SWAC and HISD partnership provides opportunities for students

The fever of March Madness comes to Houston this week with the Southwestern Athletic Conference 2015 Toyota SWAC Basketball Tournament, and HISD students are in the middle of all the activity. While the university teams vie for the SWAC Championship, elementary students will participate in a basketball clinic, and high school students can gain points with universities at the SWAC College Expo.

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Through HISD’s ongoing partnership with SWAC, this is the second year students have participated in kid-focused events during the SWAC Basketball Tournaments and have opportunities to attend the games.

On Tuesday, March 10, 75 HISD students from Red Elementary, Pleasantville Elementary, and The Rusk School participated in a SWAC Basketball Clinic, taught by SWAC coaches and basketball players. This is the first time elementary school students were included in the activities, and the first basketball clinic to result from HISD’s partnership with SWAC.

The free College Expo will take place during the basketball tournament on Wednesday, March 11 and Thursday, March 12, beginning at noon each day at the Toyota Center. So far, more than 600 HISD students are scheduled to participate. Recruiters from all 10 SWAC schools will be on hand, and prospective students are asked to bring their official school transcripts and all available standardized test scores.

Men’s and women’s basketball teams from Texas Southern University, Alabama State, Southern University, Prairie View A&M, Jackson State, Alabama A&M, Mississippi Valley University, Alcorn State, and Grambling State will compete for the SWAC Championship at the Toyota Center through March 14.

Basketball March madness is also sweeping across HISD as Sterling Aviation HS Raiders contend for the State 4A Championship title in San Antonio.

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