Nehemiah Center, Inc.

Although the Nehemiah Center begins with educating the child, we are very good at taking a holistic approach to supporting families of low socio-economic status. Unlike other educational organizations, we understand that the parent must be engaged in the process if the child is to succeed. Our mandatory parent education classes coupled with required volunteer hours make the parent accountable to be invested in the child's education. Clients pay minimal program fees for their child. If they are unable to pay, then they may volunteer at the Center to replace the fee until they are able to get back on their feet. We know that educating the parents and offering therapeutic support is key. We build rapport, find resources, and put an individualized plan together for each and every family.

We begin at the point of academic enrichment for the child but the goal is to stabilize and develop the family. We give parents the opportunity to be part of the solution for the child's academic success. Parents find dignity in being a member of a community. Our families learn to create their own solutions within the context of emotional support. Academics and relationships are improved, and a college education becomes part of the plan.

VOLUNTEERS
Last year, 883 volunteers worked a total of 8,457 hours supporting the Center in many ways. Some devote time developing personal relationships each week by tutoring and mentoring the same students. Others volunteer for special events such as our fall festival, holiday dinners and fundraising activities. The Center relies heavily on our volunteers to support our programs and services.

COLLABORATIONS
We collaborate with other nonprofit organizations in Houston to provide our clients with counseling, speech therapy, low-cost dental and medical treatments and other specialized services. For our families in financial crisis, we rely heavily on our longstanding partnerships with the Houston Food Bank, the Emergency Aid Coalition, Krist Samaritan Center, Main Street Ministries, the Star of Hope, Christian Community Services and many other non-profits. Below is an example of some of the organizations and how we collaborate:

Nehemiah programs have expanded to include the Mommy & Me Program is for two year old children and their mothers. Targeting “word poverty," the tremendous gap in language development seen in impoverished families, this program educates parents on the importance of verbal interaction to ensure academic success for young students.

The Prekindergarten Program, accredited by the University of Texas Health Science Center's Children's Learning Institute as being Texas School Ready! provides an academically and emotionally enriching environment for children ages 3 – 5, with instruction for basic school readiness.

The Academic Enrichment Program (AEP) is an after school program that has been in operation for 20 years, serving children from the neighboring schools through homework instruction, reading and math remediation, academic and cultural enrichment, and through social services including care in mental health and free medical and dental assistance.

College Prep Program (CPP) is designed to prepare middle and high school students for higher education, and assists parents in navigating the educational system. Students receive academic tutoring, exposure to college life through campus visits, and entrance exams preparation through SAT and ACT prep classes. Career assessment tools may be used to provide both students and parents with vital information to make well-informed decisions. We also offer college scholarships through the Fred Alcorn Scholarship Fund.

Discovery Middle School educates, feeds and ministers to Houston's growing number of at-risk children. DMS exists to level the playing field for students from low-income families by allowing them to reap the benefits of an extremely small learning environment that is specifically geared toward their needs, challenges and learning styles.

Our goal of reaching the entire family through our programming is continually realized as entire families make use of the Center's myriad of resources and we believe that the realization of this goal is making a difference in the lives of our children and throughout our community.

Family Services:
•Parent Involvement Program: Adult Education, English as a Second Language, Computer Literacy, Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurial Workshops, Micro-Finance for Women in Business, Community Awareness, College Prep Program for Parents-educating them about the process, Magnet Programs, Volunteerism-within the Center and within the community at large, Learning Challenges, Advocating for your Child, Selecting appropriate extracurricular activities for your Child.
•Effective Parenting Program: series of workshops that all new parents are required to participate in and includes 25 hours of parenting techniques presented in both English and Spanish. The ten sessions are conducted throughout the fall semester. The curriculum incorporates alternative disciplines, role playing, guest speakers, activities and informal discussions on parenting techniques.