Envision Austin

Envision Austin is a competition in LAH 103H The Idea of Civic Engagement that asks students to imagine an organization that provides a needed service to the Austin or University of Texas community. Working in small groups, LAH Scholars research their idea, put together business plans, and create a pitch deck. The proposals are then presented to a panel of judges with the top three pitches receiving seed money for their organization.

2024 Envision Austin Winners

EcoEducators

EcoEducators originated from a shared passion for environmental conservation and a belief in using education as a tool to raise awareness about issues that matter. By cataloging local plants in a central database 'tour', their mission aimed to encourage a deeper appreciation of native ecology around Austin, while also providing the resources needed to understand these species' vitality to our ecosystem.

Kids Connecting to Campus

Kids Connecting to Campus (KCC) is a non-profit organization that connects visiting elementary and middle school classes with college-aged students who help navigate densely populated student spaces on campus. We envision a world where young kids feel comfortable in environments that weren't built to consider their presence. Our mission is to alleviate feelings of fear and intimidation young visitors may experience while in student spaces on the UT Austin campus by offering guidance, creating connections, and providing direct support.

Spotlight ATX

Spotlight ATX aims to provide free dance classes to underserved elementary school students in the Austin area by supplying them with an after-school space to express themselves, learn team-building skills, and stay physically and mentally healthy. Dance has historically evolved as a preventative measure, with hip-hop street crews helping to keep their dancers out of gangs and dance battles. Dance groups have served as safe community spaces and emotional outlets in fulfilling an alternative role to violence, which we hope to deliver to students who need extra encouragement and support. By teaching dance to at-risk populations in Austin, we hope to increase interest in the arts and provide community support and care to youth who need it most.

2023 Envision Austin Winners

Longhorn Moovers

Longhorn Moovers originated from the personal experiences of its founders during their respective times in university. Each co-founder repeatedly endured the pain of moving in and out of dorms with minimal help besides friends and family. Our mission is to be the first and only moving service, operated by students for students, which provides a free method to help students move in and out of their apartments. 

SahaCare

SahaCare aims to help families with care coordination and care management from the comfort of their home. We aim to improve patient access to care and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of mental health services.

Ubridge

Ubridge aims to assimilate and enrich the lives of first-generation students pursuing higher education by helping them navigate the college application process with high quality resources.

2022 Envision Austin Winners

Students for Juvenile Success

Students for Juvenile Success believes in a world where every student in a juvenile detention center has access to education. Our mission is to invest in the education of juvenile youth in order to empower their future. We do that, by providing educational programs through undergraduate students at The University of Texas at Austin. 

Trees for Tots

Our mission is to close the canopy coverage gap between higher and low neighborhoods in Austin. Teaching elementary students in these areas the importance of trees (specifically Texas native trees) is invaluable during this state of early development, and this knowledge and appreciation will persist throughout the rest of their lives. Through helping plant and care for the trees, students gain environmental enlightenment while improving their community in a meaningful way. 

Austin Roots

Austin Root's aims to engage Austin's K-12 students in creating green spaces that house native Austin species of plants (xeriscaping), while providing educational opportunities to students about the native plants they've helped/are helping to install. 

2020 Envision Austin Winners

Bee Kind

Bee Kind's mission is to provide the greater Austin community with gardens that will increase individuals' mental well-being, help Austin's diverse evironment through pollination, and provide free food for all individuals, especially those in food deserts. 

Dish Austin

Dish Austin aims to ease the burden of food insecurity in the present by providing free meals and promoting lifelong healthy habits in underserved communities by training at-risk high school students to cook low-cost, nutritionally balanced meals. Together, we can provide an alternative to Austin's food deserts. 

Austin Spectrum Advocacy Program

Our mission is to foster a more inclusive campus for students on the spectrum through peer support and advocacy. We aim to create a peer network to support students on the spectrum, increase awareness of the difficulties that students on the spectrum encounter, and improve access and awareness to ASD student resources. 

2019 Envision Austin Winners

Epiphany

Epiphany was made to connect level of care residents to UT volunteers in music and other fine arts to improve their quality of life. Through our web and mobile applications, we aim to provide reliable information to volunteers and recipients alike about people around them to provide or receive musical and artistic therapy.

Barks for Books

Texas Barks for Books transports kids from local elementary schools to Austin Animal Center as part of an after-school program and allow them to read a book to a dog. With help from the animal shelter and the school, we provide the children and volunteers with a training course before the program to ensure that everyone involved understands how to properly and safely interact with the dogs. The children then pair up with a dog, sit in front of the kennel, and read a book to the dog. This gives the dog the human interaction it needs, and gives the child valuable reading practice with a non-judgemental audience. It also gives the student a sense of service and empathy for the animals.

Reading With Meaning

RWM aims to introduce diverse literature in the classroom as a means of providing developmental bibliotherapy.

2018 Envision Austin Winners

Watch highlights from the 2018 winners' presentations.

SCORE Athletics

SCORE aims to provide low-socioeconomic elementary schools students in East Austin with opportunities to engage in team sports coached by UT student mentors. Through this after-school program, we aim to enhance the students' educational experience as they learn critical teamwork, social, and leadership skills while also providing the students with positive role models to aspire to be.

Texas Humanities for Humanity

Texas Humanities for Humanity, also known as Texas H4H, aims to tell a story. We strive to apply our liberal arts education to aid individuals facing life-limiting illness who desire to leave their legacy in a tangible and durable format. Our volunteers meet with individuals such as patients isolated in hospice centers and parents suffering from terminal disease who hope to impart wisdom to their children, grandchildren, and community. From these interview sessions, our volunteers, organized into peer editing boards, will craft a short film and brief biographical article about the interviewee. Our desire to share the stories of others stems not only from our conviction that every human being deserves the opportunity to leave their legacy, but also from the current medical literature which suggests that when patients tell their stories, health outcomes may improve. At Texas Humanities for Humanity, we strive to share stories, improve patients' well-being, and human connection.

Horns for the Homeless

Horns for the Homeless was founded by UT Austin students in 2018 to serve the most underprivileged in our community. We aim to make the lives of the Austin homeless just a little bit better by providing basic necessities that many take for granted.

Past Winners

Students Against Silence

Our mission is to go beyond the 40 Acres of UT Austin and provide help in the realms of sexual assault prevention, awareness, and advocacy. We aim to get students off campus and into the community to volunteer at local shelters, crisis centers, the state capitol, and so much more. We will be hosting and collaborating with several fantastic organizations and initiatives in order to truly make a difference.

SEAL (Students Expanding Austin Literacy)

SEAL is a service organization that helps kids dive into reading. We recruit passionate UT Austin students and train them to become literacy tutors, mentors, and advocates. Hundreds of our volunteers stuff their bags with good books and work with small groups of underserved students in Austin every week. We aim to instill confidence and curiosity in every SEAL student, whether they attend college or elementary school.

LAH Ambush with SEAL

LARA (Liberal Arts Refugee Alliance)

LARA is a student organization that provides students with volunteer and educational opportunities supporting Austin's refugee population.