Dallas Fort Worth Nonprofit Business Journal

Category: Education

  • BRIT hosts Center for Plant Conservation’s National Meeting

    The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) was pleased to host the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Meeting May 3-5 in Fort Worth.

    The three-day conference brought together the leaders in plant conservation from the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC) participating institutions to share and learn cutting-edge science and technology used to save plants.

    Sessions included presentations from CPC member institutions and network partners on plant conservation accomplishments and challenges.

    Widely regarded as the center for information about the plants of Texas, BRIT joined the CPC in 2016 as a participating institution, one of four in the state of Texas. Other Texas members include:  Mercer Arboretum (Houston), San Antonio Botanical Garden, and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (Austin).

    “Our goal within the CPC is to take a leading role in the discovery and preservation of Texas native plants,” says Dr. Ed Schneider, BRIT’s executive director. “Our work in conjunction with other state participating institutions will help protect and preserve rare and endangered plants for the next generation.”

    Founded in 1984, the Center for Plant Conservation (CPC) is a network of 40 leading U.S. botanic institutions and is dedicated solely to preventing the extinction of U.S. native plants. It operates the only coordinated national program of off-site (ex situ) conservation of rare plant material. This conservation collection ensures that material is available for restoration and recovery efforts for these species.

    Texas Parks and Wildlife lists 449 Texas native plant species as at risk within the state. BRIT and the other Texas CPC members are all working hard to preserve these and other native Texas plants.

    ABOUT THE BOTANICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF TEXAS

    The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT®) is a nonprofit, international research and education organization that collects and safeguards plant specimens, studies and protects living plants, and teaches about the importance of conservation and biodiversity to the world.

    BRIT’s scientists and educators work together in achieving the organization’s two-fold mission of conservation and education. Its scientists travel the globe investigating habitats, finding rare and endangered plant species, and documenting biodiversity. BRIT educators create new ways to turn information into knowledge through outdoor discovery, discussion, and experiential learning for both students and teachers.

    BRIT’s work impacts our community and the world in several functional areas, including environment, by giving people a local sense of stewardship; society, by training a new generation of thinkers and problem solvers; and conservation, by offering methods for better stewardship of the land.

    BRIT is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon. Admission is free. For more information, visit http://www.brit.org.

  • TCU graduates 1,957 at Spring Commencement

    Texas Christian University and Brite Divinity School bestowed degrees on 1,957 students from 44 states, including Texas, and from 31 foreign countries in three formal ceremonies held in the Ed and Rae Schollmaier Arena, the organization announced in a press release. Students received their diplomas from Chancellor Victor J. Boschini, Jr., who also delivered the commencement address.

    Of the total number of degree candidates, 1,537 earned bachelor’s degrees, 351 were master’s degree candidates, 38 doctoral candidates and 31 Brite Divinity School graduate candidates. Twenty-five candidates earned double degrees. Six hundred eighty graduated with Latin Honors: 303 cum laude, 266 magna cum laude and 111 summa cum laude. Twelve students earned a perfect 4.0 GPA.

    ABOUT TEXAS CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

    TCU’s mission is to educate individuals to think and act as ethical leaders and responsible citizens in the global community. Find out more on the university’s website.

  • Paul Quinn College President Michael Sorrell receives global recognition as one of Fortune’s 50 Greatest Leaders

    Michael Sorrell has been named number 34 on Fortune Magazine’s annual World’s 50 Greatest Leaders list. The list includes 50 of the world’s greatest thinkers, speakers, and doers who are stepping up to meet today’s challenges.

    Sorrell, president of Dallas’ historically black college, Paul Quinn, turned the organization around after coming aboard in 2007. At that time, the school was losing students, and the campus, which housed 15 abandoned buildings, was “closer to a garbage dump than a grocery store,” Sorrell told Fortune. The 135-year-old college was even on the brink of being shut down for good.

    In his 10+ years at Paul Quinn, Sorrell has turned things around dramatically. Fortune reports he “quickly set about challenging perceptions, both external and internal, by giving Paul Quinn a bigger vision of itself”. According to Paul Quinn’s website, under Sorrell’s leadership, the school has become one of the most innovative small colleges in America and is rapidly becoming a model for urban higher education by focusing on academic rigor, experiential learning, and entrepreneurship.

