Interview and Video by Jennie Trejo. Photos provided by Bachman Lake Together.
Bachman Lake Together is dedicated to ensuring that every child in the Bachman Lake community is fully prepared for kindergarten – academically, socially, and emotionally. With a focus on collaboration, the organization pulls four key levers – High-Quality Early Education, Parent Leadership, Family Well-Being, and Community – to set each child up for long-term success. At the forefront of this effort is Dr. Olga Martinez, whose passion for early childhood education and community advocacy drives the organization’s mission forward.
By working alongside over 50 community partners, Bachman Lake Together has achieved notable success. Their 2022-2023 Pre-K registration campaign, in collaboration with Dallas ISD, led to a 94 percent registration rate in the area, a 45 percent increase from previous years. Despite these strides, challenges remain: 96 percent of local children are economically disadvantaged, and 4 out of 5 face limited English proficiency. Dr. Martinez Hickman’s work is critical in navigating these barriers, ensuring that children and their families have access to vital resources, mental health support, and leadership opportunities.
We spoke with Dr. Martinez Hickman about the organization’s impact, the community’s ongoing challenges, and the innovative approaches that continue to uplift families in Bachman Lake.
Olga: This has all been the culmination of years of grassroots efforts and community engagement. A few years ago, when we first started this campaign as a result of low enrollment numbers, we did a deep dive to understand the factors and barriers impacting this. We received meaningful feedback from our community and realized that while families were eager for more opportunities to enrich their child’s early learning, they weren’t being met where they are. Many families did not know about free Pre-K opportunities available to them, did not know how to register their child, or know where to go to get their questions answered. This led us to co-design events and messaging with families that were culturally-relevant and engaging to promote awareness and advocacy around Pre-K. We also recruit families and promote this all over the neighborhood – at the schools, Family Center, knocking on doors – you name it.
Dr. Martinez Hickman: As mothers from the Community Action Network (CAN) recognized their social capital from involvement in CAN, the need for leadership opportunities for young girls has paralleled that need. When parents model leadership, a seed is planted in their children for them to grow and learn as leaders, too. As a result, a group of mothers from CAN expressed interest in involving their daughters in Girl Scouts. Through our partnership with Girl Scouts, the mothers rose to the occasion to launch the very first multi-level troop in the community. For us at Bachman Lake Together, our commitment stays true to a dual-generation model where both the parent and child are learning and receiving enrichment. So for us, this partnership could not be any more perfect. The troop meets every other weekend at our Family Center, and it just warms my heart to see our moms and girls embracing the opportunity together.
Dr. Martinez Hickman: There has always been a digital divide, but in recent years, we have seen the impacts of these realities in our community heightened. We learned that the Bachman neighborhood is one of the most underserved communities in Dallas as it relates to digital literacy and access. Through a partnership with the Dallas Innovation Alliance, we opened a Connected Dallas Tech Lab in our Family Center last fall. Every week, we host digital skills workshops and training on a variety of topics that neighbors have requested. From setting up an email account, to shopping online, or checking your child’s grades, community members can walk in and receive hands-on assistance, in their language.
Often, when we talk about the digital divide, we mainly consider how it affects young children’s success in school. However, we often forget about the adults raising these children and their need to be technologically savvy and literate in the 21st century. To date, we have served over 455 families since the tech lab’s opening and we are so excited to further our impact.
Dr. Martinez Hickman: The Bachman Lake neighborhood is very transient. You have people constantly moving in and out of the neighborhood. While our north star remains as kindergarten readiness, we recognize the growing need to continue to connect and engage with new families and expand our reach in the neighborhood. For example, recent data shows that teenage pregnancy in Bachman Lake is at an all-time high. So we take this and ask ourselves, how are we being intentional in engaging every parent of a young child in the neighborhood? Who is missing from the conversation?
As we look at the future, these questions set the tone for the types of partners we bring and initiatives we lead. Additionally, we are always looking for passionate individuals and groups who want to engage in this work. Whether it is sharing your time, treasure or talent, we encourage you to connect with us to see how we can work together.
Dallas Doing Good is proud to continue our partnership with the Communities Foundation of Texas for North Texas Giving Day! This year, we’re spotlighting outstanding organizations that align with CFT’s focus areas—Health, Wealth, Living, and Learning.
Join us in supporting these impactful organizations. Your donations help drive innovation and support essential services in our community. Learn more and give today at Bachman Lake Together’s North Texas Giving Day page. Together, we make a difference!
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