Education Committee- LC Regional Chamber
Article By: Laura Dupont, Ph. D ldupont @ ccisd. net
If you are a regular reader of Momentum, you are likely aware of the efforts and successes of the League City Regional Chamber of Commerce in promoting economic growth in the area through partnerships between community, business, and government. What you may not realize is the great extent to which links with education form the foundation for all of these partnerships. Investments in education lead directly to innovation, new business ideas, workforce development, and an environment conducive to creativity that are all necessary if cities and regions want to be competitive in the future.
There is much talk recently about the Houston-Galveston I-45 Innovation Interstate( i2) corridor. The LCRCC provides investments in innovation, business ideas, and workforce development to meet the needs and infrastructure necessary to provide an environment conducive to i2 success. Partnerships with higher education, including community colleges, helps these institutions stay at the forefront of economic development needs in key areas such as health care, bio-tech, aerospace, and upstream petrol-chemical.
Public schools( preK-12) are also invaluable partners for community development. They serve as centers of learning. They employ residents, and they connect neighbors with one another. They are also part of a neighborhood’ s physical fabric, impacting local housing markets and influencing the aesthetic character of a community.
Partnerships with all levels of education organizations helps grow a workforce that attracts investment, drives growth, and spurs innovation. Such partnerships also help support legislative, financial and expansion needs.
If you’ ve lived in League City for a while, you know that the public school districts, as well as the higher education institutions, all work very hard to maintain partnerships with the community in order to meet the changing and increased educational demands of 21st century learners and workers. The Education Committee is always working on strengthening the interaction between business, ISDs, and higher education, and is seeking to support all types of collaboration between business, education, and the community. Over the coming months, the Committee will be identifying new opportunities to mobilize the business community to be more engaged partners and driving programs that will move education and workforce initiatives forward, fueling economic success.
The April issue of Momentum will be dedicated to education. Readers will learn exactly how Clear Creek ISD, Dickinson ISD, Odyssey Academy, College of the Mainland, San Jacinto College and University of Houston – Clear Lake are all implementing various programs and learning opportunities to help develop a 21st century workforce that will help our region successfully complete in the global economy. On April 13, you are invited to attend the redesigned State of Education Luncheon that will focus on the preK-12 public schools, serving as both a learning opportunity, and a chance to forge new partnerships. On April 5, there will be a Higher Education Breakfast, to highlight what these institutions are doing and to identify future partnerships there.
Through partnerships with education, businesses become known as leaders in the community who value quality education. When students achieve their goals in education, everyone benefits. Come join us and be a part of making all of that happen!
Laura DuPont currently serves as the Vice President of the Clear Creek ISD Board of Trustees. She is also the Co-Chair of the LCRCC Education Committee, and serves on the Board of the LCRCC. As an engineer and an educator, one of her passions is growing opportunities and partnerships that lead to student success and organizational improvement.
19 MOMENTUM / March 2018