Victoria Business and Education Coalition is a nonprofit organization that address collaboration between businesses and schools to help address student drop out, academics, and leadership skills needed to make the community a better place to live. Areas that we focus on that help is the SureBET Mentor Program – we have mentor labs in a variety of schools that help students improve in many areas of academic needs, overall support from the mentor, and encouragement to stay in school. All the mentors are volunteers from the area that assist these students. They are business leaders, retired citizens, grandparents, etc. We have seen 97% of our students in elementary improve by being involved in the program and about 84% have improved in our intermediate schools. We want to continue to offer more students this program so that they can be successful.
Business Cents – is another helpful program designed to teach high school students on how to be successful in a job interview. We address five areas of interviewing; resume writing, business etiquette, interviewing skills, dressing for success, and money management. We have business leaders from many of the industrial plants, banks, and other types of business speak to the students. These relationships help students hear directly from the business community what they expect from them when they reach out to their companies for a job.
Youth Leadership Conference – is a wonderful conference that is offered to students going into 7th grade. This conference is offered to all students in Victoria and surrounding counties. We have 100 students scheduled to participate this year at Victoria College. Each day we have guest speakers talk to students about what it takes to be a good leader and how to obtain those skills. We also have many great fun activities like rock climbing wall, water sports, and much more. All the students will have a day of math and science activities. Sci-Tech from Dallas will come down and do a lot of great experiments with the students. Pioneer Natural Resources is the major sponsor of the organization and will also discuss leadership qualities.
Sweet Success is a fund raiser to help us be able to offer more mentor labs and to expand our other programs. This is going to be a fun event. We are having a baking contest with four categories; cakes, pies, cookie/brownies, and cupcakes. The entry fee is $20 to participate. We hope to have many amateur participants from areas surrounding Victoria to show off their talent. We will also have a cake walk and cupcake booth for little ones to be able to decorate their very own cake. We hope to bring out a lot of talent and have a lot of fun for all the families. This is a wonderful family event! To attend the event it will cost $10 per adult $5 under 12 years of age.
Lanell Mantey
Executive Director of V.B.E.C.
361-572-8232 office
