Amazon’s CEO and founder Jeff Bezos’ non-profit Bezos Academy announced that they are opening a free, nonprofit pre-school program in Houston’s Denver Harbor neighborhood this fall. In a press release on February 3rd, the City of Houston announced three new 10-year lease agreements between several partners and Bezos Academy to open tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschools in the Houston area beginning in fall 2022. This is phenomenal news for the area, which will benefit from having this educational program for its residents. Studies show that children who have access to high-quality early childhood programs complete high school with lower rates of suspension.
The organizations working with Bezos Academy are Community Family Centers, New Hope Housing, and San Jacinto College. These agreements follow last week’s announcement of the partnership between the City of Houston and Bezos Academy to open a preschool at the Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center.
Bezos Academy’s mission is to build a network of tuition-free, Montessori-inspired preschools in underserved communities. Their preschools offer year-round programming, five days a week, for children ages 3-5 years old. Admission to the academy is based on a lottery and eligibility is determined by household income. Families earning up to 400% of the federal poverty limit with children aged 3-4 are eligible. Families that are interested can apply on the academy’s site once the school’s opening date is set.
Today, I joined fellow elected officials to announce that #BezosAcademy signed lease agreements with three nonprofit institutions to open three additional campuses after an original lease agreement was voted to open their first Houston campus at Denver Harbor Multiservice Center. pic.twitter.com/0R4zd8yyMc
— Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) February 3, 2022
Bezos Academy understands that doing right by children means doing right by their families. Therefore, the academy will also hire, train, and develop talented educators including recruiting from the neighborhoods where they will be located.
— Sylvester Turner (@SylvesterTurner) February 3, 2022
“When we started on our mission to help close the preschool access gap, we knew we couldn’t do it alone,” said Mike George, President of Bezos Academy. “What we didn’t know is that we’d find partners like Mayor Sylvester Turner whose enthusiasm for this work rivals our own. Add to that the amazing leadership from Community Family Centers, San Jacinto College, and New Hope Housing, and we couldn’t feel more inspired about this opportunity to serve the children and families of the City of Houston.”
Mayor Turner tweeted his excitement about the project and also called the program a “game-changer” for low income families. He also added “The City of Houston’s partnership with Bezos Academy will offer access to Montessori-inspired preschools in two of our Complete Communities, which have some of the highest rates of childhood poverty in our city. While there are multiple components to the program, none is more critical than early childhood education and development. I am incredibly grateful that the Bezos Academy chose Houston and look forward to working together to improve educational opportunities for children and their families.”
Yee Haw! Who’s that tall man in the cowboy hat?
— Mary Benton (@IAmMaryBenton) February 3, 2022
Mayor @SylvesterTurner welcomes Mike George, Bezos Academy President. The City & Bezos Academy have signed lease agreements with 3 nonprofit institutions to open 4 free tuition Montessori style pre-schools. https://t.co/QUy5SDe2cB pic.twitter.com/hy3WdhJonO
