In 2018-19, Dickinson ISD applied for the Rebuild Texas Fund Grant and in August 2019, we were awarded the grant, which gives DISD access to over a million dollars in funding. The Rebuild Texas Fund grant is designed to help Dickinson holistically address the mental and emotional health needs of its students from birth to graduation. The project is designed to help students, parents, teachers, and staff recovery from Hurricane Harvey and develop skills to improve their resilience to future traumas. This project will provide Dickinson ISD with a number of supports ranging from technical assistance in designing and implementing the program, funding to add staff, numerous professional development opportunities for our staff and development of a sustainability plan.
This project enabled Dickinson ISD to put in place a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) framework through a variety of partnerships with:
DePelchin Childrenโs Center, and
A variety of other local partners.
Through the grant, the district was able to hire a social emotional learning specialist to implement programming and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) to provide counseling to students.
By putting this project in place, we will impact the early development of a childโs social emotion skills, increase early adoption of social emotional learning practices and more consistently lay the foundation for school success. For Gator Wellness, we want a proactive approach that is implemented from birth on and a part of our everyday environment.
The SEL framework will support Early Childhood, Students, Staff, Families and the Community. The overall vision for our program is "Wellness". Through Gator Wellness, we will focus on:
social emotional learning,
resiliency,
relationship building,
trauma informed practices, and
overall wellness.
Dickinson ISD is committed to our children, mental health awareness, education, and families.
By working collaboratively, we can additionally ensure that these supports to young children use a common and complementary language and approach.
It's also worth noting that this program complements existing investments from:
Rebuild Texas Fund with Communities in Schools Bay Area,
Family Services of Galveston County,
Texas Childrenโs Hospital, and
Camp Noah.
