Nonpro t
BY EMILY LINCKE
Program participants volunteer in the local community.
The mentorship program includes civic engagement.
Lake Houston Outreach oers mentorship and community service opportunities to Humble ISD sophomores.
PHOTOS COURTESY LAKE HOUSTON OUTREACH
Lake Houston Outreach oers student mentorship
Lake Houston Outreach—a volunteer-run nonpro t—aims to ll knowledge gaps for Humble ISD sophomores and inspire the next generation of leaders, Lake Houston Outreach President Beth Hancock said. In a nutshell While the organization was founded in 2019, nonpro t leaders said they really found its niche with the launch of the Youth Leadership Academy—a student mentorship program—in September 2024. “We wanted to train up the next generation of leaders so that they could contribute back to the Lake Houston community and it doesn’t end with us,” Hancock said. The program helps students learn skills including: • Managing budgets • Civic engagement • Navigating career path/college selection • Job interview skills • Letter and essay writing, • Applying to jobs and colleges Lake Houston Outreach ocials decided to target high school sophomores because they felt it allowed enough time to help students before graduating, Chair and Treasurer Andrea Low said. Ocials noted about 40% of the nonpro t’s partic- ipants are students who might not have support at
home or are underserved. “Once they’ve gone through our program, not only do they have the skills that they’ve learned, but they have a network in the community that they might not have had otherwise,” Low said. Diving in deeper Under the Youth Leadership Academy, students meet with their adult mentors about once per month, Hancock said. The six-hour sessions also include community speakers and meals for students. The program takes about 40-50 hours total to complete, and students must apply and interview for the program before being selected. Lake Houston Outreach volunteers and students also give back to the community through o-site service projects, Hancock said. Last year, the stu- dents organized a trip to help a veterans community with its garden. “[The students] give me so much hope ... they’re just really awesome humans,” said Megan Waldrop, Lake Houston Outreach’s executive director. “I feel like we as adults get just as much out of this as the kids do.” Looking ahead Looking ahead, the nonpro t hopes to grow the mentorship program beyond one school district, and also oer life skills classes to the general community, Waldrop said.
Lake Houston Outreach hosts fundraisers to help support its mission, including a gala planned for April 17.
Need to know
Six hours per month will be spent mentoring students Additional time will be spent on community service projects
How to apply
Download an application from Lake Houston Outreach’s website Fill out the application and email it to applications@lakehoustonoutreach.org If chosen, applicant will be interviewed by the selection committee
How to volunteer
Email info@lakehoustonoutreach.org
SOURCE: LAKE HOUSTON OUTREACHCOMMUNITY IMPACT
www.lakehoustonoutreach.org
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LAKE HOUSTON HUMBLE KINGWOOD EDITION
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