Houston Endowment has awarded Lone Star College Foundation a $200,000 grant to help Lone Star College System launch its newest bachelor’s degree program.
The proposed Bachelor of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education and Teaching (BAS ECET) is intended to produce certified teachers in Early Childhood-Grade 3 and Early Childhood-Grade 6, helping fill a crucial workforce gap in the Houston region and beyond.
“About 12% of Texas teachers were uncertified in the 2024-25 school year—up from just 3.8% in 2019-20,” said Seelpa Keshvala, Ph.D., LSC Executive Vice Chancellor, Academics. “Lone Star College System is committed to equipping future educators with the training and expertise needed to thrive in the classroom. We’ll continue to work closely with our local school districts in these efforts.”
The Houston Endowment grant will support consulting services and curriculum development for the BAS ECET degree program, which is expected to launch in fall