About 1,500 boys and girls, ages 6 to 16, competed in a spelling bee and chess matches during the Summer Games Final Event hosted by Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis and officials with the One for All Foundation (formerly the Harris County Street Olympics). The Final Event also featured the Bright Futures Fair, offering interactive booths and hands-on activities that emphasized health, safety, and environmental awareness. Throughout the summer, children have been sharpening their minds by attending the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom Schools, and participating in programs that focus on education, health, and wellness. They also took part in a full-day Discovery Camp centered on environmental justice and STEM education, giving them space to connect with nature, understand the world around them, and care for their community and environment.
The One for All Foundation summer programming fulfills a critical need in Houston. Studies have shown that without access to affordable, high-quality summer programming, working families lack safe and enriching places for their children to attend while parents are at work. Children, especially those from underserved areas, have difficulty retaining what they learned in the previous school year. Approximately 1,700 Houston-area youth, ages 6 to 17, participated in the free Summer Games, Discovery Camp, 3-on-3 Basketball, and Learn-to-Swim sessions over an eight-week period – culminating in the Final Event/Bright Futures Fair and closing ceremonies that included a “Parade of Champions” on Aug. 1 at NRG Arena. The One for All Foundation’s mission is to implement and sustain programs that provide training, support and resources that lead to healthy and productive lives for youth.
