Soaring to New Heights: New Heights Community Resource Center

By: Javacia Harris Bowser

When New Heights Community Resource Center opened its doors in 2023, it was one of the first of its kind in Alabama. New Heights is a creative collaboration between Tuscaloosa City Schools (TCS) and local nonprofits designed to support students, their families and the wider community by addressing a host of pressing needs.

New Heights serves as a hub for several key agencies. The location also houses STARS Academy, an alternative program. By having community services on site, the STARS students, TCS students and their families can find the help they need in one place.

“This wraparound approach lets families know that whatever their problem is, we can most likely connect them with a service. If we can do it under this roof, and they make one trip to take care of everything, that’s really what our hope is,” said New Heights Community Resource Center Manager Kalissa Bormann.

New Heights is home to a dozen agencies offering a wide range of services including transportation, tutoring, mental healthcare and more. The facility also has a food pantry and a no-cost store where students can find clothes, shoes, hygiene products and other essential items.

But the New Heights team didn’t stop there.

In 2024, the Alabama Power Foundation awarded New Heights Community Resource Center two grants to further the organization’s mission. New Heights is using one award to build a pavilion and basketball court to provide a safe, inviting and family-friendly gathering space for Tuscaloosa’s West End community.

“The basketball court is really going to open a door for us to take what we’re doing with our mentoring program and escalate it,” Bormann said. The SOAR to New Heights Mentoring Program connects STARS Academy students with adult mentors from the community. Bormann hopes adding basketball will attract even more students to the opportunity, paving the way to start an afterschool program open to all students in the community.

The mentoring program is already making a difference. Bormann recalled one high school student who attended STARS Academy for 30 days and took advantage of the mentoring program during his time there. Not only did he work on developing self-discipline, but he started working to become a barber, too.

“He even volunteered to provide haircuts at our annual Welcome Back to School Bash,” Bormann said.

The student was recognized by the Tuscaloosa Police Department with a community leader award, attended the Alabama Power Youth Leadership Conference and is currently a student at Troy University.

The other grant funded a cultural enrichment program for STARS Academy students. Award winning teaching artist John Scalici led students in a series of interactive drumming workshops.

“They had a blast,” Bormann said. One of her fondest memories is of a first grader who’d had trouble adjusting after his mother had a new baby. He began acting out and was sent to STARS Academy. During a drumming session, this student had a breakthrough.

“He was with the big kids, and he wasn’t always following cues, but he sure thought he was. It was the cutest thing ever,” Bormann said. “It was amazing to watch him and see how much joy he got out of these moments.”