Promise for Their Future: Art and Science Scholarships

Associate degree graduates earn an average of 32 percent more than high school graduates.

Our Challenge
To remain economically healthy and vibrant, East Harris County relies on talented engineers, geologists, chemists, biologists, and other scientists. Similarly, the visual and performing arts provide quality of life which attracts businesses and families to our area and helps to keep them here.

Today, many of East Harris County’s kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) students who could become our future scientists and artists dream of improving their lives through higher education, but to them it seems an impossible dream. Their families simply cannot afford to pay for them to attend college. These families earn more than is allowed to qualify for federal assistance but not enough to pay for anything other than the necessities. Too many in our service area view college as an unaffordable luxury. These students, who are above poverty but below middle income, need scholarship opportunities in order to pursue their dreams and achieve their goals.

Our Solution
We must help these “between” students realize their potential by providing them with the funds they need to complete their college education.  In order to open the doors of opportunity to these young students, especially those who show ability and interest in the sciences and arts, San Jacinto College Foundation proposes a new “Promise for Their Future” scholarship to provide hope and opportunity to these talented young people.

Our Record of Success in Science and Art Education
San Jacinto College is focused on student success, helping students achieve their academic goals by providing excellent teaching and learning throughout all areas of study. In an effort to give our students every possible learning opportunity, the College has formed partnerships with the industries we serve including petrochemical, maritime, allied health, and aerospace.

Since 1996, San Jacinto College has enjoyed a close relationship with Johnson Space Center through the Aerospace and Biotechnology Academy. Our partnership with the Johnson Space Center has allowed San Jacinto College to provide educational opportunities to elementary, secondary and post-secondary faculty and students through teacher training, summer camps for students in space exploration and the sciences, training, and professional development opportunities for employers and staff.

In addition, the College has been a partner with the petrochemical industry to form EnergyVenture Camp, a weeklong summer camp targeted at middle school students, focusing them on the energy industry and the career opportunities available in this industry. The program not only opens the minds of students to the world of energy and science; it also helps fill the pipeline of future workers.

As San Jacinto College is beginning to work more closely with the maritime industry, we will also begin a maritime summer camp in 2010. Through our partnership with the maritime industry and the Houston Ship Channel industries, students will learn about the many lucrative careers available in the maritime industry, while touring ships, learning about handling cargo, and navigating the ocean on a ship simulator.

San Jacinto College also provides excellent learning opportunities for students interested in a career in the arts. Students are able to develop and refine their skills in small classes taught by creative and accomplished instructors – including Sandi Morgan who was named the 2009 Pasadena Chamber of Commerce Artist of the Year. The College offers quality training, certificates, and degrees in the visual and performing arts, including the areas of drama, dance, interior design, drafting, journalism, music, speech, English, commercial art, multimedia animation, visual communication, audio engineering, and broadcast audio technology. Theater performances, art exhibitions, and college publications of student and faculty work are a regular part of the arts program, as well as campuses hosting scores of visiting artists.

Our Time is Now
San Jacinto College is committed to the citizens of East Harris County, its students, and academic excellence. Every dollar invested in scholarships today changes lives and provides economic prosperity to local families and communities through a trained workforce. Education improves the quality of life for the entire community and enriches individuals and their families.

Our Initial Goal: $250,000
Our goal is to raise $250,000 by January 2010 to create the “Promise for Their Future” scholarship fund.  This fund will provide scholarships (tuition, fees, and books) for up to 10 students to complete their certificate or associate degree programs beginning in the 2010-2011 academic year.  We will announce the creation of the scholarship on January 22, 2010, at the presentation of The Planets – An HD Odyssey, sponsored by San Jacinto College and the Houston Symphony.This world premiere presentation of Gustav Holst’s The Planets, will be under the baton of conductor Hans Graf, and celebrated producer / director Duncan Copp. 

This marriage of science and the arts provides an opportunity to introduce young and old alike to a cultural evening that fuses science and music.

The concert will be attended free of charge by hundreds of science and arts students from San Jacinto College and local independent school districts. As our special guests, these students will be exposed to a unique concert and multi-media presentation that blends the beautiful melodies of the Houston Symphony with the mind-stretching wonder of the planets in our galaxy and beyond. They will also be encouraged to “reach for the stars” through the announcement of the “Promise for Their Future” scholarship.

After reaching our initial goal, San Jacinto College will stretch beyond, as we are asking our students to do, and continue our fundraising efforts to reach our next milestone, which is to endow this program at the $1 million level. At this level, San Jacinto College will provide a renewable fund to guarantee “Promise for Their Future” scholarships to local students long into the future.

Please join us by investing in the future of these talented young people who will help to ensure the future vitality of East Harris County.