|
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
WHEREAS, For the past 25 years, the VAST Academy of Houston |
|
Community College has effectively provided postsecondary education |
|
to Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and |
|
WHEREAS, Launched in 1990 as one of the first programs of its |
|
kind in the nation, the VAST Academy offers differently abled |
|
individuals the chance to receive postsecondary vocational |
|
training and to earn a meaningful credential that will enable them |
|
to find work and achieve independence; students also receive |
|
training in such life skills as computer literacy, work etiquette, |
|
health and fitness, and financial literacy; the program provides |
|
further enrichment through the student organization the Eagles |
|
Club, which hosts a variety of notable events, including employment |
|
workshops, a health and beauty expo, and a blood drive, and which |
|
has consistently been named Student Organization of the Year; and |
|
WHEREAS, The academy began with 55 students and one |
|
instructor, and today it serves more than 150 students annually at |
|
three locations in the Houston area; in addition to drawing |
|
students from throughout the HCC district, the program offers a |
|
residential option that has attracted students from across Texas |
|
and around the nation; since its inception, the academy has |
|
provided instruction to more than 3,000 men and women; and |
|
WHEREAS, The VAST Academy has partnered with over 60 |
|
companies and businesses in the region, and half of the program's |
|
graduates each year find jobs in child care, animal care, |
|
housekeeping, customer service, food service, and other types of |
|
employment; and |
|
WHEREAS, Over the past quarter-century, the HCC-VAST Academy |
|
has continued to fulfill its critical mission, giving its students |
|
the opportunity to feel the pride of achievement and helping them to |
|
build fulfilling, productive, and independent lives; now, |
|
therefore, be it |
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|
Legislature hereby commend the Houston Community College VAST |
|
Academy for providing quality postsecondary education to Texans |
|
with intellectual and developmental disabilities and extend to the |
|
staff and students of the academy sincere best wishes for continued |
|
success in their important work; and, be it further |
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
prepared for the VAST Academy as an expression of high regard by the |
|
Texas House of Representatives. |