Georgetown, Hutto ISDs provide workforce training for young adults with disabilities at Kalahari Resorts
After graduation, some Georgetown and Hutto ISD special education students help operate a 1.5 million-square-feet resort and indoor water park in Round Rock.
The districts’ Project SEARCH program, located at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, offers job training and work experience for young adults with disabilities. Additionally, the program raises awareness and acceptance around disabilities in the community, GISD instructor Kraven Rowry and HISD skills trainer Kristian Davis said.
What they're saying:“They are capable, and they will be successful,” Davis said about Project SEARCH interns at Kalahari.
How it works: Project SEARCH interns work alongside Kalahari staff in the retail, food and beverage, maintenance, housekeeping and laundry departments. The program is open to young adults from age 18 to their mid-twenties who have a disability and have completed their high school credits.
Going forward: Project SEARCH is looking to partner with more local businesses that will hire interns with a disability, knowing they will be accompanied by a job coach to support them.
Me Land Georgetown undergoes expansion on indoor playground
Indoor playground Me Land Georgetown is set to expand its current space after opening earlier this year.
The expansion is expected to include a new mini-town play area to inspire creativity and imagination in children, the business confirmed in an email to Community Impact.
Dig deeper: The expansion will include demolishing interior walls and doors in Suite 115, expanding its existing space at Suite 120, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing. Construction for the project is set to begin at the end of September and conclude at the end of October.
What they offer: Me Land Georgetown has individual play packages and group packages for birthday parties, events and more.
WilCo continues to preserve historical records ahead of county staff move
Williamson County commissioners approved an updated plan to preserve and restore archived records at a meeting Sept. 23. The approval comes ahead of some county operations moving into a new administration building by next year.
About the plan: Because the majority of permanent county records are paper, the archival team is working to digitize and physically encapsulate these records to protect them from theft, loss and damage.
The records archive plan also allows residents to access images and historical documents online. County documents include court cases, marriage records, wills, deeds, and tax and election records, County Clerk Nancy Rister said.
The update: Currently, the County Clerk's Office operates out of a building at 405 Martin Luther Jr. King St. Because of the volume of permanent documents, storage space is becoming an issue, the 2025-26 archive plan states.
What’s next: The County Clerk’s Records Division, as well as other county operations, will move into the new Williamson County Administration Building next year.
Opportunity Austin partners with Workforce Solutions Capital, Rural Capital Area to support regional industry growth
A new information partnership between Opportunity Austin and both Workforce Solutions Capital and Rural Capital Area will provide data insights into a variety of growing industries in the Austin metro area.
What you need to know: Called the Workforce Industry Insights partnership, the initiative will provide employers with timely workforce data, per a news release shared Sept. 17.
About the program: Using white papers, which are formal data-driven reports, case studies and other opportunities to analyze local data, the partnership will help employers in several industries with insights on hiring trends, workforce needs and strategies, as well as showcasing the connections between community organizations, educational institutions and economic development in fostering regional growth.
Ronald McDonald House to open at Texas Children's Hospital North Austin
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas has announced the development of a new Ronald McDonald House for patients at Texas Children’s Hospital North Austin.
What to know: Construction has begun at Austin’s latest Ronald McDonald House which sparks the start of the first phase of A Place Like Home, RMHC CTX’s capital campaign, a news release states.
The campaign is dedicated to increasing capacity while ensuring families have access to comfort, care and community throughout their child’s medical journey.
The space is expected to open in 2026 and will feature nine private family suites, a communal kitchen, a laundry room and a multipurpose family support space where families can have private conversations with doctors, learn about support resources and more.
