The Austin Independent School District

Provides teaching artist and teacher coaching services to Band and Orchestra programs in AISD.

Primary Service Category: Arts & Creative Expression

Secondary Service Category: Mentoring

Your Services are targeted to: Elementary (Ages: 5-10), Middle School (Ages: 11-13), High School (Ages: 14-18)

Time of day is the program offered: During School

Part of the year is your program offered: Year Round

Cost to families: Free to Family

Do you serve a specific geographic area: All of AISD

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OUTDOOR ADVENTURES includes two programs:
 
1. Camp Programs - elementary students ages 6-13:
When school is out of session, join Camp Fire’s Camp Programs to enrich your child’s involvement in the outdoor world. Camp programs provide a safe haven for children where they can participate in active outdoor play and learning during regular school hours, while also making friends with other kids who have similar environmental interests. Children will be guided by our knowledgeable staff members as they gain valuable life and adventure skills through direct interaction with nature and the environment. Activities include kayaking/canoeing, weekend day or overnight camping and skills development, archery, swimming and more!

2. Backpacking Club - appropriate for older elementary, middle school (ages 11-14) and families: Release yourself from the complexity of everyday life by becoming immersed in the beauty of nature, and the simplicity of living with only a backpack’s worth of essentials. Learn special skills with fellow adventurers such as how to kindle a fire, tie knots, set up shelter, and prepare meals over a campfire, all while ‘Leaving No Trace.’ Most trips are weekends and suitable for both beginners and more experienced campers; however, there are also more advanced backpacking trips which are scheduled for a week or longer.

Primary Service Category: General & Other Youth Development

Secondary Service Category: Environmental Education & Stewardship

Offered: After school, Overnight, Weekends, Summer, Spring Semester, Fall Semester

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Set original Indian classical dance choreography for high school students.

In consultation with the dance teacher, the number of sessions will be scheduled to set an original Indian classical dance on the dance students. Ms Naimpally will visit weekly for the agreed upon number of visits to complete the work.

Primary Service Category: Arts & Creative Expression

Serving: youth from elementary to high school

Offered: In school - other, Spring Semester, Fall Semester

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Creative Action’s Teen Programs provide a space for teen artists to explore issues of identity, community, and civic and social change through original theatre, public art, and film. In this intensive, year-round program, youth collaborate with their peers, learn alongside professional Teaching Artists, and partner with local community organizations to produce powerful plays, art installations, and films with extensive public reach and deep community impact.

Our three Teen Programs are each comprised of young artists ages 14-18, who are paid a stipend each semester for the valuable leadership and artistic work they contribute to their community. Each program combines rigorous arts learning, youth voice and personal development, and peer-to-peer education to help young adults thrive as compassionate, thoughtful, and engaged citizens. Our diverse group of participants come from every corner of our city to form a select cohort that ensures high-quality, individualized support and builds lasting, meaningful relationships among peers and adult mentors.

Changing Lives Youth Theatre Ensemble: Delivered in partnership with Expect Respect—a program of SAFE (formerly SAFE Place)—since 2003, Changing Lives is an ensemble of teen artist-activists that create and tour original, youth-led performances focused on violence prevention, healthy relationships, and social justice. Every spring the ensemble tours their original show across greater Austin, reaching more than 3,000 young people at area middle schools and in community settings. Through the powerful medium of peer education and theatre, Changing Lives gives young adults the knowledge, skills, and confidence to support healthy relationships and stand up against violence and bullying as courageous allies.

Color Squad: This program engages civic-minded teen artists to transform public spaces and explore relevant social issues through original murals, sculptures, art installations, and more. Students collaborate with professional artists and community partners and build artistic, social emotional, and leadership skills as they research and design public art projects for the community.

Youth Cinema Collective: In partnership with the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, Youth Cinema Collective provides a space for teens who are passionate about filmmaking and film’s ability to share stories that may otherwise go untold. Teens delve into all areas of the filmmaking process as they take their original, high-quality film projects from script and storyboard to shooting on location to a final screening at the Alamo Drafthouse.

