Community Mapping

Project!

Map of Zoned Area

Architecture: Housing and Neighborhood

Issues
Single dwelling homes were the most common in the
neighborhood.
Most properties had furniture and childrens toys on the
front porch.
Houses had unleashed dogs roaming in their yards.
Fences were rare or poor in quality
There was trash spread throughout the neighborhood.
Included: beer bottles, food wrappers, articles of
clothing, napkins, utensils, and scrap metal

There was an abandoned park

Contained a single soccer goal

Had become an overgrown wasteland

Abandoned house on W. William J. Bryan Parkway

Vacant Houses and

Businesses
There are vacant houses and
businesses throughout the
neighborhood.
The vacant houses in the area are
more than likely a direct result of
the small amount of businesses.
Without many places to work,
eat, or shop that are either
walking or biking distance it may
be difficult for low-income
families to thrive in this area.

Vacant house on W. WIlliam J. Bryan Parkway

Vacant business on W. WIlliam J. Bryan Parkway

Vacant business on W. WIlliam J. Bryan Parkway

Construction Zones
The north end of Lucky St. was closed down due to
road and multi-home construction.
The plot of land between Short St. and North Brazos
was undergoing construction to build two new
businesses.
The plot of land across the Our Lady of Guadalupe
Hall Catholic Church on Hall St. has been under
construction for almost 3 years. There are no signs
of what they will be using this land for.

Lucky St. is currently closed and under construction.

Two new businesses are being built between Short St. and North Brazos

Conversations with Community Members

Resident #1- After talking to a woman who was walking down the street, we found
that she had just moved into the neighborhood the week before. She described the
neighborhood as quiet and really enjoyed that the church she was visiting was
open 24 hours.
Non-Profit Representative: Spoke with the Vice President of Operations at the Boys
and Girls club of Brazos Valley.
When we walked into the facility there was a lot of commotion and people
running around. We were directed to the Vice President who gave us her card
and told us to email her with any questions. We e-mailed that night and got a
response by the next afternoon. (See Implications for Transition slide for the
information we received.)

Conversations with Community Members

Business Owner/ Resident #2- Talked to the owner of Bryan Marine:
How long have you been in the area?: 45 years
School system: Chuckled and rolled his eyes and responded, At least Im not broke,
His wife is a teacher and taught in Bryan and retired three years ago, stated that his wife
does not have good things to say about Bryan school systems.
His daughter-in-law used to work in the Bryan school system and transferred to CSISD
because she didnt like how things in Bryan schools were handled.
He has a son who went to Bryan High. Said he could have done a lot better if he studied,
but the school system seems to be working for them.

How is transportation in the area/getting the grocery store My wife does all the shopping
but I only live 2 miles away so it makes getting to work easy.

During our time there he had 3 customers and 2 phone calls.

Seemed to have a good relationship with customers
Works from 7:00am-7:30pm every day

Local Business Services

The retail in this area is hidden and not appealing from
the outside. Buildings were usually not maintained:
cracks in the windows, chipped paint, no signs, no AC
in the buildings, and the atmosphere of the store is
cluttered and tight. However, once you walk in you are
usually warmly greeted by whoever is working there.
Customer service is a priority for these retail centers
and building relationships with customers is one thing
the businesses strive to do.
Customers
average ages
35-55

Local business on W. William J. Bryan Parkway

Bryan Marine
City Paint and Body
Auto Insurance
Hair Salon
Sons of Hermann
Dance Hall

Community Services for Youth and

Families
Churches and Church Related Services
The church provides prayer groups and services for those that attend the church. These include adult and children bible
studies.. All of these services are positive places for youth in the community to go.

Boys and Girls Club:

The Boys and Girls Club is available for the families to bring their children for after-school programs. This facility also
provides opportunities for community service and homework help.

Transportation Services (see Student and Public Transportation)

The services mentioned above as well as the local businesses services, mentioned on the previous slide, are the main reasons that
residents in this neighborhood make-it.

Parks and Safe Place

Parks:
No designated park areas except for the abandoned grassy
area that had once been a park
Unsafe
Vultures swarming
Overgrown grass that was hiding potential dangers such
as glass and potholes

Safe Places:
Boys and Girls Club
Church Day Care

Abandoned overgrown grassy area on Saunders St.

Kid Hangouts and Open Space for Physical

Recreation
Hangouts:
in the streets while parents sit on the
porch and watch
riding bikes in the neighborhood
Recreation/Spaces for Recreation:

Church Day Care on Hall St.

scheduled events at the Boys and Girls Club and the Church Day Care
There were a few large vacant lots that we deemed unsafe for the kids in the
neighborhood to use as recreational spaces. This is because of overgrown grass,
broken glass, and unfinished construction.

Services Not Provided

There were no restaurants or grocery stores in the direct area.
Therefore, the residents of the neighborhood would have to travel either down the road to La Perla
Tapatia Meat Market or 9 minutes, by car, to get to the HEB for other necessities and groceries.
There were some restaurants in the immediate area that the residents could walk to. The owner of Bryan
Marine said his wife, prefers to eat at the Mexican restaurants downtown,

Culture and Ethnicity of the Area

The majority of the residents in the neighborhood were Hispanic
Employees were a heterogeneous mix between Hispanic, Caucasian, and African American
The tenants were predominately Hispanic and working-class.

Student and Public Transportation

While we were walking through the neighborhood we saw at least 2 buses that were being used for school
transportation.
There are 2 bus stops in our zoned area for each level of school (Elementary, Middle, and High School).
There are also city of Bryan buses that act as public transportation for the residents in this neighborhood.

Accessibility of the Area

Restaurants and Meat Market down the road
Closest grocery store is 9 minutes away by car
Roads intersect at awkward angles which makes it easier to get lost
Neighborhood off a busy road

Traffic in the Area

People were usually riding their bikes from place to place
The traffic patterns were slow
Two hours of walking around and only saw 2 cars driving within the neighborhood
On West William J. Bryan Parkway there was a steady flow of traffic, since it is a major road in the area.

Schools in the Area

The children in this neighborhood are zoned to:
Neal Elementary School
Neal Elementary school has a Spanish Bilingual Language Program
Stephen F. Austin Middle School
Rudder High School

http://neal.bryanisd.org/apps/album/

Implications for Teachers

After completing the community mapping activity, teachers gain
insight into:
1.Cultures represented in the area
2.Family priorities (Based on Maslows Hierarchy of Needs)
3.Home Deficits
4.Creating a foundation for building relationships with students
5.Knowing what resources our students have access to
6.Knowing the transition opportunities available in our students

Implications for Transition

Most of our implications for transition came from the Boys and Girls
club of the Brazos Valley. These Include:
At the Club they provide several programs for their youth that help them think about and plan their future.
One on One tutoring
Mentoring program
Smart Girls
Passport to Manhood

Boys and Girls Club provides services for ages 9-12 (Torch Club) and ages 13-18 (Keystone). Both programs involve
their members in volunteering in the community by participating in service projects.

Programs before and after graduation: Keystone, scholarship programs through Blinn College and programs that
prepare students for the workplace (how to interview, what to wear, etc.)

The Boys and Girls Club also offers scholarships such as the Swalm Scholarship to students who meet certain
requirements