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Aspiring Youth Founder and Chairman John Meredith
at “Youth Development and Outcomes” Conference
   
             
     
John Meredith is giving a keynote talk on Thursday, May 29th at the annual “Youth Development and Outcomes” Conference just outside Washington DC. The 2008 “Youth Development and Outcomes” Conference is being held at The Performance Institute, in Arlington, VA for 3 days (May 28 – 30) this week. This popular event was quickly sold out! Each day presents a new keynote speaker and several workshops which are designed as an interactive way for participants to learn.
    
             
   
On day two Aspiring Youth Founder and Chairman, John Meredith, delivers the Keynote Address: Engaging Young People. His presentation stresses that today’s youth are our most valuable resource. “Our youth hold the key to the future of our communities, our nation and our world. Engagement of young people as leaders and decision makers in projects, programs and organizations is crucial to our society’s growth.” Please click on the image above to see his full presentation.
    
             
 
 
             
   

Aspiring Youth Attends “Kids’ Day” at Hewlett Packard

   
             
    slideshow for Kids Day at HP  

On Thursday, May 8th, Aspiring Youth students from B.C. Elmore Middle School attended “Kids’ Day” at Hewlett Packard. HP is known for its philanthropic efforts across the country, and on this day, students from all qualifying schools participated in the marketing and robotics competitions. Participating students arrived at the HP Headquarters Visitors Center where they received instructions for the day and were treated to breakfast and lunch along with prizes from ticket drawings where everyone was a winner including the teachers and chaperones.

    
             
   

Our Aspiring Youth students named their company “Macro-Diversity: Robot Enterprise” and put their robot named “Bird Vumanoid” (a combination of boy, girl, vehicle, human and android) through a series of contests against the other schools. It was a lot of fun for the students, and speakers from HP and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) came to discuss career opportunities in robotics. They revealed new and innovative equipment and software; and afterwards, awards were presented to the winners of the marketing and robotics competitions.

    
             
   
             
   

Aspiring Youth Takes Part in Historic Law Day Luncheon

   
             
     

Fifty years ago President Eisenhower proclaimed the first law day a “day of national dedication to the principle of government under law”. In celebration of the 50 year anniversary, the Houston Bar Association and Houston Young Lawyers Association hosted a luncheon on May 2nd at the Four Season Hotel downtown. The HBA and HYLA invited Aspiring Youth to take part in this historic event.

   
             
   
Students from the Aspiring Youth After-School programs in B.C. Elmore and Kirby Middle Schools were able to share in the excitement, and a student from B.C. Elmore led the pledge. The students had the opportunity to hear speakers talk about the importance of people, of law, and a system advocating the rights and safety of children. It was a wonderful, inspirational and educational event for all in attendance.
    
             
   
             
   
Aspiring Youth Students Enjoy Art at Jackson
   
             
     
Aspiring Youth students at Jackson Middle school enjoyed a semester of art training by the University of Houston art student Alejandro Ramirez. Alejandro spent two hours, three days a week, tutoring students in their academic subjects and teaching them art. The students learned about the different kinds of techniques used in painting, the different kinds of painting and so much more.
   
             
   

With every lesson students completed a corresponding project. The last project was about landscape paintings, and the students painted their own landscape pictures. Featured above is landscape by student: Elizabeth Hernandez.

    
             
   
             
   
“Map to Success” Poster Contest Held at Kirby
   
             
     
This “Map to Success” poster contest was kicked off with a discussion about what success means. The students named different things they recognized as being successful, such as money, finishing education, happiness, family and more. Site assistant Brandon Roberts introduced the ABC’s of success, from “Avoiding negative and harmful situations” to “Zero in on your target, and go for it”.
    
             
   

The students then took what was discussed and applied it to their dreams and aspirations. Each student did a poster as well as a short paragraph explaining their path to success. Poster contest winners were:     
                                    1st Prize: Jeffey Kelley, Deon Valerio and Brandon Hilton
                                    2nd Place: Ashley Fisher, and 3rd Place: Jaqueline Kelley.

   
             
   
             
   
Aspiring Youth Students Rewarded
with Houston Astros Game
   
             
    Slideshow for Houston Astros Game  
Last month Aspiring Youth partnered with the Houston Astros to provide fifty tickets for students. On April 22nd, Marshall Middle School attended the Tuesday night Houston Astros game as their end of the year reward for successful participation in the Aspiring Youth After-School programs.
   
             
   

The students had a fun filled day eating hot dogs and cheering their local baseball team on to victory with an 11-7 win over the San Diego Padres. In support of the Astros Play Green™ campaign, the Houston Astros picked Earth Day to jumpstart their campaign by wearing green caps to honor the importance of saving and protecting the environment.

