Houston Institute for Culture is embarking on the greatest adventure in the upcoming decade. We want you to come along.
We are building the group of founders of the Houston Museum of Culture from across Houston's diverse communities. The museum will be the most important informative and entertaining attraction in Houston. It will provide visitors with quality content and impactful programs on par with major cultural institutions like the Smithsonian, the Museum of New Mexico, and Singapore's Museum of Asian Civilizations.
As a city, we have long forgotten to tell the world about Houston as one of the most unique places on Earth - a place where people from all over the world come together. The potential for this museum in Houston is enormous, including such vital topics as: modern interaction of people of diverse backgrounds, religions and languages; exploration of major ways-of-life impacts and the past, present and future of energy and transportation; and, the more ethereal issues of modern life, like the economy and the environment. Tourists and even Houstonians who haven't developed a full appreciation for the diversity of the city will explore regional food traditions, the confluence of many music styles, and distinctive cultural arts inspired by the city's relative modernism. The possibilities and benefits to the city and region are endless.
Developing Effective Youth Programs
By examining the larger social, cultural and economic impacts on youth, we are getting away from the easy critiques that kids can't learn or teachers can't teach. We are developing innovative education programs to address the needs of growing numbers of at-risk and marginalized youth. Our youth programs focus on civic engagement, media literacy and life skills. They empower youth to pursue education and change their communities. The benefits of reduced dropout rates, increased academic interests and community responsibility are not only for individuals, but for the greater good of the entire city.
Our youth camp programs, including Camp Dos Cabezas and Camp Chaco, provide children from at-risk communities with the experience of a lifetime to help them achieve success in their lives. The programs promote broad interests, lifelong learning and prepare students to apply for scholarships to attend college. A major goal is to establish a permanent camp in the Four Corners region to increase the numbers of participants through involvement of more educational and non-profit organizations. An education center will promote cross-cultural experience and cultural exchange with youth from different parts of the country. And there will be opportunities for collaboration with academic departments from local universities, working in areas such as geosciences and climate change.
There are many more exciting projects on the horizon, including visionary arts events and festivals, public history projects, and conferences to explore imperative issues in our lifeways and social networks.
Please provide contact information and areas of interest at this link to help build these provident institutions that will be critical to Houston's future.
http://www.visionforhouston.org/volunteer.html
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If you would like to make an impact right away, please join us for a scholarship dinner on July 28. It is a great opportunity to learn about Houston Institute for Culture's innovative programs and the right time to get involved in the most important vision for the city's future. The July 19 deadline to RSVP is fast approaching.
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Please join us for a youth benefit on July 28 at Post Oak Grill.
Hosted by Literal-Latin American Voices Journal and Chef Polo Becerra's Post Oak Grill, the Camp Dos Cabezas Scholarship Dinner will provide the opportunity for Houston area youth to attend the educational adventure camp.
Dinner guests will learn about the benefits of the camp for the city and region. With up to one million children across the region turning 18 over the next decade, programs that provide opportunity and inspiration for youth are critical. Houston Institute for Culture after-school programs and camps improve student capabilities and engage children in community wellness by empowering them to use their ideas and their voices. Most importantly, the programs raise the students' expectations for themselves, their peers and their communities.
Students who attend Houston Institute for Culture camp programs would not have opportunities like these, as most experience tremendous economic hardship and spend their summers at home watching television. By applying for a scholarship to attend camp, they are learning about the scholarship process and requirements when this information is most impactful, before they start high school. This gives them the knowledge and motivation needed to graduate form high school and attend college.
Most of the students will be the first in their families to do this. Many of the students feel their limited opportunities are already determined for them. A few even feel like they don't deserve good things in their lives, like the opportunity to travel to a camp. The tenuous existence of many of the students and their families make this an enormous, but necessary challenge for our organization to provide youth programs in many of the city's most disadvantaged communities.
Working with students in their formative years in these communities is like planting seeds that will make the communities stronger over time. The more seeds we plant, the more improvements we will see in these communities.
Please join us at the scholarship dinner. You will learn more about the students and the communities they come from. And you will learn about the organization's goal to create a permanent camp to host increased numbers of students through participation by more educational and non-profit organizations.
You can read the scholarship chairperson, Rose Mary Salum's message on line. You will also find pictures and links to camp slide shows.
http://www.doscabezas.org
Read a description of HIFC's youth camp program:
http://www.doscabezas.org/desc.html
And you can RSVP conveniently on line at:
http://www.doscabezas.org/rsvp.html
You will receive a confirmation email with donation payment options. The event takes place at 6:30pm on Wednesday, July 28 at Post Oak Grill, 1415 S Post Oak Lane.
http://www.mapquest.com/mq/6-TcmhNVDwiS8hVGep
Thank you for supporting this important youth program. Please contact us with any questions.
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