Texanthropy Spotlight: Citizen Schools Texas
I was honored to attend and speak at a luncheon in April for a wonderful organization operating in Houston called Citizen Schools Texas.
Citizen Schools Texas has been serving children in Houston for eight years, and currently works in three Houston middle schools. The organization partners with local businesses to offer apprenticeships that are taught by volunteers from those local businesses. These apprenticeships expose students to successful professionals from the Houston business community. The professionals share their knowledge with the students, which allows them to connect what they are taught in school with real-world applications beyond the classroom. In addition to its corporate partners, Citizen Schools Texas also has the support of community partners. Just to name a few: The Boys and Girls Club, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and The Junior League. Citizen Schools Texas estimates that their volunteers and community partners will contribute over 1,200 volunteer hours and serve over 400 middle school students this semester. WOW!
Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott with students who are part of one of Citizen Schools Texas's programs.
The Executive Director of Citizen Schools Texas, Greg Meyers, and Lollie Ramirez-Bennett of AT&T, which is one of Citizen Schools Texas’ business partners, joined me for my Texanthropy announcement in April. I am so thankful for the work they do exposing young Texans to the many opportunities that are available for them - opportunities they didn’t even know existed.
I believe that every child in Texas deserves the opportunity to succeed, and a good education is the ladder we give our children to help them reach their dreams. Citizen Schools Texas and its business and community partners are helping provide a critical foundation for these middle school students to succeed in high school, college, and beyond. Houston is fortunate to have Citizen Schools Texas helping make the dream of a college education and a successful career a possibility for many children in Houston.