hosted by Richard Lynch, HESS Corporation

YES Prep is an open-enrollment public charter school system serving students in Houston’s most underprivileged communities. They strive to empower all Houston students to succeed in college and to pursue lives of opportunity. With over 17,000 college-bound students across 20+ campuses, they are a system of high-performing public charter schools proving that students from underserved communities can achieve at the highest academic levels. In 2020, they opened their first-ever elementary schools, starting with pre-kindergarten. They elementary schools lay the foundation for student success through experiencing an engaging curriculum and focus on early literacy, language concepts, mathematics, and social skills in a safe and caring learning environment. Site visit guests had the opportunity to tour one of their newest schools – YES Prep Southeast Elementary.

hosted by Starlee Sykes, bp

TEACH provides educators with ongoing coaching and comprehensive professional development in nonverbal classroom management techniques to create positive learning environments for all children. Using TEACH strategies, educators spend more time teaching and strengthening relationships with their students and less time on classroom management. As a result, TEACH partner schools see fewer disciplinary referrals, increased instructional time and greater student success. Guests stepped into the classroom at Mitchell Elementary to see these strategies in action and how non-verbal communication helps develop socio-emotional skills.

hosted by Liam Mallon, ExxonMobil

The Children Assessment Center (CAC) provides a safe haven for sexually abused children and their families – a place where they can receive the kind of care they so richly deserve. The CAC is dedicated to providing a multidisciplinary team approach to the prevention, assessment, investigation and treatment of child sexual abuse and is committed to serving as an advocate for all children in the community. Guests toured the facility to see how their one-stop model of forensic interviewing and treatment provide a safe space for the children served. Following the tour, Spindletop was awarded The CAC’s Cherish the Child Award in honor of our nearly 30-year partnership. 

hosted by Chris Golden, Equinor

Texas Hearing Institute (formerly known as The Center for Hearing and Speech) is the most comprehensive pediatric hearing loss organization in Texas. In addition to offering specialized audiology, speech therapy, early childhood education, family support services, and professional expertise, Texas Hearing Institute provides compassionate care and hope to children and families affected by hearing loss. They strive to enable children (newborn – age 21) with hearing loss to reach their full potential by teaching them listening, speaking, and literacy skills. Spindletop friends stepped in the classrooms of the Melinda Webb School, located on-site, to witness how their services in early education allow children the best opportunity to integrate into a regular classroom.