Dear APIE Community –

Welcome to the 2024-25 school year! We are excited about supporting AISD students this year through our college readiness, math, and mentoring programs – and we invite you to join us in this work.

We are thrilled to have six returning College Readiness Advocates supporting Early College High School students at Akins, Crockett, LBJ, Navarro, Northeast and Travis. Because our Advocates are now year-round employees, we were able to serve over 140 high school students during the summer months to help them prepare for and meet the college readiness standards.

Our volunteer-based programs are ramping up with recruitment in full swing for mentors for any 6^th-12^th grade students in AISD and for Math Classroom Coaches for 7^th and 8^th grade students at Covington, Dobie, Martin, and Webb middle schools.

Our data tells us that APIE students have better attendance, promotion rates, and self-confidence than students who do not receive our services. Last year, 100% of our mentoring students felt supported, valued, and respected by their mentor. That’s such an impactful outcome!

So, can you spare one hour a week to mentor or tutor a student?

We’ll train you and support you throughout the school year.  In addition, you’ll be able to connect with other volunteers and APIE staff through your school-based experience and through our APIE social gatherings.  Trust me, it’s inspiring to be around like-minded individuals who care about our students and the betterment of our Austin community. Honestly, my volunteer commitment as a Math Classroom Coach is the highlight of my week!

Together, let’s continue supporting Austin ISD students and making a difference in our community.

With gratitude,

Cathy Jones, Ph.D. | Executive Director

Our Summer Retreat

APIE Staff had a great time at ACC Highland this August. We learned about self-care with our colleague Darla Caughey from Austin ISD, talked about plans for this school year, and muddled through some very challenging brain teasers. We also signed our DEIB Charter and got a tour of the beautiful PBS studio. Thanks for hosting us, ACC!

Lola Wright Foundation Grant Received

APIE owes a HUGE thank you to Lola Wright Foundation for their donation of $15,000. This allowed us to purchase much-needed laptops for our staff, especially those who are on campuses everyday with students. These computers are speedy, modern, and so appreciated!

Kind Snack and Frontline Impact Project Donates Snacks

APIE campuses received more than 2,500 Kind bars to help fuel the brains of our students. A big thank you to Kind Snacks and Frontline Impact Project for donating these to us. Not only are they delicious, but they also are a reason for students to visit our Advocates. Many times students use a snack as an excuse to see an Advocate on campus, and the conversation leads to something academic like checking grades or signing up for a tutoring session.