P.L.U.S. Service-Learning Program

“Professionalism Learning Underscored by Service” (PLUS) Service-Learning Student Program

Led by the Office of Professionalism & the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs, with P.L.U.S., Students have the opportunity to learn about the social determinants of health in each community, connect with local health organizations and community leaders, and gain hands-on experience by partnering with organizations in their Spring semester.

Partner Organizations

1. Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church – In 1991, a State Historical Marker was dedicated outside the church, attesting to the role Our Lady of Guadalupe has played in the development of the Mexican American community in Houston. It notes that the spirit of this community has always been one of welcoming. Their motto is “Nuestra Casa es Su Casa,” which translates to “Our house is your house.”
2. Combined Arms Veterans Transition Center – The Center’s platform unifies veteran-focused nonprofits, agencies, and communities with data-fueled insights and creates an unmatched level of transparency. Connecting the right resources to the right people at the right time enables the veteran community and their families to thrive continually.
3. Emancipation Community Center – Emancipation Park Conservancy is a non-profit 501 c3 charitable corporation established in 2014 to restore, manage, and enhance Emancipation Park. Its purpose is to create an open space of environmental and community excellence while continuing to preserve the integrity and historical roots of the park. Its goal is to transform the park into one of the nation’s premier landmark parks and international destinations through capital initiatives, operational improvements, strategic partnerships, programming, and events.
4. Project Row Houses – Project Row Houses occupies a significant footprint in Houston’s Historic Third Ward, one of the city’s oldest African-American neighborhoods. The site encompasses five city blocks and houses 39 structures that serve as a home base for a variety of community-enriching initiatives, art programs, and neighborhood development activities. Project Row House engages neighbors, artists, and enterprises in collective creative action to help materialize sustainable opportunities in marginalized communities.
5. Third Ward Multi-service Center – Through the use of the Center’s programs, partnerships, and interventions, Third Ward Multi-service Center provides the opportunity to optimize every Neighbor’s earning potential, learning opportunities, sense of belonging, and health and well-being.
6. Recipe for Success (also known as Hope Farms) – Recipe for Success Foundation was founded in 2005 to combat childhood obesity by changing the way children understand, appreciate, and eat their food and to educate and mobilize the community to provide them with healthier diets. We are transforming lives in Houston and beyond by making healthy food fun, tasty, affordable, easy, and accessible.  Hope Farms, in the shadow of downtown Houston, is a place for all Houstonians and visitors to learn about and celebrate fresh, locally-grown food.
7. The Children’s Assessment Center – The CAC provides a safe haven to sexually abused children and their families – a place where they can receive the kind of care and treatment they so richly deserve. The CAC employs an extraordinarily effective multidisciplinary team approach in the prevention, assessment, investigation, referral for prosecution, and treatment of child sexual abuse. The Center’s goal is to promote the complete healing of child victims of sexual abuse and their families.
8. West University Public Library – The library originally opened in a corner of the West University Community Center in 1942. During World War II, it was moved to a temporary home in the field office of Reed and Yancey Realtors (northwest corner of Rice and Auden). In 1963, the library moved into a new 6,100-square-foot facility at its current location at 6108 Auden. [Gegemen, June A. Stepping Back in Time: A History of West University Place. Houston: D. Armstrong Co. 1999]  The library was renovated in 1984, 2006, and again in 2016. Today, the library works with the City of West University to present programs in other city buildings, such as the Scout House and the Community Center.
9. ChristChurch Presbyterian – On April 2, 2006, Braeburn Presbyterian Church and Bellaire Presbyterian Church joyfully became one congregation. ChristChurch Presbyterian was born out of a love and commitment to serving people in our community and beyond. Additionally, ChristChurch Learning Center (CCLC) has been an outreach of the church for over 50 years! ChristChurch Presbyterian Learning Center cares for children 6 weeks of age to preschool.
10. Care Partners – Founded in 1986, CarePartners is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization providing high-quality care for older adults and people with dementia, as well as for their caregivers. CarePartners bridges the gap between healthcare and social services by offering programs to educate caregivers and promote their physical and mental well-being while honoring their loved one’s needs, interests, and abilities.
11. Casa de Esperanza –  Casa de Esperanza strives to break the cycle of child abuse and neglect for at-risk infants, children, and their families by providing comprehensive residential and family support programs that transform people and communities.
12. Halo House – Halo House Foundation enables access to lifesaving treatment at the Texas Medical Center by providing affordable, fully-furnished apartments and a community of support to blood cancer patients and their caregivers.
13. Tejano Center for Community Concerns – In 2002, becoming aware of similar needs in South Texas, Tejano Center expanded its programs into greater Brownsville by adding a fourth campus to its Raul Yzaguirre Schools for Success. Today, Tejano Center provides social, health, educational, economic, and housing services through a variety of programs.
14. Asia Society Texas Center – Asia Society Texas celebrates the vibrant cultures and diverse perspectives of Asians and Asian Americans through innovative programs in arts and culture, business and policy, and education. Through family-friendly festivals, policy conversations, thought-provoking exhibitions, and more, the Center’s exciting programs offer all-ages opportunities to engage year-round with artists, speakers, and topics that connect us all.