Anatomy, Physics, Science for 3-5 year olds with parents – NCJW Dallas – HIPPY Field Trips – Perot Museum
Anatomy Exhibit
Anatomy - Learning with Mom
NCJW Dallas - HIPPY Richardson Field Trip to Perot Museum
Project leaders - Johanna Betancourt from HIPPY Richardson and Carol Tobias from NCJW Dallas
Volunteers for this Event
150 HIPPY people (parents and youngsters) attended this event. Normal range of HIPPY attendees is between x and xx. The field trip program is tightly integrated into the school district run HIPPY programs. Attendance at the field trips is a requirement.
Events
Advocacy Activities
Advocacy & Voter Registrar Training – Sept 6, 2017
HIPPY – Home Instruction for Parents and Preschool Youngsters
Cochairs: Carol Tobias, and Jane Lachman
Chair Emeritus: Syl Benenson
Over three decades ago, NCJW Dallas was one of four NCJW sections nationally that brought the HIPPY preschool preparedness program to the U.S. from Israel. The program was so successful that HIPPY is now an international, independent organization bringing their three-year teaching program to preschoolers and their families around the world.
NCJW Dallas now supports the HIPPY programs in Dallas ISD, Richardson ISD and Irving ISD. We offer three kinds of support:
- Field trips for preschoolers and their families to the Arboretum, the Dallas Museum of Art and the Perot Museum of Nature and Science;
- By holding graduation ceremonies and school readiness support for 5-year-old HIPPY graduates and;
- By presenting annual scholarships to college-bound HIPPY graduates.
Kids in Court
Chair: Alyson Ray
Chair Emeritus: Judy Hoffman
Kids in Court helps the children, and their families successfully prepare for the challenge of the impending court process. This award-winning program is designed to aid children aged 3-18 who are expected to testify in court either as victims or witnesses to a violent felony crime.
Initiated in1994, Kids in Court partners with the Crimes Against Children Division of the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office to provide age-appropriate education for children – and their families – who must testify in criminal court. The majority of the children served are victims of violent crimes, primarily sexual and physical abuse and child trafficking; others have witnessed violence against adults and other children.
During each session, the younger children are taught the role of courtroom personnel through role-playing and engaging materials. Older children meet with a prosecutor and a psychologist to discuss their fears and concerns.
Kids in Court has ended its 2025 sessions.
The Suitcase Project
Cochairs: Nonie Schwartz and Sherilyn Bird
The Suitcase Project (TSP) provides support to individuals in difficult transitions in partnership with Mosaic Family Services, The Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation and TRAC. These critical interventions can make a substantial difference in the success of the overall transition.
More specifically, TSP assists women and their children coming out of domestic abuse and trafficking situations by providing them with in-shelter necessities as well as with essential home items when they begin to live independently. They also support children aging out of foster care as they transition to adult responsibilities.
CLICK HERE to learn more about this project and what inspires its leaders and volunteers.
West Dallas Initiative
CHAIR: Zelda Hantz
Laurie Robinson – West Dallas Multipurpose Chair
Joyce Rosenfield – Lead School Liaison
The NCJW Dallas West Dallas Initiative is dedicated to providing essential resources and services to support students and families in the West Dallas community. Our mission is to promote equity by fostering dignity, confidence, and self-sufficiency, ensuring that individuals and families have the tools they need to thrive. By partnering with local organizations and community leaders, we aim to identify and address specific needs, including access to school supplies, food, and educational support.
Empowering West Dallas: Building Stronger Communities Through Partnership
Designated as one of the most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in the U.S., West Dallas faces unique challenges. However, the community has shown great openness to building collaborative partnerships. Since 2017, NCJW Dallas has worked hand-in-hand with local residents to create programs that address their specific needs, creating a supportive environment full of opportunity.
Our goal is simple: to foster lasting partnerships within West Dallas, where we listen to the community, respond to their needs, and work toward a brighter future for all. Through these initiatives, we aim to make a real, positive impact on the lives of those we serve.
