About Us

step1transalogoWe are a small non-profit organization committed to the Lee High School community (Houston, TX) to ensure that more low-income, at-risk students gain access to college- and career-preparatory learning experiences while they are still in high school. These experiences help ensure more students are put on track to the next step of a successful future.

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Lee Next Step Fund - Mission

Lee Next Step Fund MissionIvanMartinez

The mission of the Lee Next Step Fund is to financially assist Lee students’ participation in college- and career-preparatory learning experiences, in order to help put them on track to success in their ‘next step’ beyond high school. These college- and career- preparatory learning experiences are known at Lee HS as "Fanstastic Learning Opportunities," or "FLOs."

 

Why push so hard for students to attend FLOs?

Because we believe that Lee High School represents a unique and inspiring opportunity for educators, community members, and supporters to... defy the odds.

Our challenges...

are    

     our great opportunity.

~1,950 students in 4th largest city of US

90% Minority (Latino & African American)

93% Economically disadvantaged

85% At-risk

40% Limited English Proficiency
  • % of students in Pre-AP and AP classes tripled since 2000 (13.8%to 41%)
  • Over 700 AP exams being administered in Spring of 2010
  • College matriculation up to ~50%
  • Top Lee graduates (since 2000) have gone on to study at: Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Boston University, Syracuse, Notre Dame, University of Texas and more…
  • 114 students participated in top FLOs across the country in 2007-2008, and 139 students participated in FLOs across the country in 2008-2009

         

Our Strategy

Expose students to a variety of powerful and rigorous learning experiences that, quite literally, change their life trajectories.

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Over time, repeated exposure to positive and powerful learning experiences increases students' likelihood for success. Our first priority at Lee is to ensure that such positive and powerful learning happens in the classroom. Our second priority is to take students beyond our school and community to expose them to new challenges, places, people, and heights. Such exposure and education beyond our walls or city limits often costs money. The Lee Next Step Fund ensures that financial need doesn't become an obstacle to student participation in those things which have the potential to put a them on a different track in life.