College Bound – Beginning at Birth

Academic focus in an underserved Houston community
Houston's Sunnyside neighborhood ranks among our city's oldest communities. It is also known as a predominantly African American and Hispanic community where youth can be at especially high risk. Much of this risk is realized when students struggle academically and ultimately drop out of school.

A look at the facts –

• In Sunnyside, 38% of adults have a high school diploma.
• The median income in Sunnyside is $25,000 per year.
• One of the community’s 29 child care centers is nationally accredited.

To help Sunnyside's youth avoid an undesirable fate, Collaborative for Children has initiated a program called College Bound – Beginning at Birth. A collaboration of family, educational, neighborhood and health care entities, College Bound – Beginning at Birth looks to significantly improve kindergarten readiness, third grade reading scores and ultimately high school completion and college participation rates. The program is already making tremendous progress, where seven child care centers and 10 family child care homes are participating in quality improvement efforts.

With the assistance of College Bound – Beginning at Birth, we have positively impacted the lives of 842 children. In addition, 70 teachers working in Sunnyside are enrolled in a professional development course.

Based on success in Sunnyside, College Bound – Beginning at Birth will be replicated in communities throughout Houston. To find out more about College Bound Beginning at Birth, please contact Staci Young at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 713-600-1123.