Educational Resources 

County Connections Youth Summer Initiative 2021, funded directly by Harris County, supports nonprofit organizations that address the need for youth

services during the summer. Initiatives funded by the CASE for Kids County Connections program can provide comprehensive summer programs, short term projects and summer camps hosted in-person or virtually from a variety of locations including schools, community centers, apartment complexes and churches.  In addition, organizations are eligible to apply for synchronous or asynchronous college and career readiness initiatives for older youth to be delivered virtually through CASE for Kids LevelUp online learning platform.

Important Information

  • Application Deadline – Monday, May 10, 2021 by 2:00 p.m.
  • Award Amount – $5,000 to $20,000 per application
  • Grant Term Period – Monday, June 14, 2021 to Sunday, August 15, 2021
  • Award Announcement – Wednesday, May 26, 2021 via the Afterschool Zone

County Connections Request for Proposal Workshop (Optional)

To register for a workshop via ZOOM, click on the preferred date

If you are a nonprofit organization interested in applying for this funding, please go to the Afterschool Zone to download the application.

Any questions regarding this proposal should be directed in writing to [email protected].


The Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis (IUPRA) and the UT Opportunity Forum have collaborated to present: Policing and Schools: The Disproportionate Impact on Black Youth. Growing evidence regarding persistent disparities in school discipline poses serious implications about the impact of the educational experience for youth. Statewide, Black students in Texas are approximately two times more likely to experience in-school suspensions (I.S.S.), nearly three times more likely to experience out-of-school suspensions (O.S.S) and are admitted to either alternative or juvenile justice education programs at higher rates than white students. The Policing and Schools: The Disproportionate Impact on Black Youth will be a moderated panel discussion around this issue with a focus on equity and school-community solutions.

Date: Friday April 30th Time: 12pm- 2pm

Register



JOIN LIVE ON FACEBOOK & YOUTUBE

We will explore Felon: Poems, by Reginald Dwayne Betts, the 2020 selection for the Dean’s Summer Social Justice Reading Series. Betts, an award-winning author, poet, lawyer, and advocate for criminal justice reform will join us to present an excerpt of the solo show he is developing based on Felon. The work engages with the contemporary moment, mass incarceration, and the challenges of having a complicated conversation about crime, punishment, and sorrow in America.

Reginald Dwayne Betts is an award-winning author, poet, lawyer, and outspoken advocate for criminal justice reform. Betts transformed himself from a sixteen-year old kid sentenced to nine-years in prison to a critically acclaimed writer and graduate of the Yale Law School. His latest collection of poetry, Felon, interrogates and challenges our notions of justice. Longtime New York Times critic, Michiko Kukatani calls Betts’ work both “haunting and harrowing.

This presentation will occur LIVE on the Graduate College of Social Work’s Facebook and YouTube page

When: Tuesday, April 27, 2021 4:00 – 5:30 pm CST

Click for more information and registration.


The Soul Focused Group is excited to collaborate with the Human Solidarity Project and Tirza Motivates, LLC. to host our first Women of Color Virtual event, affectionately titled, InHER-Power: The Path to a Deeper Sense of Self. This event is for women who wish to uncover and transcend into their true selves.

Save the Date:
April 17, 2021 @1:00 P.M.- 4:00 P.M. EST

To Learn more about the Event and to Register Visit:https://soulfocusedgroup.com/InHER-Power


Winter Storm Resources-For Helping and Receiving Help

Mayor’s Office of Education

For live updates click this link


Resources for Senior Citizens

CLICK HERE for support from the American Leadership Forum to:

  1. transport vulnerable populations to a safe place  
  2. delivered food, water, and other needed supplies.

Crowd Source Rescue: Focus on warming vulnerable seniors facing  dangerous temperatures with space heaters and generators.

Resources for Differently-Abled

  • Houston’s Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities is partnering with CrowdSource Rescue to deliver bottled water to people who are differently-abled and don’t have access to reliable transportation. Apply at http://crowdsourcerescue.org/freeze

Resources for Homeless

  • Houston Area Women’s Center: Shelter and support services for victims of domestic violence. Phone: (713) 528-2121 or visit http://www.hawc.org/
  • Star of Hope: The Star of Hope homeless shelter welcomes donations of toiletries such as lotion, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and airbrushes, plus diapers (size 0) and pull-up diapers (size 4T and 5T), underwear for men and women (all sizes), towels and washcloths, twin size sheets and blankets. Sohmission.org

Resources for Immigrants

Hotels

  • CrowdSource Rescue: Will cover hotel for any TX people needing to pay for it if a nonprofit or organization reaches out to them. The nonprofit or organization should send an email to [email protected] with the details.
  • Harris County Sheriff’s Office If you or someone you know is without shelter and in need of transportation, call the Harris County Sheriff’s Office at 713-221-6000 and let them know you are looking for transportation with the HOT Team.

