Most neighborhoods in Dallas are known for the style of home that makes up the neighborhood. Hollywood Heights, for instance, is known for its Tudor and Craftsman style homes while Junius Heights has Prairie style homes with the loveliest of porches. But what about those neighborhoods without single-family home architecture as a signature; Those that have a solid concentration of apartments and condominiums, what unifies them as a neighborhood? In Vickery Meadow, the answer is people.
Bounded by Northwest Highway, Royal Lane, Central Expressway, and Park Lane, Vickery Meadow is considered one of the areas with the greatest density in Dallas. Home to 40,000 people, Vickery Meadow residents are not only new to Dallas, but many overwhelmingly are new to this country. Approximately 56 different languages are spoken here, according to studies by the City of Dallas. But just like any traditional neighborhood with homes tucked behind tree-lined streets, residents of Vickery Meadow want what we all want — for their children to be safe, to do well in school, and have options and freedom for their lives.
That is where the Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation (VMYDF) enters the story. Their mission “aims to make Vickery Meadow a great community and to help its children reach their full potential,” according to their website.
“This community is two-and-a-half square miles… a lot of the immigrants and refugees that work with resettlement agencies in Dallas primarily house them in this community because of how diverse it is,” said Melanie Rivera-Burgos, community engagement coordinator for the VMYDF. “By placing them here, it’s easier to find community with other people who have the same cultural identity as them so it’s easier to adjust to life here in the U.S.”
Focusing on Students and the Community
When the Youth Development Foundation was created in 2007, the organization’s leadership worked with the principals of the local schools to see how best they could support Vickery Meadow students. Working out of Sam Tasby Middle School, the organizers realized that programs existed to help struggling students, so they changed their focus to students who were excelling academically. The result was the creation of the EAGLE Scholars program, which focuses on Vickery Meadow students beginning in seventh grade who have the goal of graduating from college.
The program is working as designed. All 69 members of the 2024 EAGLE Scholars program were accepted and are enrolled in college, Rivera-Burgos said…