seven categories/groups that benefit our schools: Parent Involvement, Community, Corporate/Business, Government Agency, Collegiate, Outstanding Sports, and Media. In addition, Individual Awards are given in four categories: Top Adult Volunteer, Youth Volunteer, Partnership Liaison, and Senior Volunteer. Awards are given to small, medium, and large districts on two levels: Crystal Award—one per district size/category (an engraved crystal vase); and Gold Award—up to three winners per district size/category (a personalized, mounted gold certificate). Nominations are judged by an independent panel of representatives from across Texas.
Click here for Individual Awards or Here for Medium District to Top Media Award
Group Awards
Texas Parent Involvement Partnership
Small District
Crystal – Texas Middle School VIPS, Texarkana ISD, TMS VIPS has one goal to stay committed to the students and parents. The dynamic group of parents meets on a regular basis and discusses better ways to serve the students, teachers and parents. The organization gets bigger and better with the volunteers and volunteer hours continuing to grow each year.
Medium District
Gold – Round Rock ISD Council of PTAs Clothes Closet, Round Rock ISD, The 41 PTAs, making up the RRISD Council of PTAs, collaborate to collect, sort and display gently worn clothing that meets the district’s dress code. Together they seek out and manage volunteers from across the district to staff the facility, which is open every Wednesday and Thursday. Additionally, they coordinate multiple fundraising efforts in order to purchase new socks and underwear for the children. In the nine months that made up the 2006-2007 school year the Clothes Closet served 876 students. By October of this school year, they have already served nearly half that number.
Gold – Round Rock Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC), Round Rock ISD, The Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) has evolved over the past fifteen years with the mission to advocate advancement of knowledge to improve educational outcomes for families and children with disabilities. This is done through parent education and support provided by the various programs offered by SEPAC, such as the quarterly newsletter, monthly coffees, council meetings, and parent training through the campus representative program and outside speakers. SEPAC collaborates with more than ten district and community organizations for a team approach. The integration of community, school, and parent resources is an important role of SEPAC.
Gold – Salyers Elementary Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), Spring ISD, With the most valuable element of our school in mind – our children – the goal of the PTO is to work smart, making sure that each student benefits from all efforts involved. Throughout the year, programs and fundraisers were created as ongoing for student and volunteer participation. Our partnership with the Three for Me program encouraged a promise from a parent to their child and school to dedicate three hours of school involvement, thus modeling the importance of volunteerism.
Crystal – Pflugerville MEN in Education, Pflugerville ISD, The MEN in Education program started in 2005 to increase the male presence in Pflugerville schools. MEN, stands for Mentoring, Encouraging, and Nurturing. The MEN volunteer as mentors, trip chaperones, hall monitors, after school tutors, reading buddies, as well as provide a secure presence at school activities and athletic events. The MEN founders group began with 37 members, most of them fathers, grandfathers, and other relatives of Pflugerville students, including stay at home dads and retirees. We have grown to over 115 members and come from a variety of backgrounds including engineers, lawyers, business leaders, politicians and educators.
Large District
Gold – Oak Forest Elementary PTA/Volunteers in Public Schools, Houston ISD, The Oak Forest Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is dedicated to supporting the children, parents and staff through their hard work. Each day you can find PTA parents donating their time supporting school activities that are focused on increasing student achievement. The PTA has been serving the students of Oak Forest Elementary for over 40 years.
Crystal – Dulles High School’s VIKE Squad, Fort Bend ISD, Dulles High School’s VIKE (Vikings Invested in Kids’ Education) Squad, a parent booster club, has been operating for the past three years. The dynamic program was created to assist the school administration and parents in fostering a positive school and community environment among students, to provide financial support to the development of programs and events for students, and to serve as a booster club for all students at Dulles High School. The organization currently has a membership of 250 parents, who are committed to conducting regular free or low-cost events and activities for students, spearheading fundraising activities to support events, and providing support to parents of students who may not be active in other campus organizations.
redo Dulles
Texas Community Partnership
Small District
Gold – Bastrop Association of the Arts, Bastrop ISD, BAFA has sponsored a K – 12 student art contest in the Bastrop ISD since 1986. The Salinas Youth Art Contest is named to honor Bastrop’s best-known native artist, Porfirio Salinas. A theme is provided annually to district art teachers, who discuss it with students. The Salinas Youth Art Contest is unique in that it encompasses students’ artistic efforts from Kindergarten through the 12th grade. Young children seem to feel an innate value associated with their artwork, excitedly bringing it to teachers and parents to show.