SUPPLIES-Food, water, funds

  • Mutual Aid Houston: Fill out this form if you are in need of immediate food or water due to the Houston freeze. Mutual Aid Houston will be distributing $100 via Venmo and CashApp until they hit their distribution  limits. https://forms.gle/AWoSsA8L2Y5FJXXH8
  • Free Meals for Young Children (from District H Newsletter)

Children under the age of 6 who live in 43 delivery zip codes are eligible for a Kids Meal Inc.’s free meals delivery program. Meals will also be provided for older siblings when school is out. More info on how to apply can be found here or by calling 713-695-5437 with any questions. The application is here in English or Spanish.

  • Houston Food Bank helpline: 832-369-9390
  • Water Distribution:   Click here for a list of distribution sites
  • FEMA announced federal emergency aid has been made available to individuals and business owners who sustained losses in the designated area. People can begin applying for assistance by registering online at http://www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362 or 1-800-462-7585 TTY.
  • Memorial Assistance Ministries Financial Assistance:  Financial Assistance Apply online or by phone in English (713) 574-7533 or Spanish (713) 574-7536. Must be low income and live in MAM’s zip code service area: 77008, 77009 , 77018 , 77022 , 77024, 77037, 77039, 77040, 77041, 77043, 77055, 77076, 77079, 77080, 77088, 77091, 77092.

HOME REPAIRS

  • Crisis Cleanup: Register online at https://www.crisiscleanup.org/login?from=%2F    or call 844-965-1386 to request help with cleanup or building.  Volunteers will contact you when they have resources to help. Flier contains more information in Spanish and English.
  • Greater Houston Builders Association: List of members here (searchable by the type of professional you need): https://members.ghba.org/memberdirectory
  • Disaster resource page to help homeowners rebuild with confidence. Articles on the page cover topics from tips for avoiding scammers when contracting for repairs to documentation for insurance best practices:  https://www.ghba.org/disaster-resources/

MENTAL HEALTH

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call (800) 273-8255 for English or (888) 628-9454 for Spanish.
  • Crisis Intervention Hotline of Houston: For 24/7 confidential crisis counseling. Call the general line at (832) 416-1177 or (832) 416-1199 for the Teen Talk Hotline. You can also visit crisishotline.org
  • Mental Health Support Line: This new service helps callers 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Call (713) 558-3777.

WARMING CENTERS

CLICK HERE for list of Warming Centers from the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston

Other Warming Centers:

  • Foster Family YMCA, 1234 W 34th St
  • YMCA, 5202 Griggs Rd
  • Gallery Furniture, 6006 North Freeway or 7227 W. Grand Parkway South
  • Lakewood Church, 3700 Southwest Freeway
  • National Association Church, 1605 Air Center Blvd, Phone: 832-626-7111
  • The warming center has a capacity to hold up to 500 people and is accepting pets.
  • Those who need help finding a warming center, are experiencing homelessness or who are medically dependent on power may call 3-1-1 for assistance. Those outside the city of Houston can call 713.837.0311.

Report Price Gouging:  To report price gouging or other disaster scams call 800-621-0508 or file a complaint online athttp://txoag.force.com/CPDOnlineForm.

Track Power Outages: You can track power outages at CenterPoint’s outage tracker: http://gis.centerpointenergy.com/outagetracker/index.htm

Advocacy: Make a public comment on power outages and response to the Texas Senate.

VOLUNTEER OR DONATE 

  • Volunteer Houston assists agencies who are looking for volunteers throughout Houston. For information, go to volunteerhou.org.
  • The Houston Food Bank needs nonperishables such as peanut butter, canned proteins, protein bars and other things that don’t require cooking. To register for volunteer work or to make a donation visit www.houstonfoodbank.org or call 713-547-8604.
  • Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston: This agency administers programs ranging from Meals on Wheels to Animals, and offers refugee services and promotes interfaith and community partnerships. The facilities are closed through the end of the week, but for future volunteer opportunities or to make a donation go to imgh.org.
  • Salvation Army: Offers a variety of services from disaster relief to homeless shelters, food pantries, job training and rehab. Salvationarmyusa.org
  • Text-to-Give Campaign Benefitting Houston Food Bank:  Text ABC13 to 41444 to make a donation of any amount
  • Donate Blood with the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center: The severe winter weather has caused planned blood drives to be cancelled. Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center Headquarters: (713) 790-1200 or 1 (888) 482-5663
  • Coalition for the Homeless:  working with governmental entities to ensure needs of people experiencing homelessness are met as cold front impacts our region
  • Lucille’s 1913 Community Kitchen: To help them with preparing and distributing hot meals for those in need, go to the website for donation and volunteer information. Venmo [email protected], Paypal [email protected]
  • Participate in a Supply Drive: Cajun Navy and Cajun Commissary have partnered with Gallery Furniture to organize a supply drive and distribution. They are asking for bottled water and non-perishable food and blankets.
  • Bread of Life Disaster Relief Assistance Fund: Beyonce and her BeyGOOD Foundation are partnering with Bread of Life and Adidas. Bread of Life Disaster Relief Assistance Fund offers “one-time financial assistance to those who’ve experienced a sudden or emergency-related financial hardship due to an unforeseen or unavoidable event.
  • Act Blue:  100% of your donation will automatically be split between these organizations on the ground providing immediate relief:Family Eldercare, Corazon Ministries, Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, Central Texas Food Bank, Houston Food Bank, Food Bank of West Central Texas, The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center, North Texas Food Bank, Southeast Texas Food Bank, Feeding Texas, South Texas Food Bank, and ECHO (Ending Community Homelessness Coalition)

