Houston’s booming economy hides a tough reality: 1 in 5 kids in our region live in poverty — and for many, escaping it feels nearly impossible. Nationally, 1 in 3 children born into poverty stay there as adults. So, how can we change that?
Good Reason Houston’s CEO, Cary Wright, recently joined a panel of local leaders and national experts from Opportunity Insights to tackle this big question. Greater Houston Community Foundation, United Way of Greater Houston and the Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at Rice University collaborated on the session which focused its discussion on:
New data from the Opportunity Atlas shows how economic mobility has shifted in Houston and nationwide.
Despite progress, systemic barriers still hold back many Black and emergent bilingual students.
What’s working — and what’s not — when it comes to helping more students succeed.
“The number of students earning a living wage in Houston is woefully insufficient if we are aiming to provide students with the education they deserve and the ability to obtain high-wage, high-skill and high-demand jobs after graduation,” Wright said. “This data should call upon Houstonians to really ask the question of, ‘Can we say with confidence that every child in every neighborhood is getting the world class preparation and support they need to be competitive with their peers in an ever changing, dynamic economy?’”