Crystal – Big Brothers Big Sisters One-on-One Mentoring Program, DeSoto ISD, The One-on-One Mentoring Program in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters North Texas has successfully matched over 580 students with a caring mentor from the DeSoto community. This mentoring program was funded through a grant from the department of Safe and Drug Free Schools. DeSoto ISD received the largest of this type of grant in the United States with a requirement to match 500 children with a mentor by the end of the 3-year grant period. It is expected that the program will exceed the 500 by approximately 100 matches.
Medium District
Gold – Assistance League of Houston, Spring Branch ISD, Assistance League of Houston is celebrating its 40th year serving Houston at large, and the students of Spring Branch and Houston ISD’s specifically. Without Assistance League support, thousands of SBISD students would start school without clean, proper-sized clothes, shoes that fit and the confident state of mind that enables them to succeed. Through its base of 200+ volunteers, this non-profit agency works miracles. The League provides school uniforms to elementary school children through its Operation School Bell program, which will pass the milestone of having clothed more than 40,000 children this year.
Gold – Memorial Assistance Ministries, Spring Branch ISD, Memorial Assistance Ministries (MAM), a non-profit community based organization funded by 31 area congregations, provides support for families an economically at risk SBISD children who might otherwise drop out of school at an early age. MAM intervenes when identified families are in crisis, providing emergency financial assistance and other services to help families trapped in the survival mode of generational poverty.
Crystal – Notre Dame Club of Houston, Spring Branch ISD, The Notre Dame Club of Houston (NDC) has accomplished more to support SBISD, mentoring and Northbrook Middle School in 2.5 years than we could ever have dreamed possible. From non-stop recruiting of mentors to providing educator support and district-level involvement in mentor advisory committees and PIE Board representation, The Notre Dame Club exemplifies the true meaning of the word, “partner.” As a key organization supporting SBISD’s award-winning SpringBoard mentor program, NDC is committed from the university level down to the individual alumni to do whatever it takes to help children living the very challenging lives of poverty succeed.
Large District
Gold – Feria Para Aprender, Austin ISD, to address these gaps, the Austin School District in partnership with local Spanish media outlets, United Way, Community Action Network and other organizations worked together to create a community education fair, Feria Para Aprender. The goal of the event was to provide information to community members, particularly Hispanic parents, about educational opportunities and the importance of education.
Gold – Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce Partnership, Fort Worth ISD, the relationship between the Fort Worth Chamber and Fort Worth ISD is solidly rooted in a deep mutual understanding that together, public education and commerce for the foundation of a vibrant and growing city. The Chamber’s work plan for Fort Worth ISD included: Advocacy, In-kind support, Recruitment, and Workforce Development. They provided staff support for the Stay in School Initiative for the Fort Worth Chamber, the Fort Worth Hispanic Chamber and the Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber, focusing on mentoring and Adopt-A-School Partnerships.
Gold – Memorial Hermann Hospital System, Houston ISD, Memorial Hermann Hospital Systems, the largest community-based, not-for-profit health care organization in Texas, began its long-standing partnership with HISD in 1996 with the creation of the Memorial Herman Health Centers for Schools Program. This invaluable health care partnership was designed as a medical home for uninsured children and a secondary access point for insured children. The Health Centers for Schools are frequently the only source of regular health care for children without medical coverage. Approximately 12,000 children are serviced by the Health Center for Schools each year.
Crystal – Cy-Fair Houston Chamber of Commerce, Cypress Fairbanks ISD, The Cy-Fair Chamber has partnered with CFISD for the past 25 years, always placing the goals of the school district as a priority in their work and planning their agenda around what is best for children. Thanks to a strong and focused education committee that meets monthly, our district has been the beneficiary of mentors, tutors, classroom presenters and general advocates of district business. However, it is this chamber leadership that two years ago encouraged its membership to become actively involved in and take ownership in an important new program to CFISD – the Bus Buddies program. The Bus Buddies program was established in 2006 as a means of ensuring safe, effective and efficient transportation for our youngest students by placing an adult volunteer on every elementary bus the first week of school.
Texas Business Partnership
Small District Local Business
Crystal – Image Forward, Texarkana ISD, OPTIONS is an alternative high school for students seeking graduation. Debbie Brower, owner of Image Forward unselfishly documents this major goal in the student’s life by taking professional photographs of each graduating senior.
