REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT
From its location near the intersection of
the Bush Turnpike and Coit Road in Plano,
the brand-new campus of My Possibilities
blends glass, metal and stone in a way that gives it a
bright, modern and notably corporate feel. Ask Executive
Director Michael Thomas, however, and he’ll tell you that
the real building blocks of My Possibilities are a laser-
focus on the mission and unyielding optimism.
“At My Possibilities,” said Thomas, “we courageously and
relentlessly pursue the full, untapped possibilities of our
Hugely Important People, making every day count.”
My Possibilities is a non-profit organization that
provides adults with cognitive disabilities the chance to
continue their education. It’s the first full-day, full-year
educational program of its kind in Collin County, serving
students from across North Texas with Autism, Asperger’s,
Down Syndrome, Prader-Willi, head injuries and more.
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But don’t call them students. They’re HIPsters – short
for Hugely Important People – a powerful affirmation
that everyone has a meaningful role to play in our
community. Of the 7.2 million people who live in
North Texas, 4 percent of the population live with IDD
(Intellectual and Development Disability).
My Possibilities began as the vision of three
mothers living in Collin County who, in 2006, discovered
that no continuing education programs or services
existed to serve their young adult children with special
needs. By 2008, My Possibilities was born. Today it’s
considered a leader in vocational training, empowering
over 425 HIPsters through educational programs in
social and communication development, interdependence
and independent living skills, creative arts exploration,
wellness, and vocational education.
Through its community education programs, My
Possibilities assists organizations in engaging the
disabilities population with greater understanding.
In turn, many North Texas businesses are seeking to
partner with My Possibilities to fill a variety of positions,
from food service to IT to administrative support.
Thirty-two companies visited the My Possibilities campus
last year for its annual Day of Inclusion, and 36 HIPsters
obtained or maintained jobs in North Texas. Ninety more
participated in vocational education to hone job skills
and readiness.
My Possibilities never stops looking toward the future.
With the opening of the first building on the new
campus, the capacity of its programs can grow by 20
percent, and plans are well under way to expand
even more. A newly announced partnership with
the Ground Floor program of the United Way of
Metropolitan Dallas will create a new benefit corporation
– or B-Corp – that will allow investors to build a
retail center on My Possibilities’ highly visible campus.
This center would serve as transitional employment
opportunities for HIPsters and provided sustainability for
the organization long-term.
Granbury, Texas is in the southwest sector of the Dallas-Fort
My Possibilities
Worth Metropolitan Area. Granbury gives residents and visitors the
best of both worlds — city and country. Being in close proximity
to DFW offers a chance to enjoy small town living with access to
numerous amenities just a short drive down HWY 377.
The Commerce Centre of Granbury, a master-planned industrial
park (pictured left), has 437 acres available for development, and the
site is planned to fit the needs of many market segments including
retail, commercial, and industrial operations.
WWW.GRANBURY.ORG/ED | 817-573-1114 | [email protected]