Lone Star College-Kingwood is a fixture in the Lake Houston and East Montgomery County communities through its service projects, educational opportunities, partnerships, and more.
The Texas Familias Council recently honored the college with one of five Izcalia Awards for Reviving Community for its support in the Harris and Montgomery counties. The nonprofit organization recognized LSC-Kingwood’s commitment to assisting community members through natural disasters and the pandemic while fostering hope through education and training programs.
“We believe education and public health go hand-in-hand for progress,” said Maria Baños Jordan, Texas Familias Council founder. “The college is focused on guiding families and students toward outreach programs that extend to our hardest to reach communities.”
The partnership is two-fold. The college serves as a bridge by providing academic services and workforce programs that will lead to gainful employment and brighter futures. It also allows the council to attract new resources for families and nurture intercultural experiences. Additionally, LSC-Kingwood serves as a collaborative home base for Texas Familias.
“We are honored to be recognized for our work in our community. Texas Familias Council has been an amazing partner that has helped us engage and share with new communities the educational opportunities available at our college,” said Dr. Melissa Gonzalez, LSC-Kingwood president. “We are grateful for our partnership and looking forward to more collaborations.”
The partnership between the college system and the council began in 2011, but it strengthened after Hurricane Harvey, where the focus shifted to the eastern part of Montgomery County. Since then, LSC-Kingwood and Texas Familias Council have identified and reached out to underserved communities. This work culminated in new initiatives at the college, such as the Latina Inspira Student Network and the Luz de Luna Young Woman’s Volunteerism Award.
“The goal of this collaboration is to provide students an intercultural connection in serving communities and developing their support systems as they progress through their college experience,” Jordan said.
For more information on Texas Familias Council, visit https://www.texasfamiliascouncil.org/.
Register now for credit classes online through myLoneStar. Classes are offered days, evenings, and weekends in traditional, online, and hybrid formats. For more information or to register online, visit www.lonestar.edu/registration. For general information about Lone Star College-Kingwood, call 281.312.1600 or visit www.lonestar.edu/kingwood.
Lone Star College enrolls over 80,000 students each semester providing high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education. 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.
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