Ann B. Stiles
Senior Director of Academic Programs
Project GRAD Houston
abstiles@projectgradhouston.org
713.201.0622 cell
832.325.0467 office
Students and Parents Get a Personal Visit from Local Educators
Project GRAD Houston, Communities In Schools, Houston Independent School District Teachers & Volunteers visit more than 10,000 inner-city
homes in a Walk for Success
(Houston, TX)- On the morning of October 8, 2005 over 5,000 community volunteers will visit close to 10,000 homes of Houston’s
inner-city, at-risk students. This annual event is called Walk for Success and is hosted each year by Project GRAD/HISD and Communities
in Schools. The purpose of The Walk is to let parents know that their child is in an HISD school that offers the GRAD program and how
they can be a part of their child’s educational future.
The 17th Annual Walk for Success home visit will familiarize parents with Project GRAD’s innovative pre-k through 16 school collaborative
effort with HISD and Communities in Schools that works with students in the elementary and middle schools in the Jefferson Davis, Jack Yates,
Phillis Wheatley, John Reagan, and Sam Houston High School feeder pattern. The door-to-door campaign visits 9th grade homes in five HISD
high schools, 6th grade homes in 11 middle schools and several grade levels in 40 elementary schools.
During the home visits, high school parents and students will be asked to sign a pledge to be eligible for a $4,000 tuition scholarship available
when students receive at least a 2.5 GPA, graduate in four years from an HISD high school that offers the Project GRAD program, attend two GRAD
summer college institutes as well as meet specific school criteria. Middle and elementary school families receive information about
Project GRAD academic support programs and the scholarship potential at their feeder high school.
“The Walk for Success is an incredible opportunity for our parents and students to hear the good news about how Project GRAD and HISD
are working to provide a quality pre-k through 12th grade education leading to college scholarships and professional opportunities,” says
Laurie Ballering, Director of Research, Project GRAD Houston
The scholarship program is the cornerstone of Project GRAD Houston, a nationally recognized education reform effort that provides additional
resources to school districts, teachers and families. Today, Project GRAD Houston partners with 69 HISD schools with 47,000 participating
students. Since its inception, Project GRAD Houston has provided over $12 million in college scholarships to 3,000 HISD inner-city students.
Project GRAD Houston, Communities In Schools, HISD Teachers, and Volunteers will meet at each of the aforementioned schools at 8:00 am for
training, and will begin their door-to-door home visits by 9:00 am. Families targeted will be those in various elementary grades notified
by their principals and all 9th graders. Walkers will then be invited to return to their neighborhood high school at 12:30 pm for a celebration
luncheon.
MORE
Funding for Project GRAD Houston’s 17 th Annual Walk for Success is made possible in part by the generous donations from Taqueria Arandas and Silver
Eagle Distributors
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