    The Fortune article adds, “Paul Quinn is now a federally recognized work college; students get jobs with area companies, helping them to pay tuition and prepare for life postgraduation. Sorrell, who calls this the “new urban college model,” now plans to open Paul Quinn campuses nationwide.”

    ABOUT PAUL QUINN COLLEGE

    Paul Quinn College is a private, faith-based, four-year, liberal arts-inspired college that was founded on April 4, 1872 by a group of African Methodist Episcopal Church preachers in Austin, Texas. The school’s original purpose was to educate freed slaves and their offspring. Today, we proudly educate students of all races and socio-economic classes under the banner of our institutional ethos, WE over Me. Our mission is to provide a quality, faith-based education that addresses the academic, social, and Christian development of students.

    The mission of the College is to provide a quality, faith-based education that addresses the academic, social, and Christian development of students and prepares them to be servant leaders and agents of change in the global marketplace.

    Find out more on the organization’s website.

  • Year Up Announces New Executive Director

    Year Up Dallas-Fort Worth (YUDFW) has announced in a press release that Kris Muñoz-Vetter will be the organization’s new Executive Director.

    Prior to her role as Executive Director, Muñoz-Vetter served as YUDFW’s Senior Director of Philanthropy, where her strong community network and extensive experience managing teams in high growth, results-driven environments proved invaluable to scaling Year Up’s first site in Texas.

    “I’ve had a chance to work very closely with Kris over the past two years and have continually been impressed with her professionalism, strategic approach and commitment to our mission,” said Gerald Chertavian, Founder and CEO of Year Up. “Kris has demonstrated the ability to motivate and lead a team of people toward common goals. She has built outstanding relationships across the D/FW community, and is deeply committed to growing Year Up’s presence in North Texas to reach more young adults in need of an opportunity.”

    Since 2016, Muñoz-Vetter has led efforts to build awareness in the local community for Year Up’s program. She helped recruit a Local Advisory Board led by civic leader Melissa Fetter, and worked collaboratively with Year Up’s national team to successfully launch the YUDFW site. Prior to YUDFW, Muñoz-Vetter had a distinguished career in higher education working at the University of Texas at Austin, Southern Methodist University (SMU) and the University of Texas at Arlington where she served in several senior management roles.

    The program is also celebrating the successful outcomes of its first graduating class, with 100 percent of YUDW graduates employed or enrolled in college full-time within four months of completing Year Up, with average starting salaries of $40,000/year.

    Year Up Dallas/Fort Worth launched on the campus of El Centro College in Fall 2016 and has served more than 140 young adults to date, helping them achieve their professional and educational goals through hands-on technical and professional skills training, postsecondary education and internships with partners such as Bank of America, Liberty Mutual, JP Morgan Chase, AT&T and Goldman Sachs. In 2018, Year Up Dallas/Fort Worth will serve more than 120 young adults.

    “As a lifelong Dallas/Fort Worth resident, I have had a front row seat to the growing economic divide in our city,” said Muñoz-Vetter. “The recently released Economic Opportunity Assessment makes clear that our economy cannot afford for young adults’ futures to be limited by their zip code. I am humbled to steward Year Up’s efforts to build a bridge of opportunity between the low-income talent we are privileged to serve and our region’s demand for middle-skilled talent. As the daughter of an immigrant and the first generation in my family to attend college, I know the value of persistence and hard work. I am proud to work for an organization that empowers talented young folks to bring that talent and commitment to our region’s workforce.”

    *Photo via LinkedIn

    ABOUT YEAR UP

    Year Up is an award-winning, national 501(c)3 organization that provides talented and motivated young adults ages 18-24 with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Through a one-year, intensive training program, Year Up utilizes a high support, high expectations model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, coursework eligible for college credit, and corporate internships at more than 250 top companies. Its holistic approach focuses on students’ professional and personal development to enable young adults with a viable path to economic self-sufficiency and meaningful careers. Year Up has served more than 19,500 young adults since its founding in 2000. Year Up will serve more than 4,000 young adults in 2018 across 21 U.S. locations including Arizona, Baltimore, Bay Area, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Greater Atlanta, Greater Boston, Greater Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, National Capital Region, New York City, Providence, Puget Sound, South Florida and Wilmington. Year Up has been voted one of the “Best Non-Profits to Work For” by The NonProfit Times for eight consecutive years, and rated a 4-star charity by Charity Navigator for twelve consecutive years, placing them in the top 1% of tracked organizations. Find out more on the organization’s website.