Our Journey: From Thanksgiving Giveaway to Ongoing Support
The program officially launched in 2018 with a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center. Over the past 7 years, it has grown into a comprehensive support network, including four key ongoing partnerships with local elementary schools. These schools receive essential services, such as:
- Uniforms and school supplies
- Reading tutoring
- Winter coats and accessories
- Faculty support
- And other services as needed
Our Partner Schools
We’re proud to partner with four West Dallas schools:
- Eladio Martinez Learning Center
- Gabe P. Allen Elementary School
- Arcadia Park Elementary School
- Stevens Park Elementary School
Together, we’re working to build a more equitable future for the students, families, and educators in West Dallas.
What We Do:
- Thanks and Giving Meal Distribution: We participate in the annual turkey and fresh produce distribution at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center. In collaboration with local partners, we ensure that families in need have a full meal on Thanksgiving.
- School Supply Distribution Events: We participate in the West Dallas Back-to-School Fair to provide disadvantaged students with the tools they need to succeed in the classroom.
- Diaper and Baby Basics Distribution: We distribute free diapers, wipes, and diaper cream at the Diaper Pantry and Baby Showers at the West Dallas Multipurpose Center. Through this, families with young children access necessary items and learning resources that support their health and well-being.
- Tutoring and Educational Support: We recruit and train volunteers to provide reading tutoring and educational assistance to students in need, empowering them to reach their full potential.
HIPPY puts kids on the path for a happy start in school
by Steve Blow Dallas Morning News Published: 14 May 2014 10:56 PM
The name is kind of silly, but the goal is vitally important. And best of all, it works.
HIPPY is putting lots of young children on the path to success in school. And Dallas stands as a national model of the program thanks to some very persistent local women.
It may sound like an unflattering physical description or a misspelled flower child, but HIPPY actually stands for Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters.
And it combines elements that are all the rage in education circles right now — early childhood instruction, home visits and parent involvement.
But that sure wasn’t the case when the Dallas chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women began advocating for HIPPY in the 1970s. They were trying to sell Dallas school officials on a program already proved successful with poor and immigrant families in Israel.
“We fought with DISD from 1979 until 1988. Finally we got an assistant superintendent to see the value of the program,” said Syl Benenson, who has headed the HIPPY initiative for the local NCJW chapter from the start.
The idea seems like such a no-brainer now: going into homes to help parents become the first and best teachers of their preschool children.
But maybe we didn’t see as clearly back then that children who begin school behind are often doomed to struggle from then on.
That’s why you hear so much these days about pre-K classes. But really, the education process needs to start earlier than that. HIPPY begins its work with parents of 3-year-olds.
“We have this unique window of opportunity to put children on the right track,” said Alan Cohen, DISD’s executive director of early childhood education. “The longer we wait, the more difficult, more expensive and less effective all other interventions are going to be.”
Cohen is new to DISD and the local HIPPY story has been part of his education. “When I first got to the district, I was familiar with HIPPY. But since getting here, I have become a tremendous fan of the program. It’s one of our hidden gems.”
Dallas was among the first school districts in the country to adopt HIPPY. “There have been ups and downs ever since, depending on the administration in charge and the money available,” Benenson said.
But right now, HIPPY’s standing is way up. With more than 700 families enrolled this year, Dallas has the largest HIPPY operation in the country. And there are big plans for expansion.
“We are really hoping to increase that by 500 families next year and keep growing from there,” Cohen said.
That kind of growth is going to depend on people like Lisa Lara. She is making the transition from a HIPPY parent this year to a HIPPY instructor next year.
She certainly has enthusiasm for her new part-time job based on what she has seen in her 3-year-old daughter, Ariana. “I loved it as a parent because I could see that she was picking up so much, like her colors and numbers and shapes.”
Lara said that without the HIPPY instructor’s weekly visit to her Pleasant Grove home, she wouldn’t have thought about teaching those things to Ariana.
“My mother never sat down and colored with me,” Lisa said. “We never talked about the ABCs or 123s or any of that. That’s the way I was raised, and I was just doing the same thing. I was just going to let DISD take care of that.”
It’s heartbreaking to think about a child already feeling behind in first grade and never catching up. So yippee for HIPPY. And for the persistence of the National Council of Jewish Women.