Project GRAD Houston Receives ARRA Grant to Fund Parent Empowerment Program
Project GRAD Houston has been awarded an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grant from the Gulf Coast Community Services Association (GCCSA) to implement a “Parent Empowerment Program (PEP) – Putting ‘PEP’ in Parents’ Steps Forward!” In addition to providing college access programs and $4,000 college scholarships to high school students at Davis, Reagan, Sam Houston, Wheatley and Yates High Schools in the Houston Independent School District (HISD), GRAD recognizes the value of educating parents as critical to breaking the cycle of poverty and transforming lives. The PEP initiative supports President Barack Obama’s ARRA goals to save and create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and build a foundation for long-term economic growth.
The purpose of the PEP is to empower parents of students attending GRAD partnering schools to make meaningful and measurable progress in creating and sustaining economic growth and employment opportunities for themselves. PEP Outreach Advocates will be hired as part-time staff to recruit parents to attend free GRAD Parent College Prep workshops designed to equip parents to effectively advocate for and pursue educational opportunities. The Parent College Prep workshop series will address topics such as career exploration, local community college offerings, and college application and financial aid application processes. In addition to recruitment responsibilities, Outreach Advocates will also be offered scholarships to attend workforce certificate, community college, or university courses in order to improve their employability, while setting an example for their children and other parents in the community. Additional parents who complete the Parent College Prep workshop series will qualify to receive a limited number of scholarships to further their education at a local college/university or in a professional certificate program. A GRAD Parent Trainer will be hired to design and deliver the Parent College Prep workshops and to develop parent communication and recruiting strategies with the PEP Outreach Advocates.
Individuals interested in applying for either the PEP Outreach Advocate or Parent Trainer positions can find more information on the GRAD web site: www.projectgradhouston.org. Applications will be accepted until November 10.
Project GRAD has spearheaded a college-bound culture and is impacting the lives and futures of over 121,900 students from low-income communities across the country. Project GRAD Houston works in collaboration with the Houston Independent School District, serving 67 HISD schools with approximately 45,000 participating students. Since its inception in 1994, Project GRAD Houston has offered over $16 million in college scholarships to more than 4,000 HISD inner-city students in the Davis, Reagan, Sam Houston, Wheatley and Yates High School feeder patterns.
To volunteer, or for more information, please visit our web site at www.projectgradhouston.org.
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