Unlocking The Kings Treasure

Tanisha (not her real name) is the first woman in her family to graduate high school without a baby, and is successfully completing her freshman year at a local college. This is nothing less than a miracle for teens like her growing up in the extremely violent Haverstock Hills apartment complex on Aldine Bender, "considered the most dangerous complex in the Houston area." (10/27/11KTRK-TV/DT)


The Mission of The King’s Treasure is to transform the lives of at-risk youth in Houston, Texas through mentor relationships. In addition, the program provides the skills necessary for success in educational, emotional, and spiritual development.

We serve:
• At-risk youth (ages 11-17) who live in low-income apartment housing
• Youth (30%) who have had one or more parent imprisoned
• Youth (90%) who are from single-parent homes
• Youth (90%) who qualify for the state’s free and reduced lunch program
• Youth with a school drop-out rate of 16% before the age of 18

Our goals are for:
1. Educational Development - Assist each youth with developing educational goals, with the ultimate achievement being a high school diploma, followed by a post-graduate education through:
• Weekly tutoring and grade incentives
• Encouraging daily school attendance
• Maintaining good grades
• Exemplifying and modeling good behavior
2. Emotional Development
• Improve each youth’s commitment to and connection with adults in an authoritative role including mentors, teachers, and other adults
• Improve each youth’s relationships with their peers
• Learn how to resolve conflict in a non-violent manner
• Build positive relationships
• Learn to respect themselves and authority
3. Mentors
• Match at-risk youth with a caring adult mentor
• Mentors commit to spending two to three hours a week with their assigned youth(s) for a minimum of one year
4. Spiritual Development
• Improve each youth’s connection and commitment to their communities
• Surround each youth with a network of caring, local individuals from local urban churches who will help them make healthy life choices
5. Programs
• Life Skills – Meets each Thursday evening with monthly themes designed to address current community and social issues that the youth are facing or will face in the future.
• College Prep Classes – (10th–12th grade) Meets each Saturday, providing each youth assistance to develop and execute an educational plan, with experienced guidance from college/graduate students and professionals who serve in a mentor role.
• Parenting Classes – Encourage parents to learn how to help prepare their child for success during and beyond their high school education.
• Scholarship Fund – Provides financial assistance of up to $1,000/year per student to assist with books, housing, and tuition.
• Broader Horizons – Field trips play an important, and often underappreciated, role in a young person’s education and life. They expose youth to new places and experiences they might not otherwise have.
• Summer Book Club – Youth are required to read at least three books over the summer from a carefully chosen list, followed by a paper or oral presentation.