Major Progress within Key Focus Areas

From October 1, 2006 – September 30, 2007

Education

• Foundation Funding
• In 2006, Wallace Foundation awarded a planning grant for innovative arts learning initiatives to two cities, New York and Dallas. In 2007, only Dallas was selected for an implementation grant – a three year $8 million grant for what has become known as the Dallas Arts Learning Initiative, a partnership of the Dallas Independent School District, the City of Dallas (OCA/LIB/PKR) and Big Thought, with the collaboration of over 60 cultural organizations.
• Grant funding by the Library exceeded more than $600,000, primarily from private foundations
  • Received the Crystal Charities Ball (Children’s Center) grant for use towards the renovation of the Central Library’s Children Center
  • Secured funding for the 2nd Bookmobile
• North Park Children’s Library Programming 
• In advance of the actual opening of a fixed facility, the Library has already created a presence at North Park Shopping Center.  The library provides programming twice weekly on Wednesday morning and Saturday afternoons.  Attendance at each event averages over 100 visitors.
• Secured a grant from AT&T for $25,000 to create a Teen Center at the Skillman Southwestern Branch Library.  The Teen Center opened April 13, 2007.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas
• During the 2006/2007 School Year the City began a partnership program with Big Brothers Big Sisters of North Texas and DISD.  This Youth Mentoring Initiative has developed a coordinated effort to recruit, train, place and match adult mentors with students in targeted high schools throughout the city.  As of October 2007, 30 city employees participated in this program as mentors to students. 
• Workforce Readiness Internship Program (WRIP)
• WRIP is a compensated summer internship for high school junior and senior students
• A two month program that helps develop awareness of municipal services as a career choice
• 27 Interns were placed in City Departments with up to 30 hours of work per week
• Included various school districts, such as: Dallas ISD, Duncanville ISD & Desoto ISD
• Exxon Mobil Summer Youth Program
• The City of Dallas Housing department partnered with Exxon Mobil and Habitat for Humanity to provide the Exxon Mobil summer youth program.
• The City of Dallas subsidized the construction cost for four homes in the Joppa neighborhood with $140,000 of Federal HOME investment Partnership Funds.
• The students participated in the entire “house build” project.  The graduation and ribbon cutting celebration were held on August 2 and August 10 respectively.
• City Planning at Dallas ISD schools
• A collaborative program was set up to provide assembly program events at ten DISD middle and high schools from October 2007 through January 2008. 
• The focus of these assembly programs will be to promote awareness about city planning in general and forwardDallas! in particular among our future citizens.

Public Safety
Economic Vibrancy
Clean, Healthy Environment
Culture, Arts & Recreation
Education