Houston's Kids
More than 20,000 young people under 18 who were displaced by Hurricane Katrina enrolled in Houston schools. Removed from their familiar support structures, many of these students lagged behind in academic achievement. In addition, neighborhoods with a high percentage of evacuees experienced increased homelessness, gang activity and other social problems.
The America’s Promise Alliance championed path-breaking collaborations in Alief, Texas, an already distressed area that became after Katrina the new home for the largest number of Katrina evacuees in Houston, TX. Houston’s Kids focused initially on providing ongoing educational and other supports, as well as safe places with constructive use of time, on the summer months.
The program has proved so successful that it was extended year-round with more organizations joining the effort. Houston’s Kids also is today a model of cross-sector collaboration for other communities across the country.
Houston’s Kids involves partners from the public, private and nonprofit sectors, including: