HCC supports a 25-year Gulfton community tradition
Jun 29, 2017
The fun-filled Gulfton Festival brought hundreds of community members to Burnett Bayland Park to celebrate the event's 25th anniversary and to enjoy the "Strengthening Our Community, One Block at a Time" parade. The event is supported by more than 30 non-profit organizations, including Houston Community (HCC) and the Houston Police Department, which have sponsored this community event in recent years.
The festival is an excellent opportunity for parents to stop by the HCC table to inquire about higher education for their children and for themselves.
“This festival gives us the chance to help residents and encourage them to start at the HCC Gulfton location because it tailors the curriculum to meet the community's needs,” says HCC Southwest Enrollment Services Associate Carlos Vasquez-Lobo. “Often times, the thought of stepping foot inside a campus can be intimidating for first-generation college students, and we try to take the fear away so they can successfully move forward."
The Gulfton community is known as a cultural melting pot with more languages spoken here than in any other part of the city.
“HCC Gulfton Center is crucial for this community because it provides community members an opportunity to advance,” says Gulfton Super Neighborhood President Sandra Rodriguez. "Many residents I’ve spoken with are professionals in their native country, like teachers or workforce professionals. But because they can’t speak the language, they have to do service-related jobs to bring home a paycheck and support their family. HCC Gulfton offers GED and English as a Second Language courses essential for them to achieve the American dream.”
During the festival's silver anniversary, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced that as a result of its ongoing community improvement featuring quality services, amenities, and workforce development, the Gulfton area is now one of Houston’s five "complete communities”. Because of its numerous workforce-related programs, HCC plays a critical role in enhancing the Gulfton community.
“HCC offers short-term certificates in a variety of workforce programs, like Welding, Payroll Specialist and Medical Billing,” Vasquez-Lobo says. “So, students can get in, get out and get a job – a job that will support their family. By offering these options, HCC can improve the quality of life of many Gulfton constituents.”
The first Gulfton Festival first took place in 1992, as a way to bring the community and law enforcement together to promote safer neighborhoods. Twenty-five years later, the festival still keeps community policing the primary focus, while incorporating essential services and resources. Partnering with organizations like HCC gives the residents access to businesses and organizations that can put them one step closer to making the "American Dream" a reality.
To find out more about HCC Gulfton Center, located at 5407 Gulfton Road, and what the location offers, visit: southwest.hccs.edu/.
To learn more about ESL and Intensive English classes, visit: www.hccs.edu/programs/programs-a-z/intensive-english-esl/.
For the GED program, visit: www.hccs.edu/adult-education/take-a-ged-or-esl-class/.