What began as a partnership with the organization Gateway of Grace to help support refugee families has become a transformative connection for the district. Gateway of Grace is a local nonprofit whose mission is to empower refugees by connecting them with essential resources like English classes, jobs, and children’s programs to help families achieve sustainability.
This unique collaboration offers early childhood teacher training, connects families to home instruction through the Family Literacy Center, and helps to open pathways to employment with Richardson ISD. District departments, including Early Childhood, xPlore, Food and Nutrition, and Transportation, often participate in community job fairs for recruitment. They’ve begun seeing familiar faces from Gateway of Grace among the applicants. In fact, several are now serving as assistant caregivers in the RISD Child Learning Academies after being referred through the partnership.
“This partnership goes beyond traditional outreach – it transforms lives on both sides,” says Jessica White, RISD Child Learning Academies Director. “Refugee parents gain job skills and employment in early learning environments, while RISD benefits from a more diverse, culturally rich staff that reflects and supports the students they serve.”
Kathy Shackelford, Gateway of Grace Director of Operations, said, “Our partnership with RISD has been amazing on so many levels. The PK training staff has helped our ECL workers learn to become better early childhood teachers and prepare for careers at the elementary school level. We’re also grateful for the employment opportunities that RISD has afforded our ESL students who were ready to work at this higher level.”
Together, we’re building bridges that empower families and create opportunities that reach far beyond the classroom and strengthen the community. The partnership is an exemplar of how education, empowerment, and community connection work hand in hand.
