Programs
CONGRATULATIONS NAVAEH RICHARDSON!!
Navaeh Richardson is the recipient of The Dr. Andrew Arthur Allen, Sr. Memorial Scholarship made possible by Emancipation Park Conservancy and Dr. Allen’s daughter, award winning actress, singer, stage director, Houston native and Howard University alumna, Phylicia Rashad. To be eligible for this one-time, $5,000 scholarship, students had to be a 2020 Yates High School graduate planning to enter their freshman year at Howard University during the Fall 2020 semester.
Ms. Richardson is a 2020 Yates High School graduate and incoming Howard University freshman with plans to major in media journalism and film, with a minor in fine arts photography. She graduated from Yates in the top 5% of her class with a 4.0 GPA and was ranked number seven out of 147 seniors. She served as member and vice-president of the National Honor Society and section leader in the Yates High School Band where she played both the mellophone and trumpet. Her photography was featured in the Museum of Fine Arts Houston from 2017-2020 as part of the Eye of Third Ward exhibit, depicting her perspective of the historic Third Ward Community. She was also an active participant of the EMERGE Fellowship and spent time volunteering at the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, Word on the Street Ministries, and Institute for Psychological Services. While at Howard, Ms. Richardson hopes to continue to serve others by teaching middle and high school students about photography, while also encouraging students to connect, serve and build relationships with the community surrounding the university.
Emancipation Park Conservancy’s Board Chairman Ramon Manning, Vice-Chairman Jacqueline Bostic, and staff formerly presented the scholarship to Ms. Richardson along with her mother, Darlene Harrison on last Thursday, August 20th during a special presentation via Zoom.
Core Program Areas
Emancipation Park Conservancy strives to offer programs in the areas of education, health and wellness and economic empowerment that are resourceful, fun, culturally relevant, informative, and offer unique opportunities to our community. It is our goal to directly correlate our community’s needs, interests and wants into all our programs by partnering with strategic, corporate and community partners.
Education:
Our past and present educational programs have been geared towards both adults and children. Kids have been able to take part in programs that range from coding and robotics, vocal development, visual and performing arts, literacy, and cultural/historical education. Adults have enjoyed our recently launched Emancipation Conversations Lecture Series. Some of our past and present education programs at Emancipation Park Conservancy have been:
- Schlumberger Coding and Robotics – Middle school students spent eight weeks working with coding and robotics instructors learning how to code, program robots, and develop invaluable character lessons like the importance of planning, persistence and precision. Our latest coding and robotics program was made possible by Schlumberger
- Community Music Center of Houston Vocal Development Program – Emancipation Park Conservancy collaborated with Community Music Center of Houston (CMCH) to offer music education and vocal development to kids ages 6-16. CMCH works to preserve Black music traditions by educating children on the multiple Black genres that have shaped this country’s musical traditions. Over 100 kids have learned about Black music history, famous Black artists and musicians’ contributions, and had the opportunity to perform in front of crowds big and small, all while honing their voices.
- Spring Break in the Tre: By working with local non-profits and faith-based institutions, EPC opens up the park during spring break to a fun and interactive experience, that included tours, plays and activities educating them about the historical significance of Emancipation Park, its founders and its importance to the Houston community.
COMING SOON
Stay tuned for more information on our EPC Art of Dance program, set to begin in Spring 2020!
Economic Empowerment:
Emancipation Park Conservancy seeks to empower the Third Ward community and beyond through financial education and resources offered through our many strategic partners. We understand the importance of education surrounding this topic amongst our community. Our goal is to offer a variety of programs, courses and classes geared towards economic education and empowerment that ensure our community can become great stewards and take control of their financial life and legacy.
Bridging the Gap Financial Literacy Program: Since 2019, nearly 600 individuals have been served through our Bridging the Gap Financial Literacy Program. The program has provided a series of over 20 classes and workshops ranging on a variety of topics including (but not limited to), Banking 101, debt management, savings & budgeting, credit building, estate and investment planning, default lending, homebuying, medical debt, financial health/wellness and much more. Our strategic partners for this program have been Houston Area Urban League (HAUL), National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), Operation HOPE, and Bread of Life Inc. Sponsors have included both Coca-Cola and Comerica Bank.
The program continues at 6:30pm on February 20, 2020 in partnership with NABA and sponsored By Comerica Bank. Click on the flyer to register, and stay tuned for information on more from this series throughout the year.
Health and Wellness:
African Americans and Hispanics have some of the highest rates of chronic diseases in Houston, and Third Ward ranks as one of the most prevalent neighborhoods for these particular health issues. As such, EPC offers multiple opportunities for park patrons to participate in fitness classes and take advantage of health resources.
Virtual Get Fit in the Tre Series:
- Virtual Hip Hop Step Aerobics – Come enjoy this exciting fitness experience that incorporates high energy step aerobics, cardio, moderate weights and your favorite music! This class takes place on Mondays & Wednesdays at 6pm in the Emancipation Park Recreation Center gymnasium. But for now, you can enjoy it in the comfort of your home with family on the same days and times.
- Line Dancing – Calling all Seniors! Keep your heart rate up by moving and grooving to your favorite tunes. This is a fun opportunity to get in some exercise, fellowship and join a thriving social community here at Emancipation Park. This class takes place every Tuesday at 6pm in the Emancipation Park Recreation Center gymnasium.
- Virtual Nutritional Tips and Workout Demos with Grace and Grit Fitness – Enjoy healthy eating tips and workout demos with health and wellness coach Tia Alexander, founder of Grace and Grit Fitness, every Tuesday on YouTube and social media: @epconservancy. Being home it can be difficult to remain active and eat healthy. Check out great weekly tips from Tia to help you life a healthier life!
- Get Fit in the Tre for Kids – Richard Dora of RichSoFit continues to share weekly guided workout videos for kids. Get Fit in the Tre for Kids is a great way for them to remain active at home and enjoy some fun physical activity. Videos are appropriate for all levels of fitness, so feel free to have the entire family join the fun.
- Cooking with the Garcias –Cooking with the Garcias provides kid-friendly snack and meal options you can prepare with your family. Every other Thursday our very own staff member, Iris Garcia, and her beautiful family join us on Facebook to share some of their favorite recipes.