  • BRIT’s 2019 International Sustainable Winegrowing Competition Accepting Entries

    The Botanical Research Institute of Texas announces its 2019 sustainable winegrowing competition beginning on May 1 and running through September 30, 2018.

    This unique competition, in its ninth year, honors wine organizations that demonstrate a commitment to the three tenets of sustainability (environmental, economic, and social) in winegrowing and winemaking. The competition is based on the continuous improvement of these tenets, plus wine taste.

    The application submission deadline for the competition is September 30, 2018. Winners will be selected and notified in January 2019. Platinum, gold, silver, and bronze-level medals are awarded to top-placing vineyards and wineries.

    The competition’s overall winner will be presented with BRIT’s International Award of Excellence in Sustainable Winegrowing glass sculpture in Fort Worth in April 2019, during a special award presentation and dinner held on the BRIT campus.

    The sustainable winegrowing application is comprised of 20 high-level, self-assessment questions focusing on the three tenants of sustainability: environmental, social, and economic aspects, plus a subjective assessment – wine taste. Two bottles of wine are submitted along with the completed application. There is no fee to enter.

    Competition applications can be downloaded from BRIT’s web site at www.brit.org/wineaward.

    About the Botanical Research Institute of Texas

    The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT®) is a nonprofit, international research and education organization that collects and safeguards plant specimens, studies and protects living plants, and teaches about the importance of conservation and biodiversity to the world.

    BRIT’s scientists and educators work together in achieving the organization’s two-fold mission of conservation and education. Its scientists travel the globe investigating habitats, finding rare and endangered plant species, and documenting biodiversity. BRIT educators create new ways to turn information into knowledge through outdoor discovery, discussion, and experiential learning for both students and teachers.

    BRIT’s work impacts our community and the world in several functional areas, including environment, by giving people a local sense of stewardship; society, by training a new generation of thinkers and problem solvers; and conservation, by offering methods for better stewardship of the land.

    BRIT is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on the first Saturday of each month from 9 a.m. to noon. Admission is free. For more information, visit http://www.brit.org.

  • Communities Foundation of Texas and Dallas Millennial Club to host Philanthropy + Social Impact Discussion May 7

    Communities Foundation of Texas and Dallas Millennial Club will host a discussion around the topic of “Philanthropy and Social Impact: How Local Organizations are Positively Impacting the Community Through Good Work and Service” as part of Dallas Millennial Club’s Debate & Speaker Series May 7.

    The event will take place at Communities Foundation of Texas in Dallas.

    In a post on the event’s Facebook page, the group says “Our goal is always to encourage meaningful interactions between our attendees, panelists and sponsors. The room will be set up in a casual fireside chat format where the audience will contribute to the discussion and topics.”

    Featured Speakers include representatives from Champions of Hope, Genesis Women’s Shelter, and Jade and Clover.

    Admission is $18 and can be purchased prior to the event. Drinks and Appetizers will be served. Tickets can be purchased here.

    ABOUT DALLAS MILLENNIAL CLUB

    A club for leaders who want to SERVE and PROFIT with PURPOSE. “Millennial” is much more than an age. It’s a mindset. Find out more on the organization’s website.

    ABOUT COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION OF TEXAS

     

  • Dallas Library accepting proposals to design a kid-friendly pathway

    Dallas Public Library announced it will be accepting design proposals for a new kid-friendly and educational pathway will lead kids from the sidewalk, across the Plaza and through the front doors of the Central Library in downtown Dallas.

    The Dallas Public Library is seeking design proposals for the walking path to welcome children who may be visiting the library on a field trip, a program or event or with their parents to the Vital Statistics Office.

    “We are looking for designs that will incorporate literacy and play, such as popular children’s rhymes, planets of the solar system and basic math,” said Youth Services Administrator Melissa Dease.

    The project will be funded with a Play Everywhere grant from Kaboom! which encourages the transformation of everyday spaces into opportunities for kids to play. Submission deadline is May 25 and the path is expected to be completed by Aug. 10.

    To learn more or to apply visit https://dallaslibrary.submittable.com/submit.

