Vol. 14
November 2022
The Future is US exists to fight for Galveston youth through community voice so future generations can meet their full potential.
TFIU NEWS!
SMART Reading Fun with SMART Family Literacy
This month, Co-Coordinator Shanice was lucky to assist SMART Family Literacy with reading to GISD students in a Pumpkin Patch at Moody Methodist and with Parker Elementary's 2nd and Pre-K classes!
Soul Food Sessions: Youth Open Mic Night!
The next Soul Food Session is fast approaching, and this session will be youth-led! The next Soul Food Session will take place on December 2nd. Stay tuned for more details!
Trunk or Treat!
Parent Lead Advocate Clara Miller gave out treats and got feedback from Galveston scholars about their GISD experience! Thank you Urban Strategies for including us!
Nia Cultural Center Mixer
Parent Lead Advocates Latrina Jones and Clara Miller with Co-Coordinator Shanice mixed, mingled, and shared about The Future is US with fellow black Galvestonian community movers!
The Future is SNACKS November 3rd
We are very excited to start our healthy snack bar at Family Service Center's 29th and Broadway location with Galveston's Own Farmer's Market! Starting November 3rd, every 1st Thursday of the month after school, we will be connecting Central Students with healthy snacks!
Nutrition supports learning!
FROM OUR PARTNERS!
Lutheran Music Academy Performed at Galveston's Oktoberfest!
The Dance Jrs and Fanfare Jrs! Under the direction of Carol Toombs and Karla White at the 2022 Galveston Oktoberfest! Learn more here!
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.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
October was a Month of Actions Against AFRICOM!
Learn more about this initiative and much more here!
INSIDE TFIU!
Black to the Future! (Black History Lessons)
The War on Drugs
As our youth are learning more about the school to prison pipeline, and the criminal justice system generally, watch this video to see the TFIU youth's focus!
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:
Check here for all GISD Board of Trustees meetings!
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
Find all GISD meeting notes and minutes, here!
View all of the GISD Board of Trustees meetings here!
In Memoriam
Julenne Andrisee Faith Brown
October 25, 1985 - August 29, 2021
