Promoting Accessible Education Across Greater Houston

Connect Ministry is a Houston-based nonprofit organization founded by Denise Caldwell. Our mission is to ensure that students in underserved communities gain self-confidence, achieve academic success, and develop useful life skills to positively contribute to society. We began this journey in 2014 by offering private small group tutoring to elementary-age students in the Houston neighborhoods of Third Ward, Sunny Side, and Acres Homes. During our tenure in these communities, we partnered with local churches and organizations such as Star of Hope Mission, STEAM Southlawn Palms Apartment Complex, and many more to implement programs teaching science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics; as well as exploring soft skills such as dialogue, etiquette, and critical thinking. After many years of successful private tutoring and full-time summer programs, we found an even greater need in our communities. Although we had excelled in helping small groups, we realized children at large were lacking the tools needed to be successful, which would greatly impact their trajectory. We refused to sit back and do nothing. Connect Ministry, then, developed ‘Connect For Youth’, a program aimed at tackling illiteracy and reading deficiencies in elementary-age students in the Aldine, Klein, and Houston Independent School Districts. We believe that with the partnership of our school systems, faith organizations, and communities we can give our children a chance and connect them to their destiny.