Oak Springs Elementary

After much research and deliberation, Chi Kappa Phi chose an elementary school as our long-term, permanent philanthropic partner! Since the fall of 2014, Chickadees have worked with the students at Oak Springs Elementary on a monthly basis. Chickadees is a proud long term partner with Oak Springs and have participated in field days, sporting events, and so much more!

Roughly 90% of the scholars at Oak Springs live in the largest public housing unit in Austin, the Booker T. Washington homes. That said, 98% of the students live at or below poverty level. Many of the scholars’ parents have not gone to college and a majority of scholars are being raised by single parents. Oak Springs is a fairly small school with about 275 students total.

According to Nicole Garcia, the Community in Schools Project Manager and our contact at the school, “While smaller than other schools, every single one of our students would benefit from additional support in the forms of mentors.”

Chi Kappa Phi partners with Oak Springs to help with already existing programs such as the career day, the school’s carnival and reading, math, and science nights, as well as implementing new programs for the months when the school does not have any large events already planned. All of these events provide Chickadees with hands-on service opportunities with scholars and families. We are very excited about this partnership and look forward to the many years to come of helping the Oak Springs Elementary School community.