NASCIO Conference Attendees Give Back To Austin, Host City of 2017 Annual Conference
LEXINGTON, Ky., Thursday, October 12, 2017 — The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) provided a $11,055 donation to Kids In a New Groove (KING), an Austin organization that provides music instruction and mentorship to youth in foster care. Donations were collected during the NASCIO Annual Conference held October 1-4 in Austin through the Give Back program as a thank you to the host city. NASCIO state, corporate, media and nonprofit members donated $6,055 through individual contributions and NASCIO provided a $5,000 donation.
“It was such an honor for Kids In A New Groove (KING) to be a part of the NASCIO conference this year,” said Laura Wood, KING Executive Director. “At KING, we provide Texas youth in foster care with a committed one-on-one mentoring relationship through weekly music lessons. Music provides a therapeutic outlet, teaches persistence, and nourishes self-esteem; tools for success that reach beyond our program.”
During the conference, Wood addressed the crowd and showcased the organization’s successes. “For the past three years, 100 percent of eligible seniors graduated high school; the national average for youth in foster care is less than 50 percent. Of those graduates, 95 percent went on to attend college, technical school, or enlist in the military, with the national average of youth in foster care attending college being less than 3 percent.”
Wood went on to say that “NASCIO's generous donation will allow KING to expand our services to enroll even more Central Texas youth in foster care, providing them with the benefits of a creative outlet and a committed one-on-one mentorship relationship.”
Prior to the conference NASCIO made a donation of $5,375 to the American Red Cross Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. “As we gather in Austin for our annual conference, we know that elsewhere in the state, residents are rebuilding their homes, their businesses and their daily way of life,” said NASCIO Executive Director Doug Robinson. “NASCIO staff and members are thinking of our host state as they move forward.”
To learn more about Kids In a New Groove, please visit kidsinanewgroove.org.
