AVANCE was awarded funds to support its nationally recognized Parent-Child Education Program (PCEP) and Adult Education services for the 2021 program year.
PCEP teaches parents how to become their child’s first teacher and how to ensure that the home is the first classroom. While parents attend parenting sessions, their children attend early childhood education.
CenterPoint Foundation Awards $20,000 to AVANCE Programs
PCEP includes four components: 1) parent education, 2) socialization through toy making, 3) community engagement and advocacy 4) monthly home visits/education.
“CenterPoint has been a generous supporter of our agency for the last 10 years, and we appreciate not only their financial contributions, but also their involvement as leaders and volunteers with our organization” – Luz Flores, executive director.
CenterPoint employees April Parra, Area Manager for Gas and Operations, and Pooja Amin Senior Counsel of Litigation, both contribute their time and talents by serving on the AVANCE Board of Directors.
This year, AVANCE is providing five PCEP classes to serve an estimated 100 parents and 120 children. Additionally, this funding will help support GED programming and resources for 50 students.
“AVANCE’S mission ties into our giving priorities of community vitality and education. CenterPoint Energy recognizes that our success – and the success of our neighbors is linked to the vibrancy of our communities. We seek to improve the areas we serve by supporting programs that encourage connections, improve quality of life and promote inclusion to help communities thrive,” says Alicia Dixon, Director of Community Relations for CenterPoint, as she affirms the company’s commitment to making a positive impact through philanthropic giving and volunteerism. “Employees participate in company-organized volunteer efforts to contribute their time and talents to causes they care about.”
Fun Fact: With more than 14,000 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 140 years. Houston Gas Light Company was organized to supply gas made from oyster shells and coal for the street lights in a coastal village in southeast Texas. That village was Houston!
AVANCE Mission: Unlocking America’s potential by strengthening families in at-risk communities through effective parent education & support programs.
AVANCE transform lives in 18 locations across Houston.
This website is supported by the Grant Numbers Early Head Start/Head Start 06CH011541, 06HP000564, 06HP000534, FRAMEWorks: 90ZB0030 and Ready for Life: 90ZD0003 from the Office of Head Start within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Neither the Administration for Children and Families nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of AVANCE-Houston, Inc. and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of Head Start.