YES Prep Public Schools is proud to announce that the Kinder Foundation has made an incredible $1 million gift to our Leading Houston Forward campaign. Founded on the belief that all children deserve a high-quality public-school education, the Leading Houston Forward campaign will see the opening of 10 YES Prep elementary schools by 2024.
Life-long supporters and advocates of YES Prep
The Kinder Foundation made their first gift to YES Prep in 2009 and have been supporters ever since. “Over a decade ago, Rich and Nancy Kinder generously invested in YES Prep’s secondary expansion with a gift that allowed us to build our first ever permanent school facility at our Southeast campus,” said YES Prep CEO Mark DiBella. “Their lead investment paved the path for YES Prep to expand across Houston, so it is fitting that with their most recent generous support, this time in our elementary schools, Nancy and Rich have once again helped pave a path for YES Prep to expand to serve more students and families in Houston who deserve an excellent, college-prep education.“
Aligned missions of quality education
YES Prep was founded on the belief that all children deserve a high-quality public-school education that will equip them for success in college and in life. For this reason, YES Prep is committed to growing in order to serve more students, and support from the Kinder Foundation has been instrumental to YES Prep’s growth and success over the past two decades.
“The YES Prep Leading Houston Forward campaign is grateful for the Kinder Foundation’s generous gift in support of our mission to add high-quality elementary schools,” said Joe Greenberg, Leading Houston Forward campaign chair. “Nancy and Rich Kinder are long-time leaders in supporting education in Houston, and their impactful gift helps expand access to an excellent early childhood education and future success for Houston’s children.”
Expansion into elementary schools
The 2020-2021 school year marked the inaugural year for YES Prep’s elementary school students in the North Central and Southeast communities. The 2021-2022 school year gave way for the following two schools to open: North Forest and Southside elementary schools. Come August 2022, YES Prep will open elementary schools five and six: East End and Airline elementary schools.
Rich and Nancy Kinder
Sites for the remaining four elementary schools will be prioritized based on community need for high-quality elementary school options, demand from families for a school of choice and the availability of land or building space.
Elaborating on their ongoing support of YES Prep Public Schools, Nancy Kinder shared, “The Kinder Foundation shares YES Prep’s goal to improve Houston students’ access to better quality schools. As such, we are proud to support their efforts to build elementary schools and add 10,000 quality education seats by 2024. We look forward to seeing more students benefit from a great education in excellent schools.”
YES Prep thanks the Kinder Foundation for leading Houston forward with us to a more promising future for our children and community. To quote Melanie Trent, current YES Prep board chair, “I am in awe of the Kinders’ unwavering commitment to Houston and its citizens, and we are incredibly honored to have received $1 million for our Leading Houston Forward campaign.”
About the Kinder Foundation
Rich and Nancy Kinder established the Kinder Foundation in 1997 to provide major gifts to public causes with the intention of helping people realize healthy and rewarding lives. Since then, the Foundation has focused its grants on projects and programs that enhance urban green space, education and quality of life in the Greater Houston Area. To date, the Kinder Foundation has granted nearly $411 million in gifts and pledges. More at kinderfoundation.org.