Primary Service Category: Arts & Creative Expression

Secondary Service Category: Community & Civic Engagement

Serving: Pre K - 12th-grade youth

Offered: In school - other, After school, Daytime(during school hours), Evening, Weekends, Summer, Spring Semester, Fall Semester

Eligibility: RACE: American Indian or Alaskan Native; Asian; Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander; White; Black or African American; Multiracial

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Austin Classical Guitar provides core developmental support for all AISD Elementary, Middle, and High School guitar programs through: curriculum provision, teacher training, in-class program direction and consultation, All City/All Region Guitar event and audition design and production, Guest artist performance residencies, Concert and Sight Reading event and audition design and production, and student/community special creative opportunities.

Primary Service Category: Academic Enrichment & Support

Secondary Service Category: Arts & Creative Expression

Serving: Elementary (Ages: 5-10), Middle School (Ages: 11-13), High School (Ages: 14-18)

Offered: During School, Year Round

Family cost: Free to Family

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LifeWorks’ Diversion Program is designed to divert youth from homelessness and intensive housing services. The program works with youth who might be involved with juvenile justice, child welfare, or public school systems. The program connects youth to supportive services to allow youth to stabilize their housing crisis, stay connected to current systems of support, and build permanent connections to ensure long-term stability.

This program provides:

- Support and stability services
- Social, emotional & behavioral health support
- Connection and referral to social services
- Financial assistance if needed

Call for more information.

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The Expect Respect Counseling and Support Groups aim to increase personal safety, social support, and skills for healthy relationships. Groups are designed for youth at increased risk for dating abuse due to previous exposure to violence or abuse. Group facilitators use the Expect Respect Support Group Curriculum to teach skills for healthy relationships. Students may be referred by school personnel, parent/guardian or refer themselves by contacting us directly or speaking with their school counselor or CIS Manager.

Primary Service Category: Social-Emotional & Behavioral Health

Secondary Service Category: Physical Health

Serving: Survivors of child abuse, domestic or sexual violence and prevention

Offered: In school - pull out, Daytime(during school hours)

Eligibility: Others: Geographical - Support groups and individual counseling sessions are held at designated schools and online. Non Geographical - Individual counseling and support groups are designed for students who are involved in unhealthy peer or dating relationships or are at increased risk due to previous exposure to violence.

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Generation Zero engages youth in fun hands-on activities and service projects that raise awareness about recycling, composting, and conservation while giving students simple solutions for reducing their waste. Schools are more actively recycling and composting, and we want to build on this momentum and educate students about waste. Get involved!

Primary Service Category: Environmental Education & Stewardship

Secondary Service Category: Community & Civic Engagement

Serving: Schools, Citizens, Community Groups, and Businesses (K-12)

Offered: During School, Fall Semester, Spring Semester, Summer

We offer hope after the death of a loved one by providing support networks, community education and therapeutic activities that are free, peer-based, and ongoing.

Our services are for any child, teen or adult who is grieving the loss of a loved one, regardless of circumstances. We partner with schools, criminal justice agencies, civic and service organizations, businesses, churches and other community groups. Our services are open and available to Austin and all of Central Texas, with group locations across the Austin area and in Williamson County.

Our doors are open to all those who are grieving, regardless of circumstances, relationship or length of time since the death of a loved one has occurred. All of our services are offered free of charge to those who are grieving, so cost is not a barrier to anyone. Please explore our website and contact us at 512-467-2600 for more information on our support groups, information/referral to other providers and remembrance opportunities.

Posts informational resources on website that cover the topic of grief, such as:
- Children and grief List of recommended reading
- Coping with Grief downloadable booklet
- Grief at Home Kits - Includes 8 family activities to help family's through the grieving process.
- Kit may be downloaded from website, or hard copies are available.

Offers the following loss-specific groups:
- Monday Night Austin (breaks in small discussion groups for Loss of a Child/Grandchild, Loss of a Spouse/Partner, and Loss of a Parent, Sibling, or other Significant Loved One)
- Monday Night Georgetown group (breaks into smaller discussion groups based on attendance)
- Tuesday Night Loss to Suicide group
- Wednesday Mixed Loss group (all losses welcome)
- Loss to Overdose (1st and 3rd Tuesdays)
- Crime Victims Loss group (2nd and 4th Tuesdays)
- Pregnancy and Infant Loss group (1st and 4th Tuesdays)
- Grupo en Español, Perdida General (2do y 4to Viernes) / General Loss group in Spanish (2nd and 4th Fridays)

