Category Archives: Summer programs

Summer Reading Program an opportunity to hone literacy skills, spark imagination

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The Houston Independent School District is challenging students to use the power of reading combined with the power of their imagination to go on an unforgettable journey through the district’s Summer Reading Program.

HISD is teaming up with the Houston Public Library and myON, a digital library where students can access more than 5,000 free books, to launch the initiative, which challenges students to read a minimum of five books during the summer. The program also encourages parents and students to spend time reading aloud together — even if it’s just a few minutes each day.

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DiscoverU expands the number of educational travel opportunities for HISD students

DiscoverU has increased the number of partnerships it has with HISD schools to seven for the current school year, allowing even more students to expand their horizons through foreign travel, college campus residencies, business internships, and more.

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Campus, district leaders share best practices at PLS 2015

Campus and district leaders are getting ready for the start of the new school year by sharing best practices and learning some new ways to help students succeed.

The Professional Learning Series 2015 was held at NRG Park in early August, and Sessions were designed to connect HISD’s leader competencies with Global Graduate competencies, as well as the district’s core initiatives of Global Education/Dual Language, Linked Learning, Literacy By 3, and PowerUp. Continue reading →

Former students volunteer at Summer School Program

They may have left their middle-school days behind them, but that doesn’t mean high-schoolers can’t still go back to mentor those who now occupy their old seats. That’s why former students of Johnston Middle School are currently serving as volunteers at the Summer School Program.

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Migrant students set their sights on college

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Migrant students may not always live conventional lifestyles, but that doesn’t mean they don’t share the same dreams as other young people—such as getting a college education. That’s why HISD students who qualify for assistance through the district’s Migrant Educational Program have spent the past few weeks touring Lamar, Texas A&M, and Sam Houston State universities in order to learn more about the college application process. They concluded their tours, which were organized by the Office of College Readiness, with a trip to Stephen F. Austin University (SFA) in the East Texas piney woods on June 30.

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Hands-on STEM camp gets students excited about careers

Dozens of HISD elementary and middle school students spent the first month of the summer break at a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) camp at M.C. Williams Middle School.

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Campers, who are in grades 2–8, had daily team-building sessions during the program, which ran from June 2–26. They also learned how to code video games, and built rockets that they launched on the last day of camp. Continue reading →

Students embark on the road to independent living

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This June, HISD is teaching young people to be part of a community beyond the classroom.

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DiscoverU providing HISD students with global education opportunities

Turning out global graduates is the mission of HISD, and Houston-based nonprofit organization DiscoverU is helping the district achieve that goal. Forty-four HISD students completed college and career preparatory programs worldwide during the 2014–2015 school year, and more than 200 more are taking advantage of programs this summer.

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New bookmobile taking HISD’s literacy message on the road

Librarians Alice Hedstrom (Almeda ES), Cheryl Hensley (MacGregor ES), and Jo Ann Reed (Scroggins ES) and Library Specialist Gloria Dennis get ready to take the bookmobile on the road. Photo courtesy Muses3, LLC.

Librarians Alice Hedstrom (Almeda ES), Cheryl Hensley (MacGregor ES), and Jo Ann Reed (Scroggins ES) and Library Specialist Gloria Dennis get ready to take the bookmobile on the road. Photo courtesy Muses3 LLC.

Children living on the far north and south sides of Houston have a new reading resource this summer—and it will be coming to them.

HISD’s brand-new bookmobile will be visiting city parks in the North Forest and Sunnyside communities on alternating Fridays to provide children with a chance to pick out their own reading materials without having to visit a library.

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