Lone Star College-Houston North thrives to not only be a community college, but a college of the community. This phrasing is not simply a play on words, according to Quentin Wright, LSC-Houston President, it is part of the college’s mission. “Naturally, our priority is the success of our students. However, we also believe we have a responsibility to the community,” said Wright.
To advance this mission, LSC-Houston North is partnering with the University of Texas MD Anderson Center to start two new initiatives. First, the college will be providing nutrition classes to seniors 50 and older within the Acres Homes community starting this spring. These classes will be part of LSC’s Academy of Lifelong Learning program. Scholarships will be provided to cover the associated tuition costs. The classes will provide tips on how to prepare quick, healthy meals using kitchen appliances such as air fryers.
LSC-Houston North will also host monthly food distributions at the LSC-Houston North Victory campus. The college has served over 100 families at each of its first three events since the distributions began in October.
“The pandemic has created new hardships for some and increased issues such as food insecurity for others. It is important, now more than ever, for Lone Star College to increase its support to the community” said Ashley Turner, LSC-Houston North’s Executive Director of Community Relations.
This comprehensive health initiative at LSC-Houston North is supported by Be Well™ Acres Homes. Be Well Acres Homes is an initiative of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in collaboration with Harris Health System, Memorial Hermann Community Benefit Corporation, UTHealth School of Public Health and more than 30 community organizations united together with residents of Acres Homes.
Be Well Acres Homes aims to promote wellness and stop cancer before it starts. The initiative is part of MD Anderson’s Be Well Communities™ model. This place-based strategy narrows the gap between known cancer prevention tactics and successful implementation. Be Well Acres Homes will apply evidence-based strategies within the northwest Houston community to promote physical activity, healthy eating, and other behaviors that can directly impact health.
In its first two years, Be Well Acres Homes aims to build sustainable food systems, increase access to healthy food, improve spaces for physical activity, create a network of community and school-based gardens, and provide culturally adapted nutrition education.
Lone Star College offers high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education to 93,000+ students each semester. LSC is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., serves as chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and has been named a 2021 Great Colleges to Work For® institution by the Chronicle of Higher Education and ranked 35th in Texas in the Forbes ‘America’s Best Employers By State’ list. LSC consists of eight colleges, seven centers, eight Workforce Centers of Excellence and Lone Star Corporate College. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.