Mainspring Schools

A few weeks ago, we had the most magical conversation in the courtyard of Mainspring Schools with the phenomenal Dr. Nadine Burke Harris, facilitated as part of United Way for Greater Austin's centennial celebration. Dr. Burke Harris was deeply impressed with Mainspring's trauma-responsive approach, which is made possible by a legacy partnership (since 1943!) with UnitedWay. A reporter and photographer team from Texas Tribune were in the courtyard with us, following Dr. Burke Harris, and were deeply invested in the issue of childhood mental health. Later that evening, as the centennial celebration's keynote speaker, Dr. Burke Harris fired up the audience about preventing and healing families who have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). She repeatedly cited Mainspring as an organization doing the work. We do this work in community with other organizations, individuals, volunteers, supporters, partners, donors, social workers, and families, and we're so grateful for the continued connections and investments that make it possible. The Texas Tribune article dropped today - and we are just delighted for its in-depth conversation around needs of children and families and how early education is an invaluable investment in a 2-gen approach to wellness. Thank you so much to Dr. Burke Harris and to the UnitedWay team for supporting programs like ours! #earlychildhoodeducation #traumainformed #community #socialwork #kindergartenready #allabilities https://lnkd.in/g-99m5fZ

Save the date! 10/20/2024 Mainspring Schools turns 83 years old - we are celebrating longevity AND growth with a birthday party! We'll be out on the playground with food, live music, cake, and activities. Come take a tour of the school and get updates on our vision for the future - and for transformative impact across #earlyeducation and #2genservices. Tickets available soon on our website!

Mainspring Schools was founded in 1941 as a Works Progress Administration project. We understand the transformative power of public investment in infrastructure. Like roads, bridges, highways, and hospitals, the #earlyeducation eco-system connects and supports the whole community. Today, over 5000 children are on a 2-3 year waitlist for Workforce childcare subsidies, which hits low- and moderate-income families the hardest. Without affordable, accessible early education, caregivers can not go back to school or work. And children do not get critical high-quality, play-based learning environments that are foundational to success in school and life. At Mainspring, 75% of families receive subsidies; 30% live below the federal poverty guidelines; 20% are residents of public housing. On Friday, our class of Shining Stars graduate #ReadyforKindergarten. Today, we are so grateful that #TravisCounty Commissioners voted unanimously for the Travis County CARES referendum, which will fund #earlyeducation and #childcare programs like ours. #WeBuildBrains #nonprofit #publicinvestment #education https://lnkd.in/gP9QdfM2

Mainspring Schools is proud to be part of the #AffordableChildCareNow! coalition convened by United Way for Greater Austin. We support equitable access to affordable, quality early education as a way to positively and significantly impact a child's future success. Mainspring does this with play-based and trauma-informed learning starting as early as 6 weeks through 5 years. Additionally, as the first school in the nation to be built within a federal housing community, we ardently believe that access to affordable childcare is essential for working families and families that want to participate in education or workforce training. Early education contributes to economic stability and growth within our community, with a $4-$16 return on every dollar invested. Tomorrow, Travis County Commissioners will consider a vote on Travis County CARES, an initiative that will help families with the rising costs of living and enable parents to earn more while their children are adequately cared for. Hope to see you at the Commissioners Court for this historic opportunity to support early education! #earlyeducation #TravisCounty #economicimpact

Yesterday, we hosted our annual CBA Charity Golf Tournament to raise money for two wonderful organizations: Austin Angels & Mainspring Schools! ⛳ Thank you to all of our sponsors who braved the nasty weather and came out to support these great causes. We couldn't have done this without you guys! Shout out to the players who signed up, Avery Ranch Golf Club for hosting us, and especially to our awesome CBA Golf Chairs for making this event happen Elisabeth Uhl Kleberg Coleman Jackson Kyle Lewis and our president Luke Barney. And photo credit to W Gaines Bagby, thank you for always documenting our special events! CBI Group – Culture-Based Interiors Abel Design Group Trimbuilt Construction, Inc. Greystar Compass Project Management Group ARCO/Murray Jahn Construction, LLC Riverside MAPP, LLC Corgan AGILE INTERIORS Prologis Move Solutions, Ltd. McCoy Rockford CoStar Group AQUILA Commercial, LLC KDW SKG Texas, Inc. MillerKnoll Brandywine Realty Trust S. Watts Group