News Articles


February is Black History Month, a commemoration that began as a weeklong observance in the late 1920s but was never meant to be confined by days on a calendar, and even though it was indeed a celebration it was also always meant to highlight the kinds of critical reflection and contemplation fundamental to the recovery of Black history. In that spirit, I want to briefly relay a calendar of events related to work in African American life and history — occasions taking place virtually at Rice in the weeks ahead, and also at other virtual venues featuring members of the Rice community. I think you’ll find the events below informative and thought-provoking. This kind of work, bearing on critically important issues in Black life and history, is continuously underway at the university, and February is always a particularly good time to get to know more of it.

Below are events, you can participate in as you are looking to learn and grow.

Feb. 22
3 p.m.
“Rockwell Lecture: Alumni Panel” with Stephen Finley, associate professor at Louisiana State University; Biko Gray, assistant professor at Syracuse University; and Margarita Guillory, associate professor at Boston University.

Feb. 25
Noon
“Rockwell Lecture: Confronting Structural Racism as Human Suffering” with Rhonda V. Magee, professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law.

Feb. 25
Join Rice’s Center for African and African American Studies, the Rice Department of History and the Department of Multicultural Community Relations in Rice’s Office of Public Affairs for a virtual lecture by Ya’Ke Smith, an award-winning filmmaker who also serves as an associate professor in the Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas. For more information contact Jan West: [email protected].

Feb. 26
1:30 p.m.
“Dangerous Creole Liaisons” with Jacqueline Couti, the Laurence H. Favrot Associate Professor of French Studies the Department of Modern and Classical Literatures and Cultures, associate director of the Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality, and affiliated faculty at the Center for African and African American Studies at Rice; Grégory Pierrot, associate professor of English at the University of Connecticut at Stamford; and Anny-Dominique Curtius, associate professor of Francophone studies at the University of Iowa.

March 4
4 p.m.
Campbell Lecture on Racial Justice: “The Stakes of Racial Justice and the Future of American Democracy” with Eddie Glaude Jr., chair of African American studies at Princeton University, eminent scholar of African American history and religion, and prominent critic and C-SPAN and MSNBC commentator on racial justice.

March 10
6 p.m.
“What if Black Women Have Always Been the Vanguard of Voting Rights?” with Martha S. Jones, Society of Black Alumni Presidential Professor and professor of history at Johns Hopkins University and its SNF Agora Institute.

March 10-April 21
7-8:30 p.m.
Facing Race: Racism, Resistance and Reckoning in the United States course from the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies.


The Harvard Graduate School of Education is highlighting the research of esteemed Black education scholars as they discuss their commitments to racial justice in education and research.

This is a community inclusive and open event, so please invite faculty, staff, students, family, friends, and community members within and outside of academia!

Please see below and the flyer attached to learn more about our panelists and their critical scholarship


If you are a high school student or the parent/guardian of a high school student, college might already be on your mind. In preparing for the future, you want to take advantage of every present opportunity.

During the Spring Semester, Education & Charities Foundation of Houston (ECFOH) will be hosting College Readiness Workshops for high school students. These workshops will cover a numbers from top industry professionals. If you are interested, please click here to register.

To learn more about Education & Charities Foundation of Houston, check out their website.


Now available as part of Amaanah’s Immigrant Health Initiative (IHI) in collaboration with Schweitzer fellows from UT Health, you can now check out the series on IHI’s YouTube channel.

The videos are available in EnglishSpanish and Arabic. While the first part is dedicated to tips on how to eat healthy, the second highlights some of the available resources including government assistance programs and the work of some local non-profits.

Please feel free to share the videos and check out Amaanah’s site for more services!

Arabic
English
Spanish