    
             
   
             
   
Aspiring Youth of Houston’s Donors’ Thank You Corner
   
             
     
Aspiring Youth of Houston would like to thank our many donors in 2007 for giving to our organization for the present so that we may prepare our youth for the future. We believe that a helping hand at the right time can make a lifetime of difference, and It is our many donors that make the Aspiring Youth After-School Program possible.
   
             
    We thank:
Abrams Scott & Bickley
Arthur Baird
Baker & Hostetler
Bernard Weingarten
Brenda Peters
Brett Hamilton
Bruce Hurley
Charles E. Bacarisse
City of Houston
CRC Foundation
Cyndi Frederick
Dannenbaum Engineering
David & Karen Cecil
David & Tracy Wegner
David and Annette Tripp
David K. Oelfke
David Nelson
Debra Ibarra Mayfield
Desmond Carter
DMJM Aviation
Donald & Lois Terry
Donna Tomlinson of HYLA
Doug & Puddie Pitcock
Doug Dawson
Elly Terpening
Fred & Kellye Williams
George Mitchell
Gloria Sanderson
Greenberg Traurig
Gulf States Toyota
Gus Blackshear
Harris County Sports Authority
Houston CPA Society
Hughes, Watters & Askanase
James Meredith
James Robertson
Jane B. Owen
Jazreel Lee & Dominic Yap
Jeff Love
Jefferson T. Frazier
Joe & Nina Brown
John Mouer
John P. McGovern Foundation
John T. Shelton
Jonathan Lack
Judge Caroline Baker
Judge Joseph 'Tad' Halbach
Julie Baumgarten
Karen Davis
Katherine Lyons
Kelly-Ann Clarke
Kenneth Simon
   Larry Harris
LegalPartners L.P.
Lenoir M Seelhorst
Lisa Massey of HYLA
Locke, Liddell & Sapp
Margot Cater
Marilyn M. Biles
Mark & Janice Singleton
Mark Woolfolk
Mary Luck
McConnell Jones Lanier & Murphy LLP
Michael Donaldson
Michael Wilson
Mike & Carolyn Mann
Missouri City Chapter of The Links
Morgow Barsi
Port of Houston Authority
Power & Frost
Raymond McCall
Regina Rogers
Rick & Jan Bays
Rob & Chris Ammons
Robbie & Gary Raker
Robert B. Hurley
Ron Denis
Roy Huffington
Safeway Incorporated
Sharon Murphy
Shell Oil Company
Shirley and John Meredith
Silver Eagle Distributors
Sofia Adrogue, PC
Spindletop Charities
Strake Foundation
Susan & Larry Kellner
Susan Pennebaker
Suzanne Kupiec
The Ammons Law Firm, LLP
The Children's Fund
The Henley Foundation
The Powell Foundation
The Shelton Foundation
The Texas Financial Group LP
The Williams Companies
Thomas Pradel
Union Pacific Foundation
W.P. Zivley, Weycer, Kaplan, Pulaski & Zuber
William & Stephanie Smith
Williams, Kherkher, Hart & Boundas, LLP
World Oilman's Tennis Tournament
Yetter & Warden, LLP
Zarine Boyce
Zinn Petroleum Co.		    
             
             
   
             
   
www.aspiringyouth.org
    
             
   
See our previous e-newsletters
   
             
   

Aspiring Youth's mission is to prepare at-risk youth to aspire to and attain their highest degree of success in school and in life. To fulfill our mission, Aspiring Youth focuses on the middle school years when children are transforming from childhood to teenagers. The choices made during the pre-teen years are the foundation for each student's future success.

Aspiring Youth supports the following events:

    
   


College for a Day
TAKS Olympics
Map to Success Contest
Summer Program

   
Ammons Scholarship            
Take A Student To Your Employment Program
Trash Bash Public Service
College Scholarship Essay Contest 		   
             
   
             
   

If you live in a city with a Randall's Food Store, Randall's will donate 1% of your grocery purchases if you enter the Aspiring Youth® number (number 5130) and use your Randall's card with your purchases. 

Kroger Food Stores will also donate 1% of your grocery purchases if you use the Aspiring Youth™ Kroger card with your purchases (please let us know if you would like for us to send you a card to use at Kroger).

Donations to Aspiring Youth® are tax deductible to the extent allowed for 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations.  Clothing and small home items donations can be made by contacting Central Donations at 713-948-2828.

Thanks for being part of the solution!

   
             
   
             
    ASPIRING YOUTH OF HOUSTON
6250 Westpark Drive, Suite 217
Houston, Texas  77057
Phone:  713-334-3330
Fax:  713-334-3366
E-mail:  office@aspiringyouth.org
To make a tax deductible donation,
please click the link below.

   
              
   
   
   


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