At Birdville ISD, creating faith-based partnerships has been essential in maintaining parent and community support for afterschool programs. At Birdville, faith-based partners have provided them with exciting activities such as carnivals, heath fairs, community fairs with free services, campus clean-ups, tax-preparation services, and babysitting classes for adults. Additionally, they have provided facilities for classes, school supplies, donations of goods, ESL teachers, summer sports camps for students and many other great things.

Currently, Birdville ISD is working with The Tarrant Area Food Bank to create the “Kid’s Café” at a local church. This cafe will provide free evening meals for children. Two churches, Richland Hill Church of Christ and Northwood Church are working together to create this wonderful program.  Northwood Church is providing the refurbishing of the kitchen at Richland Hill Church of Christ, which is the church housing the project. The host church provides the personnel who will be in charge of the food ordering, preparation and providing the volunteers to fix the meals each week. Parents and other family members can also eat, free of charge, if they volunteer to work in the program.  The Tarrant Area Food Bank agreed to provide all the food free of charge. Both a letter of cooperation and a letter of agreement had to be signed by both churches. Communication of all the parties involved in this project is essential. Both churches also met with the Tarrant Area Food Bank in order to approve the site and come to a final agreement.

In order to gain support from their community churches, Birdville ISD has done a very good job in maintaining relationships with churches who have been involved with them in the past. They also decided to target the church closest to their school of interest in order for the children to remain relatively close to their school and homes. The 21st CCLC grant has allowed for faith-based partners to provide more ESL teachers and to work with the program at times when volunteers are available. Every semester Birdville hosts an event of appreciation for its partners.

Another exciting project taking place at Birdville ISD is one that will benefit absolutely all Birdville ISD students. The project is a collaborative effort with John Peter Smith County Hospital (JPS) and two other church communities. The district recently received permission from JPS to establish a satellite JPS Outreach Health Clinic in the district. The district is providing an unused portable building that sits on one of Birdvilles Title I campuses. The churches will provide all the materials and construction to do the refurbishing of the building (see picture above). JPS will provide all the equipment and staff. The district is responsible for the maintenance and utilities and phone of the clinic. The clinic will provide free medical services to all who qualify, which is over 40%!