What if I said, "thank you" every day?

Hear Gratitude

When we are intentional about saying thank you every day, we are focusing on the good in life, particularly the good that comes from our relationships with other people or organizations. Situated in the intellectual and cultural heart of our nation’s third-largest city, we would be remiss—ungrateful, even—if we didn’t forge lasting and meaningful partnerships with as many of our neighbors as possible. The proximity of so many worldrenowned institutions literally within walking distance of our campus allows us to have partnerships that extend and enrich our students’ learning and their world views. With over twenty museums virtually a stone’s throw from our campus and more than 40 partnerships around the city, every member of our community has something really, really good to be grateful for—almost every single day.

A partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) provides our students with enriched and expanded opportunities to observe, anaylyze, inquire, and communicate concepts which translate into a development of higher cognitive skills in literacy, writing, math, science, and social studies. The MFAH is one of Presbyterian School’s leading educational partners in the museum district.

Students walk across the street to the MFAH with their academic classes.

Students walk across the street to the MFAH with their fine arts electives to utilize both public and behind-the-scenes resources at the museum.

Students walk across the street to the MFAH with their fine arts electives to utilize both public and behind-the-scenes resources at the museum.

Students walk across the street to the MFAH with their specialist teachers to utilize both public and behind-the-scenes resources at the museum.

Students walk across the street to the MFAH with their academic classes to utilize both public and behind-the-scenes resources at the museum.

meet Brandon Walker

I grew up poor. For most residents in my city, the best option for financial security was a stable job at one of the auto plants. With the decline of the auto industry, I saw my city turn into what resembled more of a ghost town than a place inhabited with families and filled with life. Abandoned buildings, crumbling infrastructure, and poor-performing schools were abundant.

Fortunately, my father worked in construction, and I would go with him into the suburbs to big, beautiful homes and see that life could be different. I knew there was no difference between me and the kids in the suburbs. And I wanted that better lifestyle for myself. When the opportunity came for me to experience life “on the other side of the tracks,” I took it. It came in the form of a summer program living on the campus of Cranbrook, a private school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. I received the equivalent of an intense private school education to increase my academic skills and opportunities in the fine arts.

The impact this program had on my life was nothing short of life changing. It changed the trajectory of my life. After I got a taste of what a good education felt like and the growth that was happening, I wouldn’t stop until I had access to that all the time. Through that summer program, I ended up talking my way into a scholarship at one of the most prestigious schools in the Midwest. It was less than 15 minutes from my house, but it felt like a different world. It changed my life. It taught me the value of education and exposure.

My gratitude for the opportunity I had that one fateful summer has compelled me to start my own nonprofit educational program called The Summer Institute. It will be an annual six-week, immersive, educational summer enrichment for low-income sixth through eighth grade students, primarily from Houston’s Third Ward. The program will focus on math and science (taught through a collaborative curriculum), reading and writing, and physical and spiritual wellness.

Presbyterian School is serving as an incubator for The Summer Institute by providing the physical space for the program and help with backoffice support. Many of the teachers who will be involved with The Summer Institute are PS faculty members. While The Summer Institute is completely indepdent and funded apart from the School, the School has generously donated a small amount of seed money to help round out the Institute’s fundraising efforts. Current parents and students, faculty, alumni, and friends of the School can be involved with The Summer Institute through tutoring sessions, mentorship opportunities, discipleship groups, or career talks, to name just a few.

The goal of The Summer Institute is to empower and motivate students with the resources they need to be successful. There are students who have the ability to succeed, but circumstances, through no fault of their own, have put them in a position with less than optimal outcomes. We hope to help change that equation and the trajectory for students who are willing to put in the work.

Presbyterian School isn’t a building where people work or a school where kids learn. It is a community whose strength is derived from more than the sum of its parts. I would store [this] for future generations to make sure they can have it too. It’s the one thing that makes PS unlike most others.