4empowerment® Partnership Opportunities
Conceiving and implementing win-win partnerships is one of 4empowerment’s core strengths. 4empowerment leverages decades of US and international marketing and advertising success, creating and fostering partnerships with public, non-profit and private sector organizations. 4empowerment supports engaging branding opportunities for appropriate partners seeking to reach and involve teens/tweens, educators and parents.
4empowerment offers, from local school districts to regional and global student organizations, the means to engage their members through customized applications leveraging 4empowerment’s community and robust online applications. 4empowerment supports programs from STEM to language arts to sports, music, arts and careers to community service, with special focus on energy and the environment.
4empowerment provides innovative branding and engagement opportunities for government agencies, higher education, and appropriate companies and advertising agencies seeking to make a positive difference.
If you are interested in partnerships please contact us at staff@4empowerment.com
4empowerment’s partnerships have included organizations such as:
Education Partners
Charles A. Dana Center at the UT-Austin
http://www.utdanacenter.org/
The Charles A. Dana Center is a research unit of the College of Natural Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin. The Dana Center provides education leaders and policymakers with new knowledge about teaching and learning and facilitates informed deliberation about important education issues. They support K-12 teachers and leaders to implement high academic standards for all students, focuses on mathematics and science education and on strengthening the education system. The Dana Center has partnered with 4empowerment in aligning curricula modules to stringent state standards, participation in teacher development and providing strategic direction in education initiatives.
Institute for Geophysics at the University of Texas at Austin
http://www.ig.utexas.edu/
The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) conducts research that expands the frontiers of knowledge in Earth science, has societal and economic relevance, and is of human interest. Geographically, UTIG's scope includes the ocean basins, continental margins, Antarctica, and all sites of seismic activity. The Institute's research has been and will continue to be highly relevant to natural resource exploration, the assessment of geologic hazards, and the mitigation of environmental damage. UTIG partnered with 4empowerment to provide program strategy direction, curricula materials, professionals for student online chats and teacher development support.
Texas A&M University - Bryan College Station, PEER
http://peer.tamu.edu/
The Partnership for Environmental Educational and Rural Health (PEER) is a collaboration between Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), College of Education (COE), Texas Rural Systemic Initiative (TRSI), and the Center for Environmental and Rural Health (CERH). PEER's objectives include: increase the number of students who enter and remain in academic tracks in science and to integrate environmental health science into science, math, English, language arts, and social studies with the mission of improving overall academic performance. PEER shares their middle school curricula modules with 4empowerment, participated in program development and provided professional interaction with students and teachers.
Texas Association of Student Councils
http://www.tasconline.org/ The Texas Association of Student Councils (TASC) is a non-profit organization serving over 1,300 middle and high school student councils. Sponsored by the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals, TASC is the Texas Affiliate of the National Association of Student Councils. Its purposes are to develop leadership abilities in students, promote democracy as a way of life and establish and uphold high standards for local councils. 4empowerment’s environmental programs are approved for student council use, engaging kids in community service and environmental stewardship.
Texas Education Agency
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
One of the goals of the Texas Education Agency is to improve student achievement by fully integrating technology into teaching and learning and to ensure that all Texas students are technologically literate by 2010. In support of this goal 4empowerment partnered with local school districts in conceiving, developing and implementing three major technology integration grants through the Texas Education Agency.
Texas State University, College of Education & Aquarena Center
http://www.txstate.edu/
Texas State University's College of Education is the largest contributor of new teachers in Texas. The Aquarena Center is situated along the headwaters of the San Marcos River and provides the opportunity to discover the natural wonders created by the Edwards Aquifer. TSU partnered with the Cyberways and Waterways program providing teacher training, curricula materials and educational professionals interaction with students.
