Category Archives: Mentor

District mentorship programs celebrate over 1,300 student leaders during youth summit

Students from HISD mentoring programs Ascending to Men (ATM) and Resilient Outstanding Sisters Exemplifying Success (ROSES) were celebrated during the May 20 virtual Youth Summit RISE: Realizing I’m Someone Exceptional.

Over 1,300 students from 56 HISD campuses joined the empowering event, celebrating students in persevering through a tumultuous year of challenges and adaptations. Two sessions, one for elementary students and one for secondary students were hosted, focusing on youth empowerment, leadership, and positive self-talk. 

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HISD mentoring programs celebrate National Mentoring Month

January is National Mentoring Month, and HISD’s Ascending to Men (ATM) Project and Resilient Outstanding Sisters Exemplifying Success (ROSES) mentoring programs are celebrating by highlighting mentors and mentoring stories on their social media platforms.

National Mentoring Month is a celebration of the positive impact mentors have in their mentees’ lives. It is also a time where interest in mentorship and making a difference in the community is at its highest, with the excitement of a fresh new year and the goals and resolutions to impact others. HISD is encouraging the public to get involved and become a mentor.

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District mentorship programs, HISD PD’s C.O.R.E Team promote positive youth-police dialogues

Students from across the district participated in a virtual conversation with the HISD Police Department’s C.O.R.E Team that focused on the importance of relational policing between police and youth.

During the event, Let’s Talk: Youth Promoting Social Action, more than 150 students from HISD’s mentorship programs, Ascending to Men Project (ATMP) and the Resilient Outstanding Sisters Exemplifying Success (ROSES), engaged in dialogue and asked officers questions about how to best establish relationships with local police.

According to Officer Odell McKinney, building relationships based on trust and understanding leads to strong partnerships between officers and students that help solve problems, break barriers, and create positive environments.

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Carnegie Vanguard HS juniors create free tutoring start-up company

COVID-19 has presented several educational challenges that have exacerbated gaps in student learning, but two Carnegie Vanguard High School students saw it as an opportunity for positive change.

During the pandemic, juniors Aadhav Jai Murugesh and Levi Chen created Numerly, which provides easy-to-access, free tutoring services for students grades 3-8. Numerly’s goal is to uplift economically and medically underserved communities by making high-quality math and science education available for free.

“We wanted to do our part to help students succeed, regardless of the circumstances,” Murugesh said. “The math and science knowledge kids gain in elementary and middle school is crucial, and a strong foundation ensures that more challenging subjects are attainable in high school,”

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HISD mentoring programs celebrate students’ return with car parade supply distribution

HISD’s mentoring programs, Ascending to Men Project (ATMP) and Resilient Outstanding Sisters Exemplifying Success (ROSES), welcomed back over 600 students and their families to the new school year through socially distanced car parades.

The events, held at Kashmere, Worthing, Wisdom, Waltrip, and Milby high schools, served as an opportunity to holistically support students and families in high-need areas by supplying items to help meet some of their basic needs. The distribution of school supplies, food, and toiletries was made possible through the strategic work of HISD partnerships in collaboration with community partners Procter & Gamble and United Airlines, who donated and assembled over 1600 toiletries packs.

“With this unprecedentED situation we find ourselves in due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that the need across our city has increased, but especially for our most underserved communities,” Candice Castillo, Executive Director of Equity and Outreach, said. “We are grateful for our community partners and their support to our students.”  

Under the umbrella of HISD’s Equity and Outreach Division, HISD’s Ascending to Men Project, and Resilient Outstanding Sisters Exemplifying Success mentorship initiatives connect students from historically underserved demographics in the district to community resources and mentors. In turn, these mentors serve as positive role models and advocates providing guidance and opportunities for educational, social, and professional growth.

As the programs continue to cultivate meaningful partnerships, the public can support HISD’s mentoring programs becoming mentors for either ATM project or ROSES.

HISD launches Virtual Student Leadership Program

In response to the unique challenges presented by COVID-19, the Houston Independent School District hired nearly 100 interns to tutor students remotely this summer.

HISD quickly pivoted its traditional Summer Student Leadership Program, in which students are hired for in-person internships in a variety of departments, to providing high-quality academic instruction virtually.

The district is committed to ensuring that students have access to competitive summer employment opportunities. This comes at a time when companies across the country are rescinding previously slated student job and internship offers. Despite the circumstances, HISD students can gain paid real-world work experience, develop their soft skills, and become more competitive applicants for colleges, scholarships, and jobs.

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ROSES spring women’s forum focuses on networking, building relationships

The Houston Independent School District’s Resilient Outstanding Sisters Exemplifying Success (ROSES) project on Thursday hosted its spring professional women’s forum to discuss how strong communication and effective networking skills can shape a young woman’s life.   

The forum, which was titled “The secrets to building meaningful relationships”, was held at Kashmere High School and was moderated by ABC 13 Houston Anchor Erica Simon. Panelists included leaders in criminal justice, immigration reform, community affairs, as well as a student panelist from Navarro Middle School. 

Throughout the evening they discussed the impact that communication can have on the different relationships in a young woman’s life, especially the importance of respect in any level of relationship. 

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HISD launches mentorship initiative to empower female students

The Houston Independent School District announced its newest student mentorship program, Resilient Outstanding Sisters Exemplifying Success (ROSES), at a kick-off event on Thursday at Jack Yates High School with elected officials, community partners, and educators.  

ROSES is the sister program of the Ascending to Men Project (ATMP) and seeks to provide positive role models and advocates to underserved young women offering them guidance and opportunities for educational, social, and professional growth.   

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HISD to host Ascending to Men appreciation luncheon

The Houston Independent School District will host a special appreciation luncheon for the men and women who have served as mentors during the successful first year of the district’s Ascending to Men Project (ATMP).

The luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Friday, August 23 at the Boy Scouts of America Cockrell Scout Center (2225 N. Loop West, 77008).

Since it began last fall, the unique HISD program, which is open to male students, has provided academic, emotional, and social support to 1,088 students from 181 mentors.

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