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Welcome to our e-newsletter
Minds in Motion
Here at the Free Minds office, we're packing up our books. Read on for why this month's big news involves moving boxes! Plus, get updates on our bumper crop of applications for the Class of 2014, and hear an inspiring word from alumna Jennifer Johnson about how a little piece of mail brought her a lot of hope.
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Free Minds Has a New Home
 Free Minds is excited to announce that this summer we are moving to our new home at Foundation Communities. When Free Minds was founded in 2006, it represented an innovative partnership between The University of Texas at Austin, Austin Community College, and Foundation Communities, with each organization contributing its unique strengths to create a transformative educational experience for adults.
After seven years, all three of these partners remain committed to the program. UT and ACC will continue to provide the academic resources that make the Free Minds classroom a place where adults can engage with ideas and create meaningful change in their lives. And Foundation Communities will provide an administrative home where we are deeply embedded in the communities we serve. We join this vital organization in its mission to give Austin families living on low incomes the tools to truly succeed.
We're thrilled about this next phase in the growth of Free Minds, and we look forward to sharing our next steps with you. To learn more about Foundation Communities, we invite you to join us at an open house at the end of the month. And of course, we invite you to remain an active part of our community as we continue to give adults the chance to open a new chapter in their lives.
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You can find out all the details about Free Minds' new home at Foundation Communities at our upcoming
Open House
Learn more about how these programs are deepening their collaboration to continue giving deserving Austinites the chance to develop their potential and reach their educational goals. Lunch will be provided.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
11:45am - 12:45pm
*Check in at 11:30*
M Station Apartments
2906 E. MLK Jr. Blvd
Austin, TX 78702
Please RSVP to Donna Williams as soon as possible at
OR
512-610-4017
We hope you will leave inspired.
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Recruitment for Class of 2013-14
Wraps Up
Applications for the Free Minds class of 2013-14 closed on Friday July 12, ending one of our most successful recruitment seasons in program history. Over the past two months, Free Minds recruitment partners kicked into high gear, spreading the word about this educational opportunity in public libraries and community centers, at bus stops and even on front doors. Through these efforts, Free Minds received 93 applications, a 43% increase from last year's numbers.
(Click here to read The Austin's Times recent feature story on Free Minds. Local newspapers were a key part of Free Minds' outreach plan this year.)
Interviews with qualified applicants are now underway and will continue through the end of the month. An orientation for new students will be held on August 15th, and classes will begin the following week.
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Special Thanks
As our recruitment season comes to a close, we are especially grateful to all of the partner organizations and individuals who helped spread the word. Thanks for sharing this opportunity with your clients, neighbors, and friends!
The American Widow Project, The Ann Richards School, Any Baby Can, The Arch, Arriba Newspaper, Austin Public Libraries, The Austin Times, Caritas, City of Austin Human Resources Department, Dress for Success, Foundation Communities, Goodwill Industries of Central Texas, Housing Authority of Austin, Housing Authority of Travis County, Lee Elementary, Maplewood Elementary, The Oakhill Gazette, SafePlace, St. Louise House, Texas Center Point Veterans Services, Travis County Human Resources Department, Trinity Center of Austin, UT Division of Housing and Food Services, UT Elementary, UT Facilities Services, The Villager Newspaper
Plus, Free Minds alumni and advisory commitee members for getting brochures out to locations all across the city
If you are interested in volunteering with or supporting Free Minds, you can find more information on our website.
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Minds in Motion
Archive
This month, we're recruiting a new class and peeking behind the scenes.
May 2013
For the Free Minds Class of 2013, nine months of hard work pays off this May!
April 2013
With graduation, a writing workshop, and a new mentorship program ahead, we think April is the sweetest month.
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The Final Word
For Alumna Jennifer Johnson, a Letter from Herself Came at Just the Right Moment
 This spring semester was one of the hardest for my family and me. Without notice I became very ill, and doctors could not explain what was wrong with me. I was at the hospital for a week. I couldn't walk, I was in a wheelchair, I had horrible migraines, I was dizzy, my vision was inconsistent, yet nobody knew the cause. I went to doctor after doctor. I remember feeling hopeless, like the walls were caving in. Finally I was diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a neurological disorder resulting from pressure on the brain.
One May evening in 2013, in the midst of all this, I received a letter with the Free Minds emblem that will forever be etched in my heart because of the difference they made in my life. The handwriting on the envelope is my own; memories of last year start flooding through my head. As I flip the envelope over I see a handwritten note on the back. It's from Vivé, and she tells me how lucky Houston is to be able to witness my future endeavors, considering that's where I plan to go to nursing school.
I opened the envelope and read the words of the last assignment Vivé had us write, a letter to our future selves that we would receive a year after graduation. As I read this letter I couldn't help but feel accomplished. So much had happened this year, my first year after graduating from Free Minds. I enrolled in classes full-time at ACC and got a better paying job, just like the letter predicted. I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and still maintained scholastic excellence with a GPA of 3.8. I had gone above and beyond. A sense of accomplishment fell over me in such a difficult time in my life.
Even though I am not completely well, and I have had to postpone moving to Houston for nursing school for health reasons, I know that this is another hurdle that will only make me stronger and better. This letter was a glimmer a hope. It reminded me of where I came from and how I have so much more to accomplish.
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A program of the UT Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, in partnership with the UT Humanities Institute, Austin Community College, and Foundation Communities, Free Minds offers a two-semester college course in the humanities for Central Texas adults who want to fulfill their intellectual potential and begin a new chapter in their lives.
Free Minds Project
Community Engagement Center
1009 East 11th Street, #218
Austin TX 78702
Project Director: Vivé Griffith Program Coordinator: Amelia Pace-Borah Ph: 512-232-6093 F: 512-236-1729
www.freemindsaustin.org |
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