Karen Koop, president of AWARE, welcomed members and their guests to the Membership Meeting at Salum restaurant which featured Paul K. Chafetz, Ph.D. speaking on Handling Difficult Relationships.
       

Karen called the meeting to order and recognized the board and committee members. Organizational updates were announced, including Carol Stabler, who gave an update on the directory; Emily Collins, Treasurer; Ann McKinley, Membership; Dr. Cindy Marshall, Medical Minute; and Marilyn Morgan and Debbie Rampey, Friday Friends. Stacey Angel gave a heartfelt and moving tribute to the late Kay Hammond, who joined AWARE in 1990, and in passing years, served as luncheon chair and president. She was an integral part of AWARE and will be truly missed.
       

After the meal’s blessing by Rev. Nicole Bates and a most delicious luncheon, meeting chair Karisti Julia introduced Dr. Chafetz. He gave insight and sometimes humorous anecdotes about dealing with difficult relationships, including older parents who may be going through stages of dementia or anyone who is choosing to be difficult. He encouraged everyone by saying life is stages of transitions and choices. Focus on what is truly necessary. He said boundaries are very important and to avoid confrontation with unreasonable people. He stayed to sign copies of his book, Loving Hard To Love Parents.
       

AWARE is dedicated to fighting Alzheimer's disease by providing funding and support to programs, projects, and research provided by nonprofit organizations that actively help individuals affected by Alzheimer's in Dallas and the greater North Texas area. AWARE is a component fund of The Dallas Foundation, a 501(c)3 publicly supported charity.
       

Together with compassion and dedication we can make a difference. Join AWARE now and join the fight against Alzheimer’s.  www.AWAREDallas.org 

AWARE Dallas 2023-2024 Grant Recipients

Baylor Scott & White Dallas Foundation:  Salary support for the Baylor AT&T Memory Center to provide a trained care-navigation specialist on site at the Center.  At the point of care, patients and families are provided with disease education, caregiver training and support groups, elder law and financial planning, and a 24/7 helpline.

Bishop Arts Theatre Center:  Support for a program offering senior/elder adults customized theatre workshops and performances to enhance their social, emotional, and physical memory abilities.

Center For BrainHealth at The University Of Texas At Dallas:  Support for the creation of a BrainHealth Help Line to offer guidance to caregivers and those with Alzheimer's who are seeking information and tools to help them move out of a place of distress.

For Love And Art:  Support to increase staff needed to coordinate volunteers, and assist with growth for a program bringing an interactive art experience to people with cognitive impairment and limited mobility living in long-term care facilities.

Jewish Family Service:   Support for the Older Adults Program staff to provide in-home mental health counseling, care management, and daily living support to older adults with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, allowing them to remain living in their own home.

Juliette Fowler Communities:   Support the organization's campus-wide dementia care initiatives including I'm Still Here, Dementia Friendly Dallas, music therapy, and Caregiver support programs.

Plano Symphony Orchestra:   Support for Healing Notes, a free music therapy-influenced concert designed as an interactive musical experience for seniors. The program focuses on low-income individuals living in memory care facilities and dealing with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. 

Stomping Ground Theater And Training Center:   Support for Improv for Caregivers, a fun and interactive program for family and professional caregivers that uses improvisational comedy techniques to teach effective communication skills that are specific to the needs of persons with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Texas Winds Musical Outreach:   Support for the Concerts for Seniors program providing interactive concerts in 86 nursing homes and adult day care facilities bringing joy, relief from isolation, and peace to individuals affected by memory loss, and providing new communication skills to their caregivers.

The Senior Source:   Support for the Senior Companion Program matching trained volunteers with low-income individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and their families needing in-home assistance with meals, errands, and light housekeeping, providing caregivers with respite and/or time to work outside the home. 

The University Of Texas At Dallas Center For Vital Longevity:   Support for testing the theory that Alzheimer’s disease is caused in part by a severe decline in the brain's energy system by examining neurometabolites using MRI scanning on one of seven such advanced MRI scanners in the country. Study located in the lab of Dr. K. Kennedy.

The University Of Texas At Dallas Center For Vital Longevity:   Support for acquisition of a mobile Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ( fNIRS) system with physiological measures to assess brain-physiology in broad range of adults, and to train scientists in its use and allowing a broader range of access to study participants. . Study located in the lab of Dr. Chandramallika Basak.

Westminster Presbyterian Church:   Support to expand the number of days offered by the Caregivers Day Out program and allow more individuals with Alzheimer’s and related dementias to participate and provide greater respite for their caregivers.

Wilshire Baptist Church:   Support for the Friday Friends Program providing stimulating activities for participants living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias and respite for their caregivers. 

Myrna D. Schlegel Aware Scholarship Fund:   Scholarship support for nursing students at Baylor University, Texas Woman’s University, and Texas Christian University toward studies in gerontology, especially in the field of dementia.

AWARE is a component fund of The Dallas Foundation, a 501(c)3 publicly supported charity.