Various Texas School Districts participating in past education grants such as:
Along the Colorado River: Austin, Brownwood, Colorado City, Palacios, Plugerville, Van Vleck
Along the Rio Grande River: Brownsville, San Felipe Del Rio, Eagle Pass, Laredo, Presidio, Socorro
Along the Brazos & San Gabriel Rivers: Round Rock, Houston
Along the Arroyo Colorado & Laguna Madre Rivers: Harlingen
Along the Medino River: San Antonio
Along the Nueces River and Nueces Bay: Corpus Christi, Odem-Edroy
Along the Neches and Trinity Rivers: Dallas, Kountze, West Hardin
Along the Sabine River: Little-Cypress Mauriceville
Marine and Aquatic Government and Organization Partners
Adopt-A-Wetland Program
http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/aawp/welcome.htm The Adopt-A-Wetland Program (AAWP) is a non-profit wetland conservation program that works with students and teachers from public and private schools (K-12), home school groups, youth groups, scout troops, 4-H groups, and other interested citizens. The program delivers curriculum and hands-on activities as well as resources for educational field studies dealing with wetlands. AAWP provided teacher training, materials and curricula for the Cyberways and Waterways program.
Center for Coastal Studies (CCS)
http://www.sci.tamucc.edu/ccs/
The Center for Coastal Studies at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi, is an interdisciplinary marine research institute, conducting basic and applied research, ecological monitoring, public education outreach, and graduate-level education and research programs. CCS' mission is to increase knowledge and understanding of the marine ecosystems, habitats, flora, fauna, and socioeconomics of the Texas coast and Gulf of Mexico through education and research. CCS has supported the Cyberways and Waterways program through teacher development programs.
The Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL)
http://www.coral.org
The Coral Reef Alliance is a member-supported nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping coral reefs alive through education and conservation projects. CORAL partnered with 4empowerment in supplying materials for the Cyberways and Waterways (CW) program and promoted CW's special events to their members.
Gulf of Mexico Foundation
http://gulfmex.org/
The Gulf of Mexico Foundation, a nonprofit corporation founded in 1990 by citizens concerned with the health and productivity of the Gulf of Mexico, represents a wide range of interests - agriculture, business, fisheries, industry, tourism, and the environment. They work to promote, fund research, education, and conservation programs encompassing all areas bordering the Gulf of Mexico - Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Mexico, Cuba, and the adjacent Caribbean. The Gulf of Mexico Foundation provides 4empoweremnt, and the Cyberways and Waterways program, with professional expertise, guidance, assist in teacher instruction and shares educational materials. Executive director, Dr. Quenton Dokken, interacted in real-time with students, while 77 feet below the surface of the gulf and scuba diving beneath a BP oil platform, during the Texas Parks and Wildlife's Rivers to the Ocean Webcast.
Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA)
http://www.lcra.org/envedu/index.html
LCRA plays a variety of roles in Central Texas: delivering electricity, managing the water supply and environment of the lower Colorado River basin, developing water and wastewater utilities, providing public recreation areas, and supporting community and economic development. LCRA provided the Cyberways and Waterway program with training, water testing protocols, information on biodiversity, professional expertise and experts for student online chats.
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
http://www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov/oms/omsflower/omsflower.html
NOAA's Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary contains the northern most coral reefs in the continental United States. Their mission is to conserve, protect, and enhance the bio-diversity, ecological integrity, and cultural legacy of the Flower Gardens and Stetson Bank for current and future generations. The sanctuary is one of twelve National Marine Sanctuaries administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. The team at the Flower Garden Banks has assisted 4empowerment with curricula, professional expertise, photos and experts for student online chats.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
http://www.tceq.state.tx.us
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), formerly TNRCC, is Texas' lead environmental agency. TCEQ strives to protect Texas' human and natural resources consistent with sustainable economic development, with the goal of clean air, clean water and the safe management of waste. 4empowerment is a member of TCEQ's Clean Texas Program and has been recognized by TCEQ with their Environmental Excellence Award “Special Award” by the Governor’s Office and TCEQ.
