Center for Advocacy and Constituency Representation (CACR)
CACR connects with local businesses, corporate community leaders, and citizens who are working to build a stronger, more vibrant Austin. Board members, staff and volunteers from the Austin Area Urban League participate on various boards, commissions and panels throughout Central Texas. This effort creates a network of professionals who express the need for political and social change, benefitting all individuals and creating a level playing field. Community activities include: Austin Racial Reconciliation Forum, Austin Community Advisory Committee, AISD Dropout Prevention Task Force, and many more.
Center for Housing and Emergency Home Repair (CHEHR)
CHEHR provides emergency and critical repairs to owner occupied homes located in the City of Austin. The homeowners assisted by this program must reside in the City of Austin and their incomes may not exceed 80% of the Median Family Income (MFI) as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Services under this program include emergency repairs, customer recruitment, screening and selection of eligible customers, and the supervision of repairs on homes owned by low-income residents. The purpose of this program is to help preserve the existing housing stock and improve the quality of life for low-income homeowners by allowing them to remain in their homes. Three categories are used to describe repairs:
Institute for Quality Education and Career Development (IQECD)
The Institute for Quality Education and Career Development provides computer training, employability skills workshops, professional development and job placement assistance to unemployed, underemployed, low-income and minority clients. The Institute for Quality Education and Career Development’s goal is to provide state-of-the-art training that will give all students an edge in competing in the Austin area job market.
Essential Office Skills (EOS)/Workplace Literacy
The Austin Area Urban League’s EOS/Workplace Literacy training program offers a variety of services from basic business skills to software training and concluding with job placement assistance and community resource referrals. The job readiness component of the EOS/Workplace Literacy training includes business math, business English, reading, spelling and vocabulary. The curriculum includes business communications essentials such as memoranda and business letter writing, verbal communication, reference material usage, as well as office technology sessions whereby students are exposed to electronic research, multi-line telephone, fax, copier, and postage machine utilization and filing. Coursework is supplemented by job readiness workshops conducted by professional guest lecturers [local employers re-emphasizing teaching strategies and expectations in the workplace necessary to succeed in the job market], selected business site visits, resume writing and mock interviews.
The Austin Area Urban League’s Life Skills Programs offers programming and referral services designed to assist youth and adults in altering those negative patterns of behaviors that create barriers to their success. Life skills programming strives to increase the clients’ responsibility for their education, their personal growth and development, and provide an opportunity for the client to acquire the knowledge of the value and satisfaction that comes from contributing to society in a positive manner.
Youth Empowerment
After School Enrichment offers academic support, homework assistance, tutorial aid, community projects, field trips, environmental exploration and character development training for our young clients.
After School Counseling accepts youth, ages 12 to 18 years old, who have received Class C citations. Youth are referred to our programming via the Municipal Court system to satisfy the requirements of the citations they have received. Youth receive instructions in proper decision making/problem solving, anger/stress management, maintaining positive relationships, communication and negotiation, computer literacy, and college and career preparations.
Classes are conducted on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6pm to 8pm. After successful completion of the programming, the Municipal court system will dismiss the citations and prevent any further documentation of tickets on the youth’s juvenile record.
Youth Technology Enrichment Program
After School Enrichemnt offered through a partnership with the Housing Authority of the city of Austin provides computer access to help prepare youth with skill development, adult tranitioning, and GED/college prep support for future career opportunities by utilizing technology. The yourth learn computer skills through presentations and hand-on computer activities, cooperation skills through interactive games, conflict management and communication skills through presentations and practice, and respect for self and others. Classes are conducted at the following HACA sites: Booker T. Washington, Rosewood/Salina, and Northgate.
Ex-Offender Initiative
The ex-offender program offers assistance to those individuals recently released from incarceration to obtain comprehensive re-entry services. We offer counseling services, case management, community resource referrals, life skills classes, job readiness and job placement assistance.
University of Texas School of Social Work Internship Program
The Austin Area Urban League’s field practicum for the University of Texas Bachelor of Social Work student provides a practice setting in which the social work intern has an opportunity to utilize theory and synthesize the various themes covered in their classroom materials. Field education is presented in a specialized body of knowledge, which provides the intern an educationally directed base on which to develop theory-based practice. The field placement is undertaken in the intern’s final semester, which consists of 32-35 hours of field placement per week, for a total of 480 hours.
Career Connection Center (CCC)
The Austin Area Urban League CCC provides customers direct access to community and employer job fairs, as well as current Central Texas job listings. The Austin Area Urban League’s CCC maintains an employer database of more than 300 businesses who utilize the agency’s placement services.
Evening Computer Training (ECT)
ECT is a six-week session providing computer classes using Microsoft Office, offering three levels: introduction, intermediate and advanced. The courses are as follows: Introduction to PCs, Microsoft Word, Access, PowerPoint and Excel. The Austin Area Urban League offers daytime, evening and weekend courses to meet a wide range of scheduling needs.
We provide open entry/open exit classes to assist customers with completing their high school education. Customers prepare to take the GED exam in the following areas of study: language arts; reading; writing; mathematics; science; social studies and essay.
The Austin Area Urban League provides direct outreach focusing on Central Texas residents. Course availability and program offerings are promoted via public service announcements, flyers and brochures to increase community awareness.
Parent Enrichment ensures that our young people enjoy a higher level of school and family success, adults are exposed to skills enhancement and educational enrichment through this program. Parent Enrichment provides parenting aids and support, and communication skills training for both parent and child. Emphasis is placed on understanding the emotional and social stages of youth and how, demonstrating unconditional love, confidence building and working with schools will enhance the success of the relationships.