Austin ISD depends on its partners, local businesses and volunteer groups to help support the district’s more than 85,000 students each day.

Two of these partners were recognized for their work recently by the State Board of Education, which awarded the City of Austin and National Instruments the 2013 Employers for Education Excellence (EEE) Award.

The two were recognized for their work with AISD and are among 12 other Texas employers to receive the 2013 EEE award, which is designed to promote more community involvement in public schools.

The award also recognizes employers who implement policies that encourage employee involvement in school activities.

“Congratulations to these businesses on this recognition of their support of our Texas public schools,” said Barbara Cargill, chair of the State Board of Education. “I would like to thank these employers and their employees for taking the time to mentor and work with these students and their schools.” 

City of Austin
The City of Austin partners with six local non-profit organizations to support a mentoring and tutoring program that benefits AISD students. City of Austin policy provides its employees with two hours of administrative leave per week to participate in the program. During the 2012-2013 school year, 385 employees participated in the City Mentor and Tutor Program. In addition, city employees also participate directly in AISD related volunteer programs.

The City of Austin also participates in a Title I schools Mentor and Tutor program in which employees are given paid time off to volunteer and mentor some of the city’s most at-risk students. This is the second time the City of Austin has been recognized as an Employer for Education Excellence.

National Instruments-Austin
National Instruments-Austin has developed a 10- year partnership with Will Davis Elementary School, an AISD school named for a former State Board of Education member. During the last five years, more than 40 National Instrument employees have worked with the school’s teachers, helped with fundraising activities and led robotics workshops and trainings for teachers and students. The company has created the Mentoring Young Minds Robotics mentor program in 14 of its worldwide offices. In 2012, the Austin-based employees served as robotics mentors working directly in classrooms or training mentors from other companies and organizations to work in the classrooms with students. Overall, National Instrument mentors worked in 141 classrooms, teaching 3,162 students engineering, math and science skills, providing more than 10,000 volunteer hours. 

To read about this year's EEE award winners, please visit www.tea.state.tx.us/news_release.aspx?id=25769807565.