Zwink and Vistas awarded AAUW grants

The North Harris County Branch of the American Association of University Women has awarded 2011-12 community grants to Zwink Elementary and the Vistas High School Program, which puts the schools among the 10 nonprofit organizations to receive grants from AAUW.

Zwink, the new Klein ISD campus scheduled to open in 2012, was awarded $1,500 to support Operation 2030, a program meant to reinforce the connection between higher education and students' future careers. The grant will also support a week of college readiness and career previews leading up to the Operation 2030 Career Night.

"This grant will make it possible for our students to really engage in fun and meaningful learning opportunities as they dream about what the future can hold for them," said Jenny McGown, principal of Zwink, in a press release.

Vistas was awarded $475 to support the I Can Be More initiative, which will provide educational opportunities for the 50 females in the program. The students will visit Lone Star College to learn about opportunities in the community.

"The program focuses on self-confidence, self-advocacy, healthy living and developing a vision of who these ladies can become," said Peggy Ekster, director at Vistas. "We try to instill these principles in our students each day and help them to achieve their educational goals."

For more information on the Texas AAUW chapter, visit aauwtexas.org.