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H-E-B wins education award
Special to The Monitor
AUSTIN–H-E-B is dedicated to the education of Texas youth.
Recently H-E-B was announced as a recipient of the prestigious Texas
Association Partners in Education Gold Award in the category “Texas
Large Corporate Partnership.”
The award recognizes H-E-B as a corporate leader in the development of
innovative partnerships with public schools across Texas.
H-E-B will receive its award at the TAPE Partnership Awards Reception
and Banquet to be held at the Austin Convention Center Jan. 30.
Awards are bestowed upon a select group from more than 200 Texas
businesses, community groups and individuals as TAPE partners.
Award recipients receive either a Crystal Award or a Gold Award in their
category.
Annually, H-E-B donates more than $2 million to support education
initiatives across the state and has created its own signature programs
including the H-E-B Excellence in Education Awards, Read Write Connect,
and Classroom Champions.
H-E-B launched the Excellence in Education awards program in 2002 as a
positive way to support public education in Texas.
A major goal of the Excellence in Education awards is to make a
statement about the great things going on in Texas public schools – to
spotlight best practices and to celebrate the work of Texas educators.
Since its inception, more than $2.5 million has been given to 773
educators and 155 schools and districts across the state.
This is the largest monetary awards program for educators in Texas and
one of the largest in the nation.
As part of the Excellence in Education program, elementary schools are
invited to apply to become H-E-B “Mentor Schools.”
These selected schools are then partnered with their local H-E-B store
and work closely with store leadership to design their own partnership
programs, engage in joint activities with store Partners (H-E-B
employees) and track volunteer hours and project outcomes – all
activities culminating in a joint presentation made at the end of the
school year that gives the school a chance to win up to $5,000.
“H-E-B is investing in the future of Texas by encouraging the best from
our educators and students alike,” H-E-B vice president Winell Herron
said.
“H-E-B believes in giving back to the communities in which it serves.
These comprehensive education programs were developed with belief that
as one of the largest grocers in Texas, we can make a difference,” she
added.
To bolster the grocery chain’s commitment to education, H-E-B
additionally launched the 2006 Year of Literacy campaign.
The campaign was designed to promote literacy among today’s youth with
various book promotions, book clubs, book signings and book recycling
programs at stores across the state.
Also part of the campaign, the state-wide Read Write Connect Short Story
Contest kicked off in early Feb., 2006, awarding 10 semifinalists with a
$1,000 savings bond in October.
The two grand prize winners were awarded a four-year paid college
tuition scholarship.
H-E-B worked with both elementary and secondary schools to collect over
2,500 short story entries from students all across the state.
H-E-B’s Classroom Champions program, launched in 2002, strives to
increase teachers’ resources and improve every student’s opportunities
for success.
Each year, H-E-B stores encourage local schools to submit an entry for a
grant in the form of H-E-B Gift Cards. Amounts range from $100 to $500
per school. To date, H-E-B has donated over $2 million to classrooms
through this program.
H-E-B was founded in Kerrville, in 1905, with a single grocery store and
has grown to more than 300 stores in Texas and Northern Mexico with more
than 56,000 employees.
H-E-B is one of the largest food chains in the United States, with sales
over $12.4 billion, and is the largest privately held company in Texas.
Scholarships available for
Mabank High FFA students
By Mary Landrie
Monitor Correspondent
MABANK–Tri-County Ford of Mabank is joining forces with Ford Motor
Company’s first ever commitment of $1 million in annual support of the
National FFA Foundation (formerly Future Farmers of America).
Support for 2007 includes FFA events and a Built Ford Tough $1,000
college scholarship for up to 700 FFA members. This will be the 10th
year of contribution to this fund.
Approximately $3 million in scholarship funding has been contributed to
more than 3,000 FFA members by Ford Motor Company with the help of local
dealers like Tri-County Ford since 1997.
For the 2006-07 school year, (eighth year in a row) Tri-County Ford is
sponsoring one Built Ford Tough college scholarship to help a Mabank
High School student attend college.
In 2007, Ford Motor Company will provide substantial support for the
80th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis and the FFA Leadership
Conference in Washington, D.C.
“We’re pleased to be able to support the local FFA, as well as Ford
Motor Company’s support of the National FFA Foundation,” said Andrea
Pickens. “All of the FFA scholars we have sponsored have told us how
grateful they are for the support, and how the FFA experience has
changed their lives,” Pickens added.
FFA develops students’ leadership, business skills and community service
in preparation for a career in agriculture, which accounts for one out
of every five jobs in the U.S.
Ford has supported the National FFA Foundation since the first F-series
truck was introduced in 1948.
According to a press release, Ford’s long-standing support of the FFA
has contributed to the F-series record 29 years as America’s bestselling
truck.
“Visit any local farm or the National FFA Convention, and you can see
that trucks, particularly F-Series, play an integral role in the
agriculture industry,” Pickens said.
“Ultimately, a part of F-series’ record 29 years as America’s favorite
truck is tied to the agriculture industry. We want to help these future
leaders to succeed, and to become our customers from the start of their
careers to the end – just like many of their parents and grandparents,”
she added.
FFA members must take their scholarship application to Tri-County Ford
at 108 W. Mason St. in Mabank for the dealer signature and the official
dealer code to be included in the scholarship search. This will give
applicants a chance to personally meet and thank the dealer which could
possibly fund their college education.
Applications are then sent to the National FFA for final judging and
selection.
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