AWARE Mission: AWARE is dedicated to fighting Alzheimer's disease by providing funding and support to programs, projects, and research provided by nonprofit organizations that actively help individuals affected by Alzheimer's in Dallas and the greater North Texas area.

AWARE is a component fund of The Dallas Foundation, a 501(c)3 publicly supported charity.  In partnership with the Foundation, AWARE conducts an annual grant review process by which grant applicants are carefully and thoughtfully vetted to ensure that grant dollars are awarded to organizations that provide outstanding services to Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers, and to those research institutions that are at the forefront of medical research in the treatment, prevention, and cure of Alzheimer’s disease. 

Together with compassion and dedication we can make a difference. Join AWARE now and join the fight.  www.AWAREDallas.org   Instagram: @awaredallas

Facebook: @awaredallas

Photos by Rob Wythe/Wythe Portrait Studio

Young Women’s Preparatory Network (YWPN) is thrilled to announce that six students from Dallas’ Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School have been named QuestBridge Match Scholars. 

YWPN’s mission is to support single-gender, college-preparatory, public education in Texas and beyond, giving young women the academic and leadership skills to achieve success in college and in life. YWPN formed the first public/private partnership with the Dallas Independent School District in August 2004, opening the Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, the first all-girls public school in Texas.

From YWPN College Success Advisor, Erika Gonzales: 

"Six QuestBridge matches is a phenomenal accomplishment for our school. There are entire districts in our area that received four or five matches, and we have SIX matches at Rangel. This achievement speaks volumes about the dedication of our students, the quality of our academic programs, and our unwavering commitment to ensuring all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, have equal access to higher education."  Some of our students' College matches this year include Brown University, Emory University, University of Chicago, and Boston College. 

QuestBridge is a prestigious program that connects high-achieving, low-income students with full scholarships to the nation's best colleges. These colleges recognize the academic talent and potential of QuestBridge Match Scholars and commit to fully funding their four-year education, removing financial barriers and opening doors to top-tier institutions.

QuestBridge: Out of over 20,800 applicants, QuestBridge selected 6,683 finalists to be considered for the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship (Match Scholarship). This year, QuestBridge’s 50 college partners matched with 2,242 Finalists, who are recognized as Match Scholarship Recipients. The Match Scholarship is made up of a generous financial aid package provided by the college that covers the total cost of attendance, including tuition, housing and food, books and supplies, and travel expenses.

Read the press release here: https://www.questbridge.org/news-and-media/press-release-12-1-2023

Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School (Rangel)

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School stands as Texas's first all-girls public school, a beacon of educational excellence and empowerment.

Located in South Dallas at Fair Park, Rangel is a testament to YWPN's commitment to empowering young women through education. Our school has consistently ranked among the top in the nation, nurturing bright and resilient young women from diverse backgrounds. US News and World Report ranks the school as the 2^nd Best High School in Texas and the 18^th Best in the Nation.

Rangel's students are determined young women facing unique challenges yet harboring immense potential. Predominantly students of color, including Hispanic/Latinx and Black students, and the majority hailing from economically disadvantaged homes, our girls demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and resilience. They are pioneers, breaking barriers as first-generation college attendees; many are also first-generation high school graduates with aspirations reaching far beyond societal norms. 

Key demographics for the 2022-2023 school year at Rangel include:

• 94% students of color (83% Hispanic/Latinx, 7% Black, 2% Asian, 2% Multi-racial)
• At least 71% from economically disadvantaged homes
• 74% of Class of 2023 graduates were first-generation high school graduates
• 82% of Class of 2023 graduates are first-generation college attendees

Notably, our impact is visible in our graduates' success, with results showcasing:

• 100% high school graduation rate (2009-2023)
• 100% college acceptance rate (2009-2023)
• 59% of the Rangel Class of 2023 planned to pursue STEM degrees, surpassing national averages.
• Over $16.2 million in academic/merit scholarships awarded to the Class of 2023
• 94% of the Rangel Class of 2023 enrolled in college the semester after high school graduation

About Young Women’s Preparatory Network:
Located in One Arts Plaza, YWPN’s mission is to support single-gender, college-preparatory, public education in Texas and beyond, giving young women the academic and leadership skills to achieve success in college and in life.

Founded in 2002, the Young Women’s Preparatory Network is a nonprofit agency that partners with public school districts across Texas to operate the largest network of 6^th – 12^th grade all-girls, public, college preparatory schools nationwide. Our schools are located in struggling urban neighborhoods and have proven to be very successful. The schools have won multiple academic achievement awards, including being recognized among the top public schools in Texas and the nation.

YWPN formed the first public/private partnership with the Dallas Independent School District in August 2004, opening the Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, the first all-girls public school in Texas. Because of the success of the first school in Dallas, YWPN’’s educational model is being replicated throughout the state as a catalyst for positive educational change.

Today, YWPN has a Network of schools in Austin, Fort Worth, Houston (Houston ISD and Aldine ISD), Lubbock, Midland, San Antonio, and El Paso (Ysleta ISD), serving more than 4,300 young women this year.