Category Archives: community partner

Inspiring Women Leaders 2/12

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KLRU featured event

KLRU, the University of Texas Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, and the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders invite you to a discussion about cultivating leadership. The evening will also feature short video features on local women and girls making a difference in the Austin community and a preview of the PBS series MAKERS: Women Who Make America.

Date: February 12
Time: 7 pm (doors open at 6:30 pm)
Location: KLRU Studio 6A (map)
RSVP: The event is free but an RSVP is required. RSVP Now

Inspiring Women Leaders, a discussion about cultivating leadership, will focus on inspiring future generations through mentorship and other means. Speakers will include:

  • Christine Adame
    Graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, participant in INSPIRE: Empowering Texas Women Leaders program, and former staff member of NEW Leadership Texas.
  • Monica Martinez
    Project Specialist, Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders
  • Alma Jackie Salcedo
    Graduate Coordinator at Center for Women’s and Gender Studies, UT-Austin

As part of the event, KLRU will present eight short videos featuring local women and girls who are inspiring others through their actions. These women were nominated by the community to be featured as part of KLRU’s participation in the national Women and Girls Lead campaign. A preview from the upcoming PBS documentary MAKERS: Women Who Make America – a film that shares the stories of exceptional women whose pioneering contributions continue to shape the world in which we live – will also be shown. This documentary airs February 26th at 7 pm on KLRU.

Women featured in the Women and Girls Lead project videos will be:

  • Katherine Craft is the founder of Conspire Theater, a program that provides incarcerated women a healing and empowering experience through the arts.
  • Julieta Garibay co-founded the Undergraduate Leadership Initiative, an advocacy group comprised of fellow undocumented college students, supporters, and family.
  • Rina Hartline is director of Texas State Relations for Centerpoint Energy and mentors other women as the founder of the Association of Women in Energy.
  • Peggy Kelsey created The Afghan Women’s Project to share stories of Afghan women to help change stereotypes.
  • Amy Koch is a graduate of Project SEARCH at Seton Healthcare Family, a best practice for hiring individuals with developmental disabilities created at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center.
  • Esther Reyes is Executive Director of the Austin Immigrant Right’s Coalition and has helped lead a statewide effort to protect the human rights of Texas’ undocumented immigrants.
  • Ndeye Boury Silla is one of our community’s outstanding teenagers. The daughter of Senegalese immigrants, she raised more than $900 to purchase school supplies for children in her parent’s native country.
  • Marissa Vogel started the non-profit organization Little Helping Hands, which creates and manages volunteer opportunities for younger children and their parents.

The Inspiring Women Leaders event and local MAKERS initiative is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
MAKERS: Women Who Make America is produced by Kunhardt McGee Productions, Storyville Films and WETA Washington, D.C., in association with Ark Media. Major funding is provided by Unilever and its Simple® skincare brand.  Additional funding is provided by The Charles H. Revson Foundation.

In the Studio: Your State Legislature, Your Voice 1/29

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Civic Summit Taping Announcement

Join KLRU for a Civic Summit taping on how best to voice your opinion to elected officials.

Date: Tuesday, January 29
Time:  taping begins promptly at 7:30pm (doors open at 7 pm)
Location: KLRU’s Studio 6A 2504-B Whitis
RSVP Now: Civic Summit: Your State Legislature, Your Voice

When was the last time you reached out to your elected lawmaker? Are you even sure how?

On January 29th, KLRU continues the civic engagement series “Why Bother? Engaging Texans in Democracy Today” with a Civic Summit taping in KLRU studio 6A. The conversation will revolve around the challenges and obstacles (for both the public and lawmakers) with putting an issue in front of the people that need to hear. Do we have a suitable system for public engagement? What could we do better?

We’ll hear from elected lawmakers along with folks involved in grassroots lobbying organizations about their experiences. Audience members are encouraged to tell their stories of success, or failures. Confirmed panelists include Senator Wendy Davis and State Representative Larry Gonzales. RSVP now to be part of the studio audience.

Why Bother? Engaging Texans in Democracy Today is a news and public dialogue series intended to provoke a conversation among regular people – the skeptics and the true believers – about why they participate and why they don’t. Developed jointly by the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life, KLRU, and KUT.

KLRU adds program to help learners meet GED goal

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On January 1, 2014 a new GED test will take effect. People who have already started the GED process,must pass all five segments before January 1, 2014 or will have to start all segments over. Those thinking about taking the GED soon, must start now in order to complete all tests before January 1, 2014.

In an effort to assist our community with this process, KLRU will air GED Connections starting January 7th. Engaging documentary-style videos introduce content and give learners a chance to hear from experts in various fields and advance toward their GED with programs covering each test area. Students hear and see how the skills they are learning for the GED exam relate to work, home and community life. GED Connections will air on KLRU at 5:30 am Monday to Friday and on KLRU Q 2:30 pm Monday to Friday.