    ABOUT DALLAS PUBLIC LIBRARY

    The Dallas Public Library strengthens communities by connecting people, inspiring curiosity and advancing lives. Find out more on the organization’s website.

  • Dallas Arboretum announces Martha Stewart as Great Contributor Award Honoree and Speaker on May 11

    The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden’s Artscape Chairwoman, Kaki Hopkins, announced that the most famous name in gardening, entertaining and decorating, Martha Stewart, is the Great Contributor to Art Award honoree and speaker on May 11 at Rosine Hall to talk about her latest book. Just released, Martha’s Flowers: A Practical Guide to Growing, Gathering, and Enjoying features decades of Martha’s gardening advice, along with more than 100 creative arrangements by Kevin Sharkey, her longtime friend and colleague. A reception starts at 10 a.m. with book sales, signing and bidding for the Invitational Fine Art Auction silent auction, which will be donated by dozens of acclaimed artists and local Dallas notables. The luncheon begins at noon.

     

    Hopkins said, “Martha Stewart has brought into millions of American homes a respect for artistry. She has inspired us to seek artistry in our everyday life—menu planning, entertaining, decorating for special days, cooking for special occasions and every day, table top design—among countless other lessons on living graciously and artfully. She has written 90 books on these subjects, so we can follow her lead. Her latest book extends her artistry into horticulture and arranging flowers. We are thrilled that she has chosen the Arboretum to announce this book on her passion for growing flowers and engaging the best of design in gardens and flower arrangements. As lovers of the Dallas Arboretum, we share that passion.”

    Tables are $3,000, $5,000 and $10,000. Sponsorships are also available. For more information, contact Missy Whisler at mwhisler@dallasarboretum.org or 214.515.6688. Visit dallasarboretum.org for more details.

    The Great Contributor to Art Award was designed and donated by Gary Lee Price, whose Great Contributors exhibition at the Dallas Arboretum in 2016 was the inspiration for the award’s name. Craig Hall, entrepreneur, businessman and lifelong art collector, received the inaugural Great Contributor to Art award in 2017.

    ABOUT THE DALLAS ARBORETUM AND BOTANICAL GARDEN

    The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is located on the southeastern shore of White Rock Lake at 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218. The Dallas Arboretum is also the home of the internationally acclaimed Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden. The Arboretum is open daily from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. General admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors 65 and older, $10 for children 2-12 and free for Arboretum members and children under 2. On-site parking is $15 or $9, if purchased in advance online. The Dallas Morning News is the principal partner of the Dallas Arboretum. The Arboretum is supported, in part, by funds from the Dallas Park and Recreation Department. WFAA is an official media sponsor for the Dallas Arboretum. For more information, visit the organization’s website.

  • ScholarShot and Education Opens Doors win big at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ second annual OneUp the Pitch competition

    This story originally appeared on Dmagazine.com

    United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ second annual OneUp the Pitch competition, open to fellows of the organization’s GroundFloor accelerator program, gave out top awards in front of a live audience on Apr. 12 at The Bomb Factory in Dallas. ScholarShot was named Social Innovator of the Year and won the top prize of $75,000. Education Opens Doors was named the audience favorite, winning $25,000.

    “I’m just so grateful,” Dan Hooper, Founding Executive Director of ScholarShot, told D Magazine after winning the top prize. “For all of these organizations, just being on the stage is a huge boost in regards to awareness and funding.”

    Three other GroundFloor alumni also participated in the competition: Center for Employment Opportunities, First3Years, and Youth with Faces. Judges for the event included David Brown, retired Dallas Police Chief; Jack D. Furst, Founder and CEO of Oak Stream Investors; Ken Hersh, President and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center; Amber Venz Box, President and Co-Founder of rewardStyle and LIKEtoKNOW.it; and Todd Wagner, Founder and CEO of Charity Network and CEO of 2929 Entertainment.

    2017 inaugural OneUp the Pitch winners were Akola and Bonton Farms.

    ABOUT SCHOLARSHOT

    ScholarShot was founded in 2009 by concerned business professionals, educators and community volunteers who saw numerous well-meaning college advisement and “access” programs failing at-risk students. In Texas, 9 out of 10 of these students who get into college drop out. ScholarShot has developed a proven model of academic navigation, personal guidance and financial support that reverses this outcome with 90% of our Scholars succeeding in earning life-changing vocational, associate or undergraduate degrees. Leveraging the success of the ScholarShot model, our Degree Dallas Campaign is on track to produce 500 first generation college degrees from Dallas County. Find out more on the organization’s website.

