Educational Outreach Aids Distinctive Programs

By Leslie Cranford, section manager

For many teenagers and some young adults, the challenges that lie between them and the milestone of graduating from high school are the typical coming-of-age bumps in the road. For others, it is much more of an uphill battle. For students who have at-risk lifestyles such as substance abuse or mental illness challenges, the road is much harder. Others may be survivors of human trafficking who are recovering but need to resume their education.

Texas Tech K-12 has partnerships with two organizations that help these groups of students conquer their obstacles, continue their education and graduate from high school.

Heartlight Ministries is a Christian boarding school that exists as a residential counseling center for teenagers in at-risk lifestyles. Many students enter the program dealing with anger, suicidal tendencies, self-harm and various other struggles. Located in east Texas, Heartlight is home to over 50 teenagers and offers a safe haven of hope. Administrators have seen countless teens complete their program, go on to graduate from high school and thrive in life.

Not long after starting the ministry in the late 1980s, founders Mark and Jan Gregston realized they needed to implement an educational component to the program. Students come and stay at Heartlight up to a year, and taking that amount of time away from their education was creating re-entry problems when they would return to school. Heartlight wanted them to have a way to continue and even advance their education while they spent time there.

Texas Tech K-12 (then TTUISD) was enlisted as a flexible and state-accredited curriculum, and results have proven the educational program to be a valuable addition to the Heartlight experience.

In 2019 Texas Tech K-12 announced a new local partnership with OneVoice, whose mission is to provide a safe home for restoration and new beginnings for sexually exploited girls. OneVoice is a faith-based, state-licensed therapeutic residential treatment center for domestic minor sex trafficking survivors. OneVoice serves girls ages 12 to 18.

The survivors experience individualized and holistic care; their healing journey includes emotional, mental, spiritual, educational and physical tools for them to find individual success.

Texas Tech K-12 provides educational curriculum that these young women can begin at any time from the OneVoice secure facility.