The Letting Education Achieve Dreams (LEAD) initiative at the University of Houston-Victoria recently received a $5,000 grant from the Trull Foundation in support of programs it delivers to the Palacios Independent School District. Under the grant, 100 fourth-, seventh-, and 10th-grade students from Palacios will visit UHV on separate trips tailored to each grade level.

The visits, designed to demonstrate that higher education is both accessible and affordable, will feature presentations conducted by UHV and Victoria College students trained as LEAD Ambassadors. Activities will include a multimedia interactive “Money Game” that demonstrates the link between education and future earnings.

The grant also provides for four trips by LEAD Ambassadors to Palacios ISD where they will make presentations to pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade students on the value of higher education. An additional parent/community presentation in both English and Spanish is also covered by the grant to provide information and resources to parents of Palacios students.

“We are grateful to the Trull Foundation for recognizing the value of this work and supporting LEAD efforts in Palacios,” said UHV President Tim Hudson. “Although it will be many years before some of these students fill out a college application, they benefit from connecting with the idea of higher education now. Students who feel college is a real possibility for them work harder in school and more likely to retain their focus.”

LEAD endeavors, focused on raising the college enrollment rates for the region, are a good match for the interests of the Trull Foundation. Founded in 1967, the foundation has focused on awarding grants to educational, cultural and social programs that improve the quality of life for individuals, especially those living in Texas.

For more information on LEAD programs at Palacios ISD and other schools, contact Rachel Trevino-Garcia in the UHV LEAD office at (361) 570-4146.