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Aspiring Youth Program
Aspiring Youth of Houston Workplace Name: ___________________________________ Contact Name: ______________________________________ Alternate Contact Name:______________________________ Address: ____________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ______________________________________ Office Phone:________________________________________ Mobile Phone: ________________________________________ Fax Number: _________________________________________ E-mail: ______________________________________________ We can host the following number of students: 15____ 30 _______ We can participate in the TASTE Program on: 11/9/07____ 11/16/07____
We would like to be a sponsor this year: YES____ NO_____ Names as you would like it to appear in publicity: ______________________________________________________ For more information on Aspiring Youth and the TASTE Program, An Informational Meeting will be held on October 25, 2007 at noon at Powers & Frost, L.L.P., 1221 McKinney, Suite 2400. RSVP to Lisa Massey if you would like to attend.
UPCOMING EVENTS In conjunction with HYLA, Aspiring Youth of Houston, a local non-profit organization, is implementing the 10th annual Take A Student To your Employment (TASTE) Program on Friday, November 9th or on Thursday, November 15th. In order to execute this exciting endeavor, we hope that workplaces like yours will hop on board to serve as hosts and sponsors for students participating in Aspiring Youth’s TASTE program during lunch hour. We would appreciate having you join in to support our city’s students through the TASTE program. In TASTE, groups of 15-30 students go on an official school day field trip to each workplace. A teacher will accompany each group of students who are to come to each workplace by way of bus transportation. Workplaces who wish to participate in TASTE are asked to provide funding for the bus service and lunch for the students. During the time the students spend at each workplace, the employers and employees give discussions and/or presentations on jobs available at the company, what each person does in his/her position , how would one go about getting each job, and a question and answer session, followed by a tour of the workplace. At 1:30, the students return to school. WE STILL NEED AS MANY FIRMS TO VOLUNTEER AS POSSIBLE!! We will be holding an informational meeting on Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 12 p.m. at the office of Powers & Frost LLP- 2400 One Houston Center, 1221 McKinney Street, Houston, TX 77010. Come and get ideas for fun activities to do with the students! Click here for a sign up sheet. Or contact Lisa Massey at lisa.massey@cooperscully.com or Donna Tomlinson donna.tomlinson@bgllp.com for more information. The TASTE Program™ takes at-risk youth to workplaces across Students go on an official school-day field trip to a workplace. The schools transport approximately 15-30 students to each workplace around 11:30. The students eat lunches provided by the host workplace. During lunch, they discuss the jobs available in that workplace and what each person does in his or her job. After lunch, the students tour the workplace. At approximately 1:30 PM, the students will return to school. 11:00-11:30 Students arrive at the workplaces. 12:00 - 1:00 Students eat lunch with the employees. 1:00 - 1:30 Students tour the workplaces. 1:30 Students return to their schools and discuss what they learned in the TASTE Program™. Many young persons have not had the opportunity to explore horizons outside their own neighborhoods. The TASTE Program™ gives at-risk youth and employees the opportunity to interact in a positive setting. The experience is a rewarding one for everyone involved. Students, who took part in Aspiring Youth After-School Programs or who are from middle schools with low test scores, will be invited to visit the workplaces. ABOUT OUR COMMITTEE: The HYLA Aspiring Youth Committee is made up of young lawyers and other volunteers who want to make a positive difference in the lives of at-risk youth. Instead of taking to the streets when the bell rings at 3:30 p.m., students take a seat to enhance their reading, mathematics, computer and arts skills. They interact with positive role models, build their self-esteem and develop mentoring relationships with volunteers. Hired teachers and coaches spend time with the students each afternoon and community volunteers visit to provide tutoring and mentoring. Through the Aspiring Youth After-School Program, the students improve their academics and receive mentoring and tutoring from community and business leaders. They also hear celebrity guest speakers, learn more about computers, develop a sense of belonging and team spirit through athletics, and attend performances by local artists. After the boys and girls have put in time for studies, everyone heads to enrichment activities of arts, computers and athletics. The students play team sports and learn about competition and sportsmanship. At the beginning or end of each day, everyone gets a healthy snack. The Aspiring Youth After-School Programs take place in the fall, spring and summer. At the end of each session, students compete in an academic contest, an arts contest and a championship athletic tournament. At the awards ceremony, a positive role model speaks about working hard in school and life and having goals. HYLA AND ASPIRING YOUTH HISTORY The HYLA started the Aspiring Youth After-School Program in 1992 as an HYLA public service project. The Program received national recognition as the top public service project in the country, so it was expanded statewide by Roland Garcia, president of the Texas Young Lawyers Association, and nationwide by the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. The Houston Aspiring Youth After-School Program is now operated by a local non-profit known as Aspiring Youth of Houston. The HYLA and other organizations provide volunteer support for Aspiring Youth’s Programs. A number of Houston attorneys are on the board of directors of Aspiring Youth including Michael Berry (Houston City Council), Debra Ibarra (Smith, Rymer, Moore & Moos), Allen Lackey (former General Counsel for Shell Oil Company), John Meredith (Aspiring Youth of Houston), Gordon Quan (Quan, Burdette & Perez), Andrew Strong (Pillsbury Winthrop), and Mark Woolfolk (Hewlett Packard). COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS The Aspiring Youth After-School Programs could not have been such a success without the support and involvement by its many, many volunteers. For more information about this organization or to join in inspiring
Amanda Stephens, Co-chair
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