Transition Services Supports New College Students
Over the summer months, Transition Services staff supported three young adults as they moved to their new homes on college campuses. Elizabeth moved into her dorm at the University of Texas at Austin, and began the E4Texas program, a three-semester vocational and post-secondary program that prepares adults for careers as personal care attendants, childcare associates or paraprofessionals.
Londen moved into his University of Texas in San Antonio (UTSA) dorm just a few days after high school graduation from the UT charter school on the MCH Waco campus. Londen began classes soon after and is a walk-on for the UTSA football team.
Aid’Ron attended student orientation at UTSA and moved into his dorm for the fall semester. Aid’Ron was awarded the Bold Promise Award, which covers 100 percent of tuition for up to eight semesters.
Case managers Crystal Vela and Alyssa Billingsley helped transport the young adults to campus, assisted with dorm move-in and participated in student orientation. Elizabeth, Londen, Aid’Ron and others enrolled in the Transition Services After Care program will continue to receive support from MCH staff as they step into their new chapters.
Charter School Freshmen Learn About High School Ins and Outs
Charter school staff on the Waco campus warmly welcomed freshmen students to “Fish Camp” high school orientation a few weeks before the start of the new school year.
Students enjoyed a Bulldogs-themed soda bar, played an ice breaker game to get to know their classmates, learned about class curriculum and dress code, and met some of their new teachers. Staff also explained home rooms will be set up as “houses” and will compete against each other in various activities throughout the school year.
Board of Directors Lead Out New Fiscal Year
Every quarter, the MCH board of directors meets virtually and in-person to discuss various agency topics including audits, investments, executive leadership, advancement and programs.
After meetings on June 11, staff led board members on tours of the Harrell Memorial Chapel and residential homes before enjoying a dinner together in the Mulkey Fellowship Hall. The dinner program included stories and reports from various staff members on athletics, residential life, admissions and family engagement, and family outreach.
Les Leskoven, former chair of the board of directors, was celebrated for his years of service to MCH. Dr. Carolin Sinkfield was officially welcomed into that role during the board’s summer meeting.
MCH is blessed to have a committed, faith-led board of directors who support the agency’s ongoing Imagine 2028 strategic plan, and for their professional insight, guidance and feedback.
MCH Hosts Communities in Schools Summer Institute
Staff welcomed dozens of fellow childcare professionals and youth from Communities in Schools (CIS) of the Heart of Texas, Inc. to MCH residential campuses for part of the group’s annual Summer Institute.
MCH Community Engagement and training specialist John Warren led a two-hour session in de-escalation strategies at the Waco residential campus for CIS professionals while the CIS Community Youth Development group enjoyed outdoor activities at the Boys Ranch.
MCH has a longstanding collaborative partnership with CIS, which serves more than 4,000 at-risk students across 35 schools and nine districts in the Waco community.
Charter School Teachers Receive Trauma-Informed Training
Organizational Effectiveness Coordinator Rebekah Graff provided trauma-informed classroom training for UT charter school teachers ahead of the new academic year.
The group discussed Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) tools and techniques that aimed to empower and equip them and their students as the school year progresses.
“I co-taught a brief overview of TBRI with Jean Wright, senior director for organizational effectiveness,” Graff said. This was intentional time set aside for teachers at MCH to be reminded of the foundations of connection, trust and relationship as they started off the new school year.
“This was my first time training the teachers of MCH, and I had a really positive experience. The teachers were engaged and eager to share about their past experiences, as well as their hopes and intentions for the new year. I was honored to play a part in helping the school at MCH kick off a new school year!”
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