Medium Business
Crystal – Greater Texas Federal Credit Union/B.E.S.T College Night, Bastrop ISD, The B.E.S.T. (Bastrop, Elgin, Smithville, Texas) College Night was an opportunity for students to gather information regarding their educational aspirations. This was a no cost event for high school juniors, seniors, and their parents. The college night allowed students and their parents from three different districts (Bastrop, Elgin and Smithville) to interact with college and university representatives to discuss courses, admission and financial aid requirements, and college life in general. Presented by Greater TEXAS Federal Credit Union in partnership with the three school districts, the B.E.S.T. College Night in Texas attracted over 1,500 students and their parents
.Large Business
Gold – Applied Materials, Austin, Manor ISD, Applied Materials recognizes the critical importance of social responsibility and the need to be a leader in places it does business. The district Partners in Education Program was founded fifteen years ago. And Applied Materials has strengthened the development of an ongoing and interactive partnership with the Manor learning community since that time. Applied Materials prioritized specific community needs by supporting initiatives in education, civic development and arts & culture. Further it has embraced many of the social service programs that the districtcoordinates and has funded or sponsored nineteen district programs.
Gold – Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Sp/A New Orleans New Year’s Celebration, Bastrop ISD, The program served as a fundraiser for the Kerr Community Center and an opportunity for Bastrop ISD students to learn more about the ties between New Orleans and Bastrop. Each student took great pride in designing their own mask for the parade and individually contributing to the musical culture of the Bastrop community through direct participation. Student spent class time to study the rich cultural heritage of art and music from New Orleans that Bastrop shares and applied it to this project. The student not only had the opportunity to play with legendary New Orleans musicians and Gammy- nominated composers but gained the experience of planning an event for their community to enjoy.
Large Business
Crystal – Alcon Laboratories, Everman ISD, a critical component of Alcon’s corporate culture is community service. For Everman Independent School District, that means that Alcon employees “walk the walk” with educators on a daily basis. New employee orientation at Alcon includes a training session for community service and an opportunity to sign up. Nearly everyone on their employee roster is also an elementary campus classroom reader, a Big Brother or Big Sister, a mentor, a Junior Achievement presenter, a member of campus and district improvement committees, member of the EISD Foundation Board, member of Health Advisory Board and/or any other advisory organization in the school district.
Medium District
Small Business
Gold – Betenbough and Company, Lubbock ISD, Betenbough Homes has implemented a program which supports the students and teachers in Quadrant 4 of the Lubbock I.S.D. This company is responsible for providing funding for several motivational initiatives such as an awards banquet honoring students for achieving academic excellence and a program that donates bicycles in order to recognize deserving students. Betenbough has not only displayed a desire to support and honor students; the company has also provided funds to recognize teachers and staff for their dedicated work with children.
Gold – Cotton, Bledsoe, Tighe, & Dawson Law Firm, Midland ISD, Cotton, Bledsoe, Tighe and Dawson a law firm in Midland, has been our partner for eight years. They have provided weekly reading buddies for our Reading Recovery students as well as math tutors, Chess Club tutors, UIL assistance, judges for Science Fair and Spelling Bee. This small law firm goes beyond anything we ever imagined when this partnership started. Not only have they provided human resources they have also provide financial resources for $5 Friday (an attendance incentive), secured funding for Accelerated Reader, teacher staff development and a book study on Ruby Payne.
Crystal – HEB #3, (Baylor HEB) Waco, Texas, Waco ISD, The relationship between HEB and South Waco Elementary is phenomenal. As a result of the efforts of the manager, Mr. McFarland, and the employees, a partnership that was non-existent the previous year has flourished into one of Waco’s most OUTSTANDING school-community relationships. It has created a strong sense of community for the students, parents, and HEB employees. As a result of HEB’s assistance and motivation, parental involvement at school activities has noticeably increased, students are focused on attendance and motivated to remain on their best behavior.
Medium Business
Gold – McLane High Plains, Lubbock ISD, McLane High Plains has been a partner with Parkway Elementary school for the past 15 years. The company
has consistently provided Christmas gifts for the students, donated school supplies, food and drinks for classroom parties and surprise goodies for students. This partner is the source of most of the monetary contributions to the school. It gives students the necessary materials needed to be productive in their academic studies. Students appreciate the donations and regularly send poems and thank you notes to the employees.
Crystal – Town North Bank, Carrolton-Farmers Branch ISD, Over the past 17 years, Town North Bank has made it possible for 78 students to attend college by providing more than $227,000 in scholarships. Without these funds, these students may not have been able afford to attend college. Many of these students are the first in their families to attend college. Over the past 5 years, they have provided employees to receive training and then to present the Texas Scholars theme to our middle school students. They made a significant contribution, encouraging our 8th graders to take more challenging courses. In addition, for many years they have been sponsors at the Metrocrest Chamber of Commerce “New Teacher Luncheon”. This activity welcomes our new teachers into the community.
406 East 11th Street, Austin Texas, 78701 | Phone: 512-473-8377 | Fax: 512-482-8658