Vol. 12
September 2022
The Future is US exists to fight for Galveston youth through community voice so future generations can meet their full potential.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE 2022 Was a Massive Success!
Last year, the inaugural It Takes A Village was able to provide approximately 140 Galveston students with school supplies and approximately 75 Galveston students with haircuts and styles. This year, thanks to the efforts of TFIU Policy Lead, Bianca Obinyan, we were able to almost double those numbers with over 270 students receiving school supplies, and about 140 students receiving hair services! This year we were able to add some fun to the mix with a performance from Galveston's Dynamic Diva's, bouncy houses, and music from "DJ's 'R' Us!"
A HUGE thank you to the John P. McGovern Academy of Oslerian Medicine for donating school and hair supplies, SMART Family Literacy for books, Mario's Seawall Italian Restaurant for pizza, Ben & Jerry's for the ice cream, and the hairdressers and stylists for their time in ensuring our students are confident for the school year!
It truly takes a village and we could not have done it without all of our partners, volunteers, and donations that were given this year!
Texas Southern University and Battle of Bands in Houston!
We had our FIRST Youth Advisory Council Field Trip this month!
We had a tour of Texas Southern University (Go Tigers!) from a Ball High School grad, toured the Buffalo Soldier Museum, Houston Museum of African American Culture, Holocaust Museum Houston, and ended the night at The National Battle of the Bands at NRG Stadium! It was an amazing trip and the first of many!
Where should we go next?
TFIU Hosted the 1st Books & Breakfast feat. Keith Henry
What better way to start the day than with books and breakfast!? We held our 1st Books & Breakfast at the Wright Cuney Rec Center to give our community what they want: full bellies and full minds!
Hitting the Streets.
The Future is US Youth and Parent Advisory Council went door to door on August 17th to share with community who we are and our August events! Also, TFiU presented the neighborhood with a petition to gather signatures to promote the release of an equity audit conducted by the district, last school year. There was great and stimulating conversations that occurred between TFiU and the communities most effected by inequality in Galveston.
TFIU had a Blast at Neighborhood Night Out!
Galveston's Old Central Carver Park Neighborhood Association invited TFIU to their Neighborhood Night Out! It was an evening of community and fun!
Registration open at FanFare! Lutheran Music Academy!
Date: Now until Sept 6th
Location: 2415 Winnie St, Galveston, TX 77550
Slots are still open to register your child for Fanfare! Lutheran Music Academy, with some scholarships still available!
Register Here!
Smart Family Party at The Spot!
Join SMART Family Literacy as they host a SMART Family Party at The Spot September 27th at 5:30!
This fun family literacy time, for families with babies and children through 8 years old, will be in Spanish and English at The Spot Restaurant, located at 3204 Seawall Blvd.
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)
TFIU YPAC Youth Reading "Usual Cruelty"!
Are students asked to learn more about the truth about our criminal justice system. Especially, since their lives are directly impacted by that system. So, we reached out to civil rights attorney, Alec Karakatsanis, of Houston, TX.
He gifted our students with TEN FREE copies of his book, "Usual Cruelty"! And, now we are reading it and discussing it bi-weekly, at our book club. "Usual Cruelty" outlines in detail, the wrongs perpetuated on a majority of our society, through the use of the criminal justice system.
Learn more about Alec and his ideas in the video above!
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.)
(N/A at the moment. Please refer to https://www.gisd.org/board-of-trustees)
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
Wednesday, August 3rd at 6 p.m.: Regular Board Meeting Part 1
Wednesday, August 3rd at 6 p.m.: Regular Board Meeting Part 2
Wednesday, August 10th at 6 p.m.: Safety and Security Committee Meeting
Wednesday, August 24th at 6 p.m.: Regular Board Meeting Part 1
Wednesday, August 24th at 6 p.m.: Regular Board Meeting Part 2
Upcoming Board Meetings:
(All scheduled times of meetings are subject to, and often do, change without notice.)
(N/A at the moment. Please refer to https://www.gisd.org/board-of-trustees)
In Memoriam
Julenne Andrisee Faith Brown
October 25, 1985 - August 29, 2021