Texas Parks and Wildlife
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/
Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPW) manages and conserves the natural and cultural resources of Texas, serving the public with over 126 state parks, 57 wildlife management areas, and many field stations. TPW provides law enforcement, habitat assessment and conservation, species monitoring, game management, education and recreation opportunities across Texas. TPW partnered with 4empowerment to provide two web casts, Rivers to the Ocean Webcast, involving over 22,000 participants, sharing professional expertise, online chat support and curricula materials.
Texas Stream Team - The Freshwater Research and Policy Center at TSU
http://txstreamteam.rivers.txstate.edu/
The Texas Stream Team (formerly Texas Watch) facilitates environmental stewardship by empowering a statewide network of concerned volunteers, partners and institutions in a collaborative effort to promote a healthy and safe environment through environmental education, data collection, and community action. 4empoweremnt partnered with the Texas Stream Team to provide water quality training, professional guidance and related curricula.
Technology and Other Partners
Austin Heart of Film Festival/Screen Writing
http://www.austinfilmfestival.org
The Austin Film Festival, premiered in 1994, was the first Conference/Film Festival dedicated to the writer, the heart of the creative process of filmmaking. The Austin Film Festival (AFF) is also unique in its focus on the talents of the young, through its Kids 'N Film Program for local school children. AFF partnered with 4empowerment to develop a screenwriting contest for middle and high school students.
BP
http://www.bp.com
BP p.l.c. is the holding company of one of the world's largest petroleum and petrochemicals groups. Their main activities are exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas; refining, marketing, supply and transportation; manufacturing and marketing of petrochemicals; and a growing activity in solar power generation. BP provided invaluable assistance to Cyberways and Waterways, partnering with TPW and the Gulf of Mexico Foundation, in providing the use of BP oil platforms, in the Gulf of Mexico, as the offshore staging for two student web casts involving over 22,000 participants (Rivers to the Ocean Webcast.).
Dell
http://www.dell.com
Dell, one of the world's computer industry leaders, has provided computer technology support to schools participating in 4empowerment’s education technology grants.
Gimbut & Associates
Integrates over 20 years of experience with global corporations to provide leading edge educators an innovative approach to results based research. Gimbut and Associates designed and conducted formative and summative research plans in helping evaluate and enhance the Cyberways and Waterways program.
Inlingua
http://www.inlingua.com
In nearly 300 centers and 30 countries around the globe, Inlingua centers offer high-quality language training and translation services over a wide range of languages. They provided Hispanic services for translation of sections of the Cyberways and Waterways content.
Knoa
http://www.knoa.com
Knoa® Software is leading the performance management industry with end-user experience management solution that reach beyond infrastructure and application performance to monitor, measure and manage how end-users are utilizing the application to optimize end-user performance and business process execution. 4empowerment partnered with Knoa to improve users’ online experience and further engage students and teachers.
Remote Data
http://www.remotedatainc.com
Focuses on integrated systems for automatic sensing and telemetry of environmental parameters for real time water quality data transmitted directly from the field to an offices. They have designed over 100 remote monitoring systems from buoy-based to pole-mounted systems. Remote Data provides equipment and expertise for the delivery of real time water data to 4empowerment.
Skillpoint Alliance, formerly known as the Capital Area Training Foundation
http://www.skill-point.org/
Skillpoint Alliance's mission is to provide opportunities for career success, citizenship and lifelong learning to youth and adults; and to enable the creation of a qualified entry-level workforce for Austin area employers. CATF has assisted 4empowerment in developing partnerships with schools, teachers and community members.
SXSX Interactive, Film and Music Festival
http://www.sxsw.com/
“In its 22 years, SXSW has grown from a tiny music festival … into a massive, unavoidable media beast that reflects, discusses and showcases trends in culture and media but also often creates them.” 4empowerment suggested and fostered SXSW’s student film program and continues to be involved in SXSW Interactive, both as a company and engaging students and teachers.