Seedling

Seedling's Mission is to mitigate the impact of parental incarceration on children in Central Texas through school-based mentoring. Across Central Texas, children with parents in the Texas prison system go to school and live with pain and stigma. When a child loses a parent to incarceration, they lose one of the most significant people in their life. As a result, they face significant risk factors that can make it difficult to succeed in school. Our Vision All children in Central Texas who have an incarcerated parent have the opportunity to thrive. Seedling believes in the promise of every child: the promise of an education, the promise of a future, and the promise of all they can contribute to society. Our Work: The Seedling Mentor Program has served more than 3,000 students on 150+ campuses in 11 districts and 16 public and charter schools in Austin and Central Texas. Seedling initially began in 1997, founded by John Blazier, as a campus beautification program. The mentoring program began in October 2005 at the request of a group of school principals who were concerned about the growing numbers of children affected by the incarceration of one or both of their parents. Seedling recruits volunteers from the community, matches them with eligible children, and offers ongoing support to both children and mentors. Our mentors provide stable, long-term relationships for the students and help them develop and maintain positive attitudes towards school. Supported, nurtured, and encouraged, the children of the Seedling Mentor Program build the resilience necessary to overcome their circumstances and fulfill the promise of their young lives. www.seedlingmentors.org