“Austin PBS is that equalizer that allows those resources and those needs to be accessible.”

Friends of the Children connects children to a professional mentor–called a Friend–who supports youth to succeed, despite challenging experiences, from as early as age four to high school graduation and beyond.

Jorge Jiménez, Program Manager and Professional Mentor at Friends of the Children Austin, jumped at the opportunity to become a Friend.

“I became more and more sure that this is the position that I belonged in, in the sense of putting back everything that I've taken from my environment, I'm now putting back into the environment that I exist in. And that is something that I wholeheartedly believe in, is that in order for us to continue to thrive and be basically good people, you have to give back to the community that you're a part of.”

In collaboration with the Education Services team at Austin PBS, Friends of the Children was able to provide the children in their program with tablets that they were able to take home and have now been able to outfit their clubhouse with five new Chromebooks.

“The [Chromebooks will allow] us to engage with more planning skills for the future and [help children navigate] internet safety and technology safety while being here and having the other tools right here in the environment,” said Jiménez.

“I believe that Austin PBS and public media are important because I feel like it's an equalizer. It provides access and enrichment tools, as well as other resources that are not necessarily accessible to all types of people based on their socioeconomic statuses.”