Offers the following loss-specific groups for Children and Teens:
- Kids Who Care (ages 5 - 12) - Brings together children and families with similar death loss. Supports children with art, activity, and story-telling. Dinner is served during the group. Offered in English and Spanish.
- Teen group (ages 13 - 18) - Brings together peers that can relate to the experience of loss.
- Camp Zebra - a five day camp available for children and teens. July 14 - July 18, 2025 from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. Campers are accepted on a first come first serve basis. A registration fee of $30 for the first camper and $5 per each additional camper applies. A limited number of scholarships is available for families who need assistance with Camp Zebra registration fees. Please contact Rachel Saffer, LCSW-S at rachel@christicenter.org for more information on how to apply for a scholarship
- May offer school-based grief support services in participating Austin ISD schools. Students are identified by school personnel to participate.

All groups are led by trained peer volunteers and co-facilitated by clinical interns pursuing a master's degree in social work or professional counseling.

Does not offer childcare during groups; however, the Kids Who Care program offers grief support for children, ages 5 - 12 years old, and has a concurrent group for the child's parent/guardian.

For a calendar listing of our groups, please go to our website.

One class period for high school dance class students in studio or gym. Bharata Natyam is an ancient classical style of dance from South India. During this workshop high school dance students participate fully. Ms. Naimpally leads them through basic steps of this technique, hand symbols, rhythms, footwork, and gestures. Ms. Naimpally performs sample repertoire, and explains the cultural and historical background of this form, comparing it to other dance styles.

Primary Service Category: Arts & Creative Expression

Secondary Service Category: Spirituality & Faith & Culture

Serving: youth from elementary to high school

Offered: In school - other

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School peer support groups provide a safe place for kids and teens to share their thoughts and feelings with other youth who are also grieving after the death of a family member or close friend.

This program provides:

- Peer support group

Primary Service Category: Social-Emotional & Behavioral Health

Students are identified by school personnel and are invited to participate.

Takes place once a week for 8-10 weeks during the school day, usually rotates so that students don’t miss the same class.

Due to Covid-19, they are currently offering the program in a virtual format.

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Low-cost youth baseball & softball league of Major League Baseball's RBI program.

Primary Service Category: Sports & Recreation

Secondary Service Category: Mentoring

Serving: Inner-city youth ages 4 - 18

Offered: Evening, Weekends, Summer, Spring Semester

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Long-term group mentorship in the context of outdoor adventure activities with facilitation of leadership framework.

Primary Service Category: Mentoring

Secondary Service Category: General & Other Youth Development

Offered: , Summer, Spring Semester, Fall Semester

Eligibility: Special Needs: Low income or socioeconomic status (receive free or reduced lunch)

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Austin Soundwaves will be offering weekly 30 minute lessons to students in approximately a dozen school music programs in the district.

Primary Service Category: Arts & Creative Expression

Secondary Service Category: Social-Emotional & Behavioral Health

Cost to families: Free to Family

Your Services are targeted to: Middle School (Ages: 11-13), High School (Ages: 14-18)

Time of day is the program offered: During School

Part of the year is your program offered: Year Round

Specific geographic area: all

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The goal of our program is to provide caring, trusted volunteer mentors to enrich the lives of middle and high school students in the Austin Independent School District.

APIE mentors are volunteers within the Austin community who support and empower students through student-centered, school-based mentorship. Mentors meet with students at their school for 30 - 60 minutes weekly, during the school day, throughout the school year. Mentors can support in various ways (for example: social-emotional support, academic guidance, college and career prep) dependent on the student needs and interest.

We encourage mentors to resume mentorship with their mentee each school year as they move into new grade levels. New mentors must pass a background check and attend a 90 minute orientation before they can be paired with a middle or high school student. Parent/Guardian consent must be provided before a student can begin mentorship. Students must also express interest in participation as this is essential for effective mentoring. Research shows that student-centered mentoring helps young people achieve their goals and build self-confidence.

Primary Service Category: Mentoring

Serving: AISD Middle and High School Students

Offered: Daytime(during school hours), Fall Semester, Spring Semester,

Eligibility: Geographical - Students must be enrolled in a middle or highs school with the Austin Independent School District. Schools implement the referral process.

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