Our Lady Family Center / East Austin Team Media Lab

Description

Our Lady Family Center is a faith-based family center whose mission is to help families meet their spiritual, psychological and physical needs. The center began in the early 1980s as a place for young boys to come after school and receive religious training. The huge popularity of this program encouraged the center to expand from a three-walled shelter to a large building with a modern computer lab. The center added activities for girls, younger children, and eventually entire families. The focus was also broadened to include non-secular activities, such as after-school programs, parenting classes, and English as a Second Language classes. Activities range from cultural celebrations and immigration assistance to tax assistance and making sure kids get home after school.

In 1996, Our Lady partnered with Austin Free-Net to build a computer lab - it is one of the original Free-Net organizations. Technology programs include free computer classes and open lab time for the community, after-school computer time for kids, and hosting the Hispanic Connect website and activities. Most participants are recently immigrated Mexican families, and the center's goal is to keep them together by helping parents and children learn English and the skills that will allow them to successfully adapt to life in the US.

What makes this program distinctive in the group?

Our Lady / East Austin Team Media Lab is one of the two representatives, alongside ALA, of the original Austin Free-Net partnerships. The center sprang from the needs of the immigrant community and has managed to purchase both the land and the building on which they stand. Our Lady differs from many open computer labs in that it targets the whole family. Technology is seen as one of the many tools the center uses to help families get ahead. We were interested in Our Lady because of the long-term commitments and relationships the center has formed with familial and community networks. It is also the only center in our group where Spanish is the main language used.

Vision and Community Ownership

Our Lady's programs began because of the ideas of community members. The center began in the 1987 as a safe place for young teens to get away from violence and talk about their feelings and relationship with God. As this group of seven teens met, they became concerned about their younger brothers and sisters. They were especially concerned with the lack of success that they and now their younger siblings had in the classroom. This gave them the idea to begin the tutoring club in reading and math. Our Lady has remained extremely participant driven. Currently, CTC and community integration is so great that it would be almost impossible to distinguish them.

Throughout their long-term relationships, participants grow to be volunteers and staff. Decision-making is democratic and participatory, with all members intensely feeling that this is “their center.” For example, the initiative to include computer activities began when one of the participants had a daughter going to school in San Antonio. The daughter learned about e-mail and wanted to use it to communicate with her mother. Simultaneously, another participant expressed the desire to communicate with her family in Cuba who had access to the Internet. This coincided with the purchase of additional space and a visit from Austin Free-Net founder and director Sue Beckwith. The center held community meetings to discuss the idea, and members voiced the desire for computers on which to do homework. The participants articulated what uses of computers would interest them and developed programs accordingly.

Comprehensive Programming

Our Lady focuses its attention on Spanish speaking immigrants, and the programs offered are a strong and effective response to the diverse needs of participants. Technology is just one element in a program designed to help families succeed. Offerings are varied and holistic, including assistance with tax forms, parenting classes, counseling, cultural celebrations, tutoring, and job training. The center’s hours, as well as most of its programs, are flexible to meet the community needs. The Deacon often stays at the Center well into the evening and on weekends. New initiatives include counseling for teenage girls who are in danger of drug abuse or early pregnancies, and providing support for unwed mothers.

Learning Opportunities

Teacher-student relationships are supportive and personal. Our Lady Staff know the ins and outs of participants' lives and the lives of their families. The center communicates with parent and children on a daily basis to pick kids up from school, bring them to the center, and drop them off at home after their parents have returned. Classes are informally structured and closely tailored to the needs of each child. In the after-school programs, staff members know which children tend to have lots of homework, who needs help reading, and who really has time to draw or play. Computer activities for children include use of a specialized web portal for kids. The educational philosophy is to teach families to use computers as a tool for enhancing family strength. Volunteers and students are encouraged to teach each other, promoting the growth of knowledge within the community. Teachers and volunteers are extremely committed because they view their work in the community as a personal ministry.

Self-Reliance

Our Lady owns both its land and building, which gives it a stable physical and emotional space. It is dependent on charitable and private foundations for funding, but partnerships with donors are long-term. For example, Emmaus Catholic Church of Lakeway is paying off the debt Our Lady took on to buy the land. The Deacon is knowledgeable about grantwriting and how to effectively represent the center when seeking funds. The center has been successful in creating committed partnerships with a number of technologicy activists and advocates in the community. Tech support is provided on an as-needed basis by the directors of Fasttrack, a nonprofit that provides affordable high-tech instruction.

Social Capital

Participants arrive at the center through familial networks. Through involvement with the center, their lives are expanded and improved. The center defines success as students having increased choices in their lives. Success stories include two house-cleaning companies, college graduates, military careers, priests, and high tech workers. But participants stay connected to and through the center. The Deacon’s office is covered with pictures of students all over the world who remain in contact with him. Those that do stay in Austin, stay in close contact with the center. One student, who now works at Dell, comes by once a week to mow the lawn. Oscar, a young college student, has grown from participant to volunteer to staff member. He now recruits and manages volunteers at the center.

Final Thoughts

Our Lady stands out in its complete commitment to serving the community in every way possible. Deacon Willie Cortés is at the heart of the center and forms personal and supportive long-term relationship both with his staff and volunteers, as well as students and participants. The center is responsive to community needs and is constantly evolving to meet community needs. New initiatives include counseling for teenage girls who are in danger of drug abuse or early pregnancies, and providing support for unwed mothers.

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Working Hypotheses

this page last updated
May 8, 2002