Aspiring Youth
After School Program

Celebrating a "decade of service" of the Aspiring Youth® After-School Program from 1992-2002.

Aspiring Youth® is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports and operates programs for at-risk youth.  Aspiring Youth's® mission is: "To Prepare Aspiring Youth to Succeed in School and in Life."  To fulfill its mission, Aspiring Youth® operates the Aspiring Youth® After-School Program, the Take A Student To your Employment (TASTE) Program and produces the "Positive Youth Development" and "Success Stories" TV shows.

A. Where It All Began

   In 1992, Justice Eric Andell, a Houston Juvenile Court Judge, and Mark Snell, Houston Young Lawyers Association president, envisioned (on the back of a napkin at a banquet) an after-school program for middle school youth during the "latch-key" hours.  They asked John Meredith to organize a Houston Young Lawyers Association committee and turn their vision into a workable program.   Beginning with founding committee members, Barbara Draper, Sam Hildebrand, Dale Wainwright and Michael Wilson, and later Fred Williams, Roland Garcia, Sheila Haley, David Mantor, Andrew Strong, Bob Stokes, Asim Bhansali and Sharon Murphy, a program was organized that is now called the "Aspiring Youth After-School Program."

B.Aspiring Youth® After-School Program

   Instead of taking to the streets when the bell rings at 3:30 p.m., middle school students take a seat to enhance their reading, mathematics, computer and arts skills.  The students interact with positive role models, build their self-esteem, and develop mentoring relationships with volunteers. 

   The Aspiring Youth® After-School Program focuses on middle schoolstudents because middle school students can use a helping hand during the transition time before high school.  Middle school teachers and coaches are hired to provide expertise in working with the students. 

   The students study the core academic subjects and have instruction from Aspiring Youth's SUCCESS Curriculum™.  They also learn about computers, develop a sense of belonging and team spirit through athletics, visit museums, colleges and local attractions on field trips and attend performances by local artists.

   After the boys and girls voluntarily put in time on positive learning, everyone spends an hour in enrichment activities including athletics, art, computers, dance and karate.  On the athletic fields, the students play team sports and learn about competition and sportsmanship. The Aspiring Youth® After-School Programs take place in the fall, spring and summer.

   At the end of each session, students compete in an academic and art contest and athletic tournament.  At the awards ceremony, a positive role model speaks on setting goals and working hard in school and life.

   The Texas Young Lawyers Association, through President Roland Garcia, Jr., adopted the Aspiring Youth Program.  The Aspiring Youth Program expanded to Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio in 1994.  In 1995, the Aspiring Youth Program expanded to nine Texas cities.

   In 1996, the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (ABA/YLD), through Chairman Jeff Paskert, selected the Aspiring Youth Program to take nationwide during 1996.  During 1996-97, the ABA/YLD expanded the program to sixteen programs in seven states. 

  In 1997, the Texas Young Lawyers Association, through President Bill Mateja and Chairperson Melody Wilkinson, expanded the Aspiring Youth Program throughout Texas.  The young lawyers responsible for that expansion included Judge Jennifer Rymell, Barett Watson and Jeff Bragalone.

As of 2009, more than 10,000 students have participated in Aspiring Youth´s programs in 33 cities in 11 states.

C.Creation of Aspiring Youth™

   Aspiring Youth of Houston and Aspiring Youth of America (originally known as the Aspiring Youth Foundation) were started in July 1997 by John Meredith and the other founding board members.   Aspiring Youth® was created to give long-term support and assistance to Aspiring Youth After-School Programs and to create new programs (like the TASTE Program and College for a Day Program) to help at-risk youth succeed.

D.Take A Student To your Employment (TASTE™) Program

    Aspiring Youth® created the Take A Student To your Employment (TASTE) Program to bring Aspiring Youth After-School Program students to workplaces. 

    As part of TASTE, students visit workplaces during the lunch hour for a "business lunch" and a discussion with the employees.  After lunch, the students tour the offices and learn what the employees do in their jobs and how they use their computers.

    The debut of TASTE took place on December 12, 1997 in twenty Texas cities and towns.   Since its inception, the TASTE Program has brought more than 5,000 students to businesses, courthouses, colleges, and law and government offices nationwide.

E.Aspiring Youth™ Media

     Aspiring Youth® operates a website that you are viewing at www.aspiringyouth.org.  Aspiring Youth® produced a TV talk show called "Positive Youth Development."  Guests have included professional athletes, prison inmates, school superintendents and more. 

F.College Scholarships

    Aspiring Youth® awards partial-tuition college scholarships annually to participants of the Aspiring Youth After-School Program. The scholarships are awarded for outstanding essays about positive role models.

G.  Recognition for Public Service

   Students and their parents have provided positive feedback about the impact of Aspiring Youth's® programs in their children's lives.  By putting the focus on the youth, the programs have stayed true to their missions and fulfilled many goals while being recognized for public service.

     For its public service, Aspiring Youth® has received a Daily Points of Light Award from the Points of Light Foundation in Washington, D.C.  The Aspiring Youth After-School Program and TASTE Program have received other local and national awards.