Welcome!
The preparation and achievement gaps and the digital divide between affluent and disadvantaged children is not only a challenge to global education but is also a threat to international prosperity, peace and security.
Since the late 1800’s,
Americans generally have believed in the promise and potential of
public schools to manage diversity, to disseminate knowledge and to open the doors of
opportunity. However, today many areas of the world are severely
lacking good public educational and other essential resources for poor
children and their families. Therefore globally, communities are
seeking practical, here-and-now solutions to assist poor,
"nontraditional" students and their families in navigating and
negotiating the long, complex, barrier-ridden journey from elementary
school through the completion of a higher education.
Both experts and lay people agree that public and private educational institutions work best to provide equal opportunity for all children and foster diversity when they develop or are complemented by culturally competent, coordinated, comprehensive, child-centered, community-based resources and support. A recent report by the American Council of Education suggests that this type of community-based educational support be created immediately wherever it does not exist.
In 1998, in response to the educational, social and health challenges
that poor children, their families, communities and schools face, Houston Preparatory Academy, a community-based non-profit
educational organization implemented
model is highly adaptable and applicable in cross-cultural urban settings in the U.S. and internationally.
The Model
(Click Logo for an explanatory diagram of
the U-Prep Model.)
U-Prep
provides its students and
families, pre-and in-service teachers and graduate level social work
students with year-round, campus-and community-based experiences and
services:
Academic preparation (math,
science, language arts) coupled with an emphasis on the development of
analytical and decision-making skills
Competitive sports
in the Greater Houston Athletic Conference
Career exploration
Community Service
Life Skills , drug
and violence avoidance and conflict resolution programming
Guidance,
placementand application assistance to private, vanguard and magnet
schools
Scholarships and
scholarship information
Communication
liaison with education professionals
Higher education
counseling and support
Health and social
services
Case Management and
advocacy
Dovetailing and
referrals to existing community-based programs
Continued stress and
facilitation of strong family involvement and commitment
