A new master class for Free Minds alumni
Free Minds alumni: we’re excited to offer a unique August master class to get you up on your feet and out of the classroom. On August 10th, 6:30-8:30 pm, Dr. Ted Gordon, Dept. Chair of African and African Diaspora Studies at UT, will give a 2-hour walking tour focusing on the racial geography of UT. … Continue reading
Mitte Foundation Awards Grant to Free Minds!
We’re thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a grant from the Roy F. and Joann Cole Mitte Foundation. The Austin-based foundation invests in organizations and programs that improve the quality of life for those in Central Texas. It has awarded Free Minds $15,500 to provide student and academic support to this year’s students, … Continue reading
Free Minds Receives Record Number of Applications
Applications for the Free Minds class of 2011-12 closed on July 5th, marking the end of our most successful recruitment season to date. With outreach efforts spanning the city of Austin — from the public libraries to the Housing Authority to the inboxes of City employees across Austin — we ended up with over 100 … Continue reading
Free Minds receives two-year grant from TG
We’re thrilled to announce that the TG Public Benefit Grant Program has awarded us a two-year grant of $135,890 to support our 2011-12 and 2012-13 classes as well as alumni programming and classes, community writing workshops, and the development of a mentorship program. In year two it also covers salary costs to bring on a … Continue reading
Hey Free Minds alumni!
I hope June is off to a good start for all of you. Vive and I having been planning new alumni programming for the summer, and the first master class is coming up in just a few weeks. Here’s the info: On Tuesday, June 14 from 7 – 8:30 pm, Amira Pollock will give a … Continue reading
Congratulations, Free Minds graduates!
“I always wanted to go to college; I just thought that I wouldn’t be able to make the grade,” says Rachel Martinez, Free Minds ’11. But when she saw her youngest son wavering about attending college, 58-year-old Martinez decided to take the plunge herself. “My son graduated from high school on a Friday and I … Continue reading
Writing Workshop Wraps Up
Jennifer Furl, a freelance writer and editor, became interested in community writing organizations while pursuing studies in Folklore. This spring, she volunteered with Free Minds to help start up an eight-week writing workshop, offered for free to adults who typically don’t have access to writing in community. In the past two months, I had the … Continue reading
Free Minds now accepting applications for the 2011-12 academic year!
Want to be part of the Free Minds class of 2012? We want to hear from you! Visit our website to download an application or for more information about the program. *NEW* Online applications are now available! Submit your application online now.
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Visits Free Minds!
“I believe in the power of stories,” said author Lawrence Wright, sitting around a table with Free Minds students on March 28th. “People like me go out and collect stories, try to understand them, and frame them so others can understand.” This was his explanation for what drove him to write his Pulitzer Prize-winning history … Continue reading
Camp Fire Kids Take on the Humanities, Too
When Free Minds students studied Shakespeare in the fall, their children did the same. “The kids did an awesome job with Romeo and Juliet,” says teacher Anna-Marie Rider. “It’s so cool to see the younger kids understand and relate to the story. They’d say things like, ‘Romeo was silly to take that medicine. If only … Continue reading
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