    ABOUT EDUCATION OPENS DOORS

    Education Opens Doors and its student manual Roadmap to Success evolved from the passion and efforts of several Teach for America alumni and education pioneers, led by the vision of a young entrepreneur with a heart for students. Today, Education Opens Doors is implementing the Roadmap to Success Program in 175 classrooms across the Dallas area. Teachers are utilizing the student handbook to give middle and high school students a chance at success – a guide to help them be intentional about where they want to go next – strategically navigating their way to college. Find out more on the organization’s website.

  • Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities’ Emmitt Smith Celebrity Invitational Gala to feature Jason Witten as Honoree

    The Emmitt Smith Celebrity Invitational golf tournament and gala, presented by title sponsor Healthcare Highways, will take place May 4 and 5, marking its 9th year of grand-scale fundraising to directly impact the lives of thousands of North Texas children, families and their communities.

    Led by Honorary Chairs Torii and Katrina Hunter and Event Chairs Janiece Evans-Page and Mark Page the theme for this year is “Rising Stars”.  Attendees will learn the stories of three amazing students who have participated in Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities programs, including members of the flagship mentoring program, TEAM 22. These rising stars will be celebrated, along with a host of celebrities from the sports and entertainment world, local business leaders and officials.

    This year’s Roger Staubach Award recipient is Jason Witten. Witten’s SCORE Foundation, founded in 2007, has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee over the last decade. The foundation operates its nationally-recognized SCOREkeepers program, which places trained male mentors on staff to work with children at family violence shelters, at nine shelters in the two states. SCORE has also operated a weekend food backpack program for disadvantaged children in North Texas, opened Jason Witten Learning Centers in five different Boys & Girls Clubs and opened the Jason and Michelle Witten Emergency Waiting Room at the Niswonger Children’s Hospital in Johnson City, TN. The Roger Staubach award recognizes sports and or entertainment professionals who positively impact the lives of children by living courageously and creating opportunities for today’s youth. This is the only award to be named in Staubach’s honor other than the one established at his alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy.

    The Rising Stars gala ushers in the Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament, presented by American Airlines, on Saturday, May 5 hosted at TPC Craig Ranch. Players will be paired with celebrities to create foursomes to vie for bragging rights and the $5,000 purse sponsored by Waste Management. The public is invited to view the event at the VIP Pavilion sponsored by Toyota.

    Now in its 9th year, the Emmitt Smith Celebrity Invitational has raised more than $6.2 million in support of Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities and supported more than 150 charities in North Texas, including 7,000 Dallas ISD students and families through their annual back to school program and hurricane relief efforts. Proceeds from the weekend go to Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities, (PESC), a 501(c)(3) public charity that creates and funds unique educational experiences and enrichment opportunities for North Texas children.

    Friday Night Gala tickets begin at $750 each, and limited tables at $10,000+ with sponsorships available. Saturday Golf Tournament VIP Pavilion passes are $50 each. For ticket and sponsorship details contact Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities Executive Director, Dana Vilardi, at dvilardi@ejsmithenterprises.com. For more information, visit www.emmittsmithcelebrityinvitational.com

    *Pictured above: Mark Page, Janiece Evans-Page, Jason Witten, Pat and Emmitt Smith. Photo courtesy of Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities.

    ABOUT PAT & EMMITT SMITH CHARITIES

    Pat and Emmitt Smith have a passion to help young people by providing them with opportunities to reach their fullest potential, even when there may be barriers in front of them. Pat & Emmitt Smith Charities is committed to providing resources to children to help them see and dream beyond the restrictive opportunities of their environment or the limitations others have placed upon them by supporting high quality programs in North Texas through grants, scholarships and partnership efforts. In this way, their efforts are amplified throughout the community and allow them to impact thousands of children each year. Pat and Emmitt Smith personally mentor a group of high potential, high performing, students from the Dallas area through their flagship program, TEAM 22. In order to nurture their growth into confident young leaders they host unique educational experiences, send them to a leadership camp, pair them with mentors and require that they give back through community service. For more information, visit www.emmittsmithcelebrityinvitational.com.