The MISSION of Blackshear Bridge is to create and maintain diverse and sustainable communities in Central East Austin.

We are guided by our Board of Directors and by community VISIONS shared at our two Vision Gatherings in Fall of 2019.  We seek further guidance to nurture a shared community vision through our plans in 2019 for extensive community outreach and engagement as described in the following Goals and Objectives.

SUPPORT BLACKSHEAR-PROSPECT HILL NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT TO STAY OR MOVE BACK FOR OUR ELDERS, AND LOW TO MODERATE INCOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS

GOAL 1:  Blackshear-Prospect Hill Neighborhood Partners Vision Gathering will bring together community organizations and residents to share, understand, and support our mutual visions and create collaborative strategic plans for the Blackshear-Prospect Hill Neighborhood.

OBJ 1: Research organizations that are currently addressing affordable housing and gentrification in Blackshear-Prospect Hill neighborhood.

OBJ 2: Bring together partner organizations’ leadership to review the existing Neighborhood Plan, the People’s Plan passed by Austin City Council, and draft an updated Neighborhood Strategic Plan based on organizational goals and neighborhood needs.

• Blackshear Bridge
• Huston-Tillotson University
• Blackshear Elementary School
• Blackshear Prospect Hill Neighborhood Association
• Blackshear Neighborhood Development Corporation
• Six Square
• Mount Olive Baptist Church
• Holy Cross Catholic Church
• New Lincoln Missionary Baptist Church
• Rosewood Avenue Missionary Baptist Church
• Emmanuel Baptist Church

OBJ 3: Design and implement a strategic outreach plan for Heritage Heights historic community.   to get to know the neighbors, provide information about our organizations, learn about their problems and needs, and offer resources.

OBJ 4:  Design and implement a strategic outreach plan for the broader Blackshear-Prospect Hill neighborhood to get to know the neighbors, provide information about our organizations, learn about problems and needs of the historic community, the elderly in particular, low and middle income neighbors, and to offer resources.

OBJ 5: Collect data, document data, thematacize data, analyze, interpret and report information in the Neighborhood Strategic Plan and vision gathering.

OBJ 6: Co-host whole community gathering to share the Draft Neighborhood Strategic Plan.

GOAL 2: Blackshear Bridge will help develop historic and low income residents right to stay living in the neighborhood or to move back.

OBJ. 1: Develop a relational and data-base documented knowledge of elderly, low and middle income, and family needs in the surrounding community with emphasis on historic residents.

OBJ. 2: Co-create a residents’ Toolkit of optional resources to support the Right to Stay or Right to Move Back including Home repair assistance, property tax abatement, property tax relief, health and human services, government program concierge services, city council participation

OBJ. 3: Assist neighbors to address high property tax problem and explore ways to alleviate property tax burden.

OBJ. 4: Play variously a leadership or support role in the realization of the agreed upon strategic plans.

OBJ. 5: Provide concierge services, for example, city council participation and referrals, for residents and partners to navigate local government programs.

SUPPORT PARTNER HUSTON-TILLOTSON UNIVERSITY SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, & FUNDRAISING

GOAL 3: Blackshear Bridge will partner with Green is the New Black to create and maintain green infrastructure projects on the HT Campuses

OBJ. 1:  Provide crew leadership, botanicals, and hospitality for big fun community work day to seed Bluebonnet Hill and refurbish the rain garden.

OBJ. 2: Support internship program.

OBJ. 3:  Provide internships and a network expertise for programming

GOAL 4: Blackshear Bridge will support leadership of Huston-Tillotson University’s Sandra Joy Anderson Center for Civic Engagement and Community Outreach

OBJ. 1: Provide consulting services on opportunities for civic engagement and outreach

OBJ. 2: Explore outreach and health and human service case work for at risk neighbors prioritizing elderly, long-time generational neighbors and families beginning Fall 2019

OBJ. 3: Introduce potential funders to HT Development Office.

SUPPORT PARTNER BLACKSHEAR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SUSTAINABILITY EDUCATION & INFRASTRUCTURE

GOAL 5:  Enrichment Time Sustainability Education at Blackshear Elementary School will increase student, family, and school staff awareness, knowledge and interest in:

• Growing and eating healthy, local organic food;
• Reducing waste, reusing and recycling resources to avoid increasing landfills and keeping the environment – water, air, soil and lands pollution-free;
• Capturing rainwater, controlling water waste, and using efficient agricultural watering and mulching to conserve water;
• Promoting biodiversity by planting and stewarding wildlife habitat including native pollinator gardens and native trees;
• Staying healthy, self-confident, and happy through healthy eating habits, active movement, breathing, singing and mindfulness practices.

OBJ. 1:  To document our Friendly Garden Curriculum bringing together the best of our partners’ lessons with our own lessons customized to Blackshear Elementary School’s Friendly R. Rice Garden green classroom infrastructure.

OBJ. 2: Recruit, Train, Supervise, and Pay a School Garden Sustainability Educator who will deliver 16 lessons on 16 Fridays during Enrichment Time over the course of the 2018-2019 school year for K-3^rd Graders.

OBJ. 3: Evaluate the students’ learning experience with a pre- and post-survey.

GOAL 6: Blackshear Bridge will refurbish and maintain green infrastructure in the Friendly R. Rice Garden, plus the trees and pollinator gardens around the campus

OBJ. 1:  Refurbish Blackshear Bridge and Sponsors signs in the garden

OBJ. 2:  Partner with Six Square to contract an artist to create a Friendly Garden sign and publicize the legacy of Principal Friendly R. Rice

OJB. 3: Hold a Fall big fun community garden work day to refurbish the rain garden, the vegetable and herb garden and to mulch the trees

OBJ. 4: Hold a Spring big fun community garden work day to refurbish the rain garden, the vegetable and herb garden and to mulch the trees

OBJ. 5: Contract an Artist/Teacher and coordinate painting of the bench and learning kiosk in Friendly Garden’s green classroom