Photos by Bogdan Sierra Miranda/The Collegian
By Jamil Oakford/editor-in-chief
Sixth-grade students teamed up with university and college students on South Campus to work with the Generation Hope program.
Generation Hope, founded in 2009, helps middle school and high school students with academic programs like math and science through projects and field trips.
In the partnership struck between Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business and TCC’s continuing education, college students can participate in service learning while helping middle-school children succeed in math and science.
“[TCU] Professor Randal Lewis brought it to my attention that the community had a need for more help,” South community outreach coordinator Jonathan Davis said. “It just seemed like a perfect fit.”
TCU and TCC volunteers help students from Johnson Sixth Grade Center in Everman ISD. Sixth-grader Christian Reyes is new to the program this year but has high hopes.
“I’m excited because it’ll give me an opportunity for a better future,” he said.
The college students help the sixth-graders with an engineering program as part of their Generation Hope project.
“We work on PowerPoint and Word,” sixth-grade student Ashley Morquecho said. “We’re working on building a rollercoaster next.”
Davis explained through PowerPoint that Generation Hope has produced many award-winning, student-driven projects in science.
“We essentially create projects that are geared toward the program’s mission,” he said.
And each semester teaches him how to better assist students.
“Every year is a learning process,” he said.
Photos by Bogdan Sierra Miranda/The Collegian
Generation Hope doesn’t just help with class projects. TCC, TCU and the middle school students can expect countless field trips paid for by the program.
“In a couple weeks, we’re heading to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History,” Davis said.
On top of that, trips to Lockheed Martin, SE Campus, downtown Fort Worth, the University of North Texas and the University of Texas at Arlington are expected.
Many sixth-grade students like Yadira Ruedas joined the program because they thought it would be fun. Though it’s an engineering program, Ruedas doesn’t mind keeping her future open.
“I thought it was going to be fun, so I did it,” she said. “But I want to be a fashion designer when I grow up.”
For more information on how to get involved with the program, contact Davis at 817-515-4157.
