Vol. 11
August 2022
The Future is US exists to fight for Galveston youth through community voice so future generations can meet their full potential.
Get Ready for the School Year! Supplies, Haircuts, Silk presses, Food, Entertainment and More!
Last year, the first It Takes A Village back to school event was a resounding success! We were able to provide over 140 students with school supplies for the approaching school year. As well, approximately 75 students received haircuts, silk presses, or braids. Also, all attendees were provided free breakfast and lunch.
This year, we want It Takes A Village to be an even bigger success! We are planning to increase the capacity of the barbers and hair stylists. Also, we will have food, transportation, entertainment, college prep resources, and so much more!
So, mark your calendars for August 21st and let's set up our students for success!
You can find more information and details here!
To volunteer, sign up here!
Back to School Supply Drive! At Galveston's Own Farmer's Market
Join us on August 14th at the Galveston's Own Farmers Market as we prepare Galveston's youth for the upcoming school year. We are collecting school supplies and uniforms to help us execute the It Takes A Village back to school event on August 21st (see above).
Come have fun and support Galveston's youth. We hope to see you there!
TFIU Presents the FIRST Books & Breakast!
In order for TFIU's efforts to be thoroughly integrated in the communities we want to represent, we are starting our Books and Breakfast initiative. The brainchild of Shanice Blair, TFIU will go into different neighborhoods and will provide delicious meals and free books for all attendees, with NO strings attached!
Our first Books and Breakfast will be held at the Sandpiper Apartments (location subject to change). And, the event will be hosted by Galveston native and State Representative Candidate, Keith Henry.
You can find more information here!
TFIU Coordinators attended SREB's Making Schools Work 2022 Conference!
During the week of July 18th - 22nd, TFIU Co-coordinators, Jonathan Warren and Shanice Blair attended the Making Schools Work Conference in Grapevine, TX. While there, they participated in a wide array of educational workshops focused on everything from mental health in our classrooms to colorism as an "unspoken ACE".
They brought back a wealth of information that they hope to apply to the community and with Galveston's educators.
Stay tuned for more updates about trainings that TFIU members attend!
NAMI Gulf Coast and TFIU hosted a Minority Mental Health Event!
Over 60 attendees and vendors joined us Friday July 29th for our event to bring awareness to minority mental health month and the resources here in Galveston that support minority communities.
The Follow-Up to YouthTX's Lights, Camera, Action
From Maggie Stern Youth Civic Education and Engagement Coordinator, Children's Defense Fund–Texas:
Thank you for attending Lights, Camera, Take Action! We appreciate your participation, your stories, and your enthusiasm to speak up for education.
Are you a young Texan aged 15 to 25? Learn more and sign up for CDF-TX’s free YOUthTX advocacy development program here. Are you a supportive adult ally? Share YOUthTX with young Texans in your life!
Now that you know how the State Board of Education works and the importance of an honest and engaging social studies curriculum, take a minute to write to SBOE Chair Kevin Ellis! This template email will ask you questions to help you share your story and automatically send your email to Chair Ellis, who leads the SBOE through this process. We also encourage you to copy your email and send it to your SBOE member. Find out who represents you here and then find their contact information to email them directly!
As promised, here are additional follow-up materials:
Learn more and sign up for YOUthTX
Rewatch the full recording and slide deck
Check out the full documentary The Revisionaries
Keep track of draft revisions of the social studies TEKS here. (Remember that these are DRAFTS and the SBOE still needs your input as they accept, reject, or revise these recommendations!)
More questions or feedback? Interested how YOUthTX and CDF-TX can support you in your school or community? Contact me at mstern@childrensdefense.org. And stay tuned for more opportunities to speak up for education with us!
SMART Family Literacy's Education Family Time!
From SMART:
Hi SMART Friends!
Our next educational family literacy time will be in Spanish and English on Wednesday, August 17th from 5:30 to 6:45 PM at the SMART Ranch at 6901 Avenue P in Galveston. We will be outside in the garden. Please share this link with families. Activities for this event will be designed for children six years and under. Older siblings can help us read the books aloud to the little ones.
SMART Family Harvest Time https://www.smore.com/p24rb
Hooked On Reading
Galveston's 61st Street Fishing Pier has a reading log for children 5-12!
Read 10 books and bring their completed log to the pier and receive a FREE child's admission and one adult/chaperone admission!
1000 Books Before Kindergarten!
Did you know that by reading and sharing stories with babies and young children not only helps their brain development, but strengthens your relationship with them? Research has found that reading and story telling:
Helps in developing children's brain development in concentration, focus, social skills and communication
Expands children's vocabulary! A 2019 study found that children that were regularly read to the 5years leading up to Kindergarten were exposed to 1.4 million more words.
A 2008 study found that children feel secure when read to and can support a solid parent-child relationship.
Sign up today for Rosenberg Library's Reading Challenge!
Nia Cultural Center's Harambee
Harambee means let's all pull together.
The way Harambee for Galveston's Youngest Citizens plans on pulling together is through our new program designed to assist families with Black Galveston's children ages 0 to 3 by paying parents, grandparents, and guardians $30/hour to enroll and participate in our community's children's brain development support classes. Participants then give feedback on their experience through shared decision making on how we can increase appeal and cultural relevance in these classes. Local data shows that Galveston's black children consistently experience disadvantages when it comes to health and education. Through this program we will pull together alongside our parents, guardians, and partners to bring better access for local resources.
For more information and to register, visit Harambee Interest Form.
Black to the Future! (Black History Lessons)
Learn more about Texas' Education by watching "The Revisionaries"
You can find the link to the movie here!
TFIU School Board Watch Doc!
The Future is Us’ critical goal is to effectuate policy change in GISD, so that black students, and ultimately, all children receive a quality education. However, institutional power can be adversarial at times. Therefore, it is compulsory to us as parents, youth, and Galveston community members to hold our local institutions and Board of Trustees accountable.
Through a collaborative effort, TFIU created and is making available our The Future is US SCHOOL BOARD WATCH Document. With this self-explanatory document, any interested community member can attend or watch a school board meeting, and record detailed notes and minutes, as well as assess, in real time, the quality of content in the meeting.
Once completed, please e-mail the document to info@thefutureisus.co. We will compile the information so that we can become better equipped and more effective in our advocacy for positive change and creating better GISD schools.
Thank you all in advance for your support and dedication to making sure all of Galveston’s students get the best education possible!
Upcoming Board Meetings:
(All scheduled times of meetings are subject to, and often do, change without notice.)
Check out the TFIU Toolkit!
More Upcoming Dates!
Next Steps!
Please stay informed and up to date by visiting the following links:
You're on your phone anyway...
Follow these accounts for continued education and exposure!
There are lots of ways you can make a difference in the community!
Take our Survey (QR Code below) and let us know what you think will make change in the school district.
Join the TFiU/NIA Book Club.
Become a TFiU Member!
Visit TFiU's Youtube.
Visit TFiU's Website
GISD School Board Connection
Upcoming Board Meetings:
(All scheduled times of meetings are subject to, and often do, change without notice.)
In Memoriam
Julenne Andrisee Faith Brown
October 25, 1985 - August 29, 2021
