News and Events

Graduate Spotlight: They Found A Better Way

Student loan debt is a real problem. According to a 2019 article in Forbes magazine, student loan debt in America has hit 1.5 trillion dollars.[1] Saddling new graduates with debt can have serious consequences for their futures. New graduates often have to settle for lower-paying jobs so they can start paying their student loans right […]

Job Post: Career Navigator

TEAMWORK & STUDENT SUCCESS | Capital IDEA is looking for an experienced case manager (3+ years of day to day case management experience working with adults receiving direct services and/or high school students transitioning into college). The Career Navigator provides case management for about 100 adult students and guides them through successful completion of their […]

Graduate Spotlight: Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

It was a long road for Lud Guerrero to get where she is now. In a society that values instant results, such as free 2-day shipping, and drive-thru windows, it takes a special kind of courage to keep fighting when things take longer than expected. Lud never expected to take such a long road, but […]

Season for Caring: Alicia Gonzales

This year Capital IDEA student, Alicia Gonzales, is a featured family in the Austin American Statesman Season for Caring. Since 1999, Statesman readers have generously donated more than 11 million dollars in cash and in-kind goods and services, all of which have benefited the featured families and hundreds of others like them who are also […]

Student Journey: Child Care Doesn’t Need to Hold You Back

When Melinda Sertuche decided to go back to school, her 8-year old daughter didn’t understand why. “It was hard for her at first, because it was new. I don’t have any family members that had gone to college, so it’s not something that’s a normal thing in my family.” For Melinda, it meant spending less […]

Partner Spotlight: St. David’s Foundation

If you live in the Austin area, but haven’t heard of the St. David’s Foundation, there’s a good chance you’ve seen their funding at work. Perhaps you’ve taken a stroll on the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail over Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin, for which they were a major contributor. Maybe […]

Graduate Spotlight: Just Keep Showing Up

Amber Bothne’s journey through nursing school was anything but easy. “I felt like I was challenged every step of the way.” Her experiences during nursing school would have kept most people from finishing. Yet, while the obstacles kept piling on, Amber believed that if she just kept showing up, and did her best, she would […]

Partner Spotlight: Hindu Charities for America

Education is a powerful thing. It can open doors that were once thought to be non-existent, and it can change the trajectory of a person’s life. The people at Hindu Charities for America (HC4A) know this and believe it wholeheartedly because they lived it. “Most of us came to this country with two, half-full bags, […]

Graduate Spotlight: Giving Up Is Not An Option

“You can’t give up.” Jessica Jaimes holds this motto close to her heart and strives to live it out on a daily basis. It would have been easy for her to give up, and after enduring what she described as a “horrible and abusive” relationship, and the added responsibility of raising 6 kids, nobody would […]

Published: Capital IDEA’s 20th Anniversary Annual Report

Dear Friends, This past year, Capital IDEA celebrated 20 years of lifting adults out of poverty and into living wage careers through education. As an avid runner, I can say that leading Capital IDEA these past two decades has been much like a marathon with progress coming one step at a time. We’ve not only […]

Graduate Spotlight: I’m Not Going Down Those Old Roads

GRADUATE SPEAKER Jeremy spoke at Captial IDEA’s Celebration of Achievements in February 2019 and was featured in Capital IDEA’s 2018 Annual Report. Good afternoon, my name is Jeremy Acosta and I’m honored to be here as a Capital IDEA alumn and one of the first graduates to come from the IT Career ACCelerator when it […]

Degree and Certificates Earned

Published: Capital IDEA’s 2017 Annual Report

Highlights From an Oustanding Year 2017 ANNUAL REPORT Capital IDEA’s 2017 Annual Report is now available online. We are proud to share these highlights from an outstanding year of lifting working adults out of poverty and into living wage careers through education. We hope you enjoy reading about student successes because this report is chock-full […]

United Way Wilco Youth Visit

Partner Spotlight: A Day in the Community with United Way of Williamson County

Capital IDEA is honored to be a grantee of the United Way of Williamson County. UWWC unites people and organizations to build stronger communities and improve lives. By stabilizing families, helping kids succeed academically, and empowering good health, United Way is working towards a community where people thrive, lead healthy lives, and everyone has the […]

Escalating Gains: The Full Report

Dear Friends, We are pleased to share the below report with you. The success of any workforce development program is cause for celebration, and we are especially thrilled for the success of Project QUEST. The leaders of COPS/Metro and the San Antonio business community generously shared the Project QUEST model with Austin Interfaith and business […]

Be Your Own Hero

Published: Capital IDEA’s 2016 Annual Report

As Capital IDEA approaches its 20th year, we are seeing impacts extend beyond simply good careers for our graduates and new skilled workers for the economy. We celebrated our 1300th graduate last year, Amy Lopez-Escobedo—she not only has gone from struggling in unskilled, low-income jobs to becoming a Registered Nurse, she has now become a […]

Be Your Own Hero

Published: Capital IDEA's 2016 Annual Report

As Capital IDEA approaches its 20th year, we are seeing impacts extend beyond simply good careers for our graduates and new skilled workers for the economy. We celebrated our 1300th graduate last year, Amy Lopez-Escobedo—she not only has gone from struggling in unskilled, low-income jobs to becoming a Registered Nurse, she has now become a […]

Events Capture

Partner Spotlight: Central Health & our 1,300th Graduate!

Hello, my name is Amy Lopez-Escobedo, and I am a proud Capital IDEA graduate, mother of three, and Registered Nurse at CommUnity Care. I always felt destined to become a nurse. Since I was little, my mom noted I had a caring nature and would try to help people when they weren’t well. Knowing my […]

Events Capture

Partner Spotlight: Central Health & our 1,300th Graduate!

Hello, my name is Amy Lopez-Escobedo, and I am a proud Capital IDEA graduate, mother of three, and Registered Nurse at CommUnity Care. I always felt destined to become a nurse. Since I was little, my mom noted I had a caring nature and would try to help people when they weren’t well. Knowing my […]

Computer Student

Partner Spotlight: Austin Community College ACCelerator – UPDATED

ACC Expands Career ACCelerator Program June 2016 JPMorgan Chase & Co. has donated $250,000 to fund scholarships for adult students entering ACC’s Career ACCelerator Program—combining instruction with financial assistance, support services, and paid internships to help adults train for high-demand occupations. The Chase donation will fund scholarships for 100 students. “Creating a hands-on learning experience […]

St David's Foundation Awards

Partner Spotlight: St. David’s Foundation

Health care costs are constantly in the news—but seldom is it good news. St. David’s HealthCare and St. David’s Foundation have created unique exceptions where the news is invariably good. St. David’s HealthCare includes seven of the area’s leading hospitals and is one of the largest health systems in Texas. St. David’s Foundation reinvests proceeds […]