If you need more assistance than the television show can provide there are several options in the KLRU viewing area.

Austin Community College’s Adult Education Division provides a variety of services and programs to help adult learners meet their education and career goals. Adult Education offers GED preparation, English as a Second Language classes, workforce certification programs, courses to ease the transition to college, and more. For more information, visit austincc.edu/abe or call (512) 223.5300

Community Action, Inc. of Central Texas’ Adult Education Program provides a wide array of adult education services across a ten county area surrounding Austin. These services include classes for GED preparation, English as a second language, English Literacy and Civics, college and workforce readiness, and basic skills improvement. For more information, visit communityaction.com or call (512) 392-1161 extension 334

Why Bother: Engaging our Changing City

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Tonight, join KLRU, KUT and the Annette Strauss Institute for a community conversation to explore the effects of changing demographics on civic participation in Central Texas.

Early voting

KUT News Reporter Joy Diaz will host the event. Juan Castillo, senior reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, will share recent demographic trends in Austin from the 2010 census. Chantel Bottoms, senior research analyst at Community Action Network, will present voter turnout data for Travis County. Participants will then join small roundtable discussions to explore how to expand community engagement as the city
continues to grow and change.

This community event is organized in partnership with Austin Community College’s Center for Public Policy and Political Studies.

When: 7-9 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 10
Where: Austin Community College’s Eastview campus, Multipurpose Hall (Room 8500), 3401 Webberville Road.

This event is free and open to the public. RSVP here.

Forum Explores Demographic Impact 12/10

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What: Forum Explores Effects of Changing Demographics on Civic Participation “Why Bother? Engaging Our Changing City”
When: 7-9 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 10
Where: Austin Community College’s Eastview campus, Multipurpose Hall (Room
8500), 3401 Webberville Road.
RSVP: This event is free and open to the public. RSVP here

The Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at The University of Texas at Austin College of Communication, KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, and KUT 90.5 FM are hosting a community conversation to explore the effects of changing demographics on civic participation in Central Texas. “Why Bother? Engaging Our Changing City” is the second event in a yearlong news and public dialogue series organized by the hosts.

“As Austin grows and thrives, our city is becoming more diverse, but this diversity isn’t reflected among citizens who vote,” said Regina Lawrence, director of the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life. “This forum will explore ways to get everyone engaged in our city’s future.”

KUT News Reporter Joy Diaz will host the event. Juan Castillo, senior reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, will share recent demographic trends in Austin from the 2010 census. Chantel Bottoms, senior research analyst at Community Action Network, will present voter turnout data for Travis County. Participants will then join small roundtable discussions to explore how to expand community engagement as the city continues to grow and change.

This community event is organized in partnership with Austin Community College’s Center for Public Policy and Political Studies.

Background: Sponsored by the Strauss Institute for Civic Life, KLRU and KUT 90.5 FM, the “Why Bother? Engaging Texans in Democracy Today” series aims to get people talking about why Texas has one of the lowest rates of civic participation in the country, and what can be done about it.

Future public dialogues next spring will address how citizens can make their voices heard in the Texas Legislature and how to involve Austin residents in city government
and planning. For more information about the series and the civic engagement crisis in Central Texas, visit whybothertexas.org.

About the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life
Created in 2000 to respond to growing political cynicism and disaffection in the United
States, the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life is named for Annette Greenfield
Strauss: former Dallas mayor, community leader and philanthropist. The Institute
envisions a democracy where all citizens are informed, vote and are actively involved in
improving their communities. Through nonpartisan research, education and outreach, the Institute seeks to understand and overcome obstacles to civic engagement. To learn more, visit us online at http://annettestrauss.org.

About The University of Texas at Austin College of Communication
One of the nation’s foremost institutions for the study of advertising and public relations, communication sciences and disorders, communication studies, journalism and radio-TV-film, The University of Texas at Austin College of Communication is preparing students to thrive in an era of media convergence. Serving more than 4,600 undergraduate and graduate students, the College is nationally recognized for its faculty members, research and student media. For more information about the College of Communication, visit http://communication.utexas.edu.

Community Cinema: Beauty Is Embarrassing 12/4

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Explore the artistic world of Wayne White at this month’s Community Cinema screening at 7 pm on December 4 Austin’s Windsor Park Branch Library (5833 Westminster Dr.).

BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING by Neil Berkeley
Artist Wayne White found early success as one of the creators of Pee-wee’s Playhouse and now his “word” paintings, which feature pithy and often sarcastic text statements crafted onto vintage landscape paintings, have made him a darling of the fine art world. This is a funny, irreverent story of the highs and lows of a commercial artist struggling to find peace and balance between his work and his art.

