Week off provides break from the routine, opportunity to build for the future

For HISD students, families, educators, and support staff, Spring Break provides a welcome respite before the final push toward STAAR and SAT testing, grade promotions, and graduation.

But the break is also a perfect time to set aside life’s daily demands and focus time and energy on investing in your future.

We’ve talked here before about two major changes that are transforming the way we’re thinking about and structuring HISD, pre-K through graduation. Both the new House Bill 5 state requirements and our own Linked Learning model are combining career awareness with academics from the earliest level to make students ready for seamless entry into higher education and in-demand jobs.

If you’re a family, this is a perfect time to visit colleges and universities.

Parents who can’t get away from work could introduce their children or their youngsters’ friends to their job. Let them spend a few hours shadowing you, explaining what you do and the education, training, and skills required.

If you’re in middle school or high school – especially if you’re a junior or senior – browse college websites, and send off for information from those that interest you.  Explore the FAFSA.ed.gov website for the ins-and-outs of financial aid, and apply online, if you’re a senior who hasn’t already.  More than a thousand families already did during our Houston FAFSA Day at every HISD campus, but it’s not too late.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=’G0000LD0nXsShh1c’ g_name=’FAFSA-Day’ width=’600′ f_fullscreen=’t’ bgtrans=’t’ pho_credit=’iptc’ twoup=’f’ f_bbar=’t’ f_bbarbig=’f’ fsvis=’f’ f_show_caption=’t’ crop=’f’ f_enable_embed_btn=’t’ f_htmllinks=’t’ f_l=’t’ f_send_to_friend_btn=’f’ f_show_slidenum=’t’ f_topbar=’f’ f_show_watermark=’t’ img_title=’casc’ linkdest=’c’ trans=’xfade’ target=’_self’ tbs=’5000′ f_link=’t’ f_smooth=’f’ f_mtrx=’t’ f_ap=’t’ f_up=’f’ height=’400′ btype=’old’ bcolor=’#CCCCCC’ ]

And we now have dozens of scholarship opportunities, posted this week to our HISD website at http://houstonisd.org/Page/110473, that can provide money for college tuition, books and other expenses. A few hours filling out forms and providing collateral material could earn you thousands of dollars. Some of them have deadlines over our week off, so don’t delay.