In the Studio: Civic Summit What it Takes for Texas Families 12/6

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Civic Summit

KLRU and the Center for Public Policy Priorities present an evening focusing on families and the economy

DATE: Thursday, December 6th
TIMES: 6:30 pm doors; 7pm documentary screening; 7:30 pm townhall discussion/taping
LOCATION: KLRU’s Studio 6A (map)
RSVP: Event is free, but RSVP is required. RSVP now

First watch the documentary “Fighting Chance” and then participate in a community discussion about families and poverty to be broadcast on KLRU Decmeber 13 at 8:30 pm.

What does it take for a family to survive and thrive in Texas? “Fighting Chance” follows the lives of five families and shows the tough choices they must make — sacrifices that most Texans could not imagine. Their journeys are chronicled as they fight to meet their most basic needs. The realities of poverty are exposed and common assumptions are challenged as to what it takes to survive.

Immediately after the screening, community members and leaders join in conversation to discuss the challenges and barriers families in Texas face in order to get by. Hear how different cities address issues and provide solutions for their communities. Learn also about tools and resources available to help families get ahead.  Discussion guests include:

  • Walter Moreau, Executive Director, Foundation Communities
  • Frances Deviney, Ph.D. Senior Research Associate, Center for Public Policy Priorities
  • Moderated by Sherri Greenberg Director, Center for Politics and Governance at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin
  • Garnet Coleman, State Representative from Houston and Chairman of the County Affairs Committee

Civic Summit: What it Takes for Texas Families will be broadcast on KLRU and be available online at the Civic Summit website

Community Cinema Solar Mamas

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Learn how a group of women in impoverished areas throughout the world are changing their community by becoming solar-energy engineers at the November Community Cinema screenings November 6 in Austin and November 29 in Round Rock.

SOLAR MAMAS by Jehane Noujaim
Rafea, who lives in a small Jordanian village, is 30 years old with four children and a husband eager to take a third wife. With the encouragement from her country’s Ministry of Environment, she attends the Barefoot College in India to train to become a solar-energy engineer. The Barefoot College provides training to the rural poor to empower them to make their communities sustainable. Students include rural women from Kenya, Burkina Faso, Columbia, and Guatemala.

Screenings will be held in Austin at the Windsor Park Branch Library (5833 Westminster Dr.) and in Round Rock Public Library (216 E. Main Street). All screenings will start at 7 pm, are free and open to the public.

KLRU at Texas Book Festival 10/27, 10/28

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KLRU will be at the Texas Book Festival this weekend, October 27 and 28th, with a special guest …  Clifford The Big Red Dog! Bring your camera and get your photo with Clifford and experience the rich resources of PBS KIDS by playing games on our ipad stations.

KLRU will be in a tent near the Children’s area from 2-3 pm on Saturday and from 12:30 – 1:30 pm Sunday.

We’ll also have standup images of Big Bird, Elmo and Thomas the Tank for additional photo opportunities.

Biscuit Brothers plan Fine Arts Farm in South Austin

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Jerome Schoolar, co-creator and producer of the Emmy Award winning PBS show “The Biscuit Brothers”, is calling on fans to support the building of a new Fine Arts Farm in South Austin that will be designed to provide music and arts education to the entire community. The proposed facility will include concert and theatre space as well as multiple classrooms, a themed outdoor area, and plenty of Magical Musical Farm décor. Support the project online now

“I want to create a space where we can entertain and educate kids and families of all ages in all sorts of ways,” said Schoolar, who plays Dusty on the show and has served as a City of Austin Fine Arts Coordinator for Children. “The vision includes regular classes, special concerts, theatrical guests, and more, with much of it low-cost or even free to Title 1 AISD schools and other at-risk members of our community.”

The Biscuit Brothers have a long history of providing inexpensive or free shows to the public – often benefitting other local organizations – and hope the new building near Slaughter Lane and I-35 will help sustain those as well as the TV show which is given to PBS for free.

$50,000 is needed to secure the property and begin upgrades. Schoolar says he hopes to raise at least $25,000 online and another $25,000 from corporate sponsors.

“We’ve got some amazing rewards for our supporters, including free classes and invitations to participate in the permanent decorations of the building. For our top donors or corporate sponsors, we’re offering chances to name classrooms and more. And for everyone, we’re offering the chance to help build a facility that has the potential to make a lasting impact across our entire community.”

Schoolar points to multiple studies on both the national and local scale that highlight the importance of Fine Arts training in education. “There’s ample evidence showing that children who are actively involved in Fine Arts Education are smarter, healthier, and happier, and that exposure needs to begin as early as possible with reliable consistency. The Biscuit Brothers have always been about fostering musical education for young kids, and now we want to broaden that to a fully artistic and really fun Fine Arts Farm.”

The campaign will begin on October 16 and end on December 16. The URL will be available at launch, or by searching for The Biscuit Brothers at http://www.indiegogo.com/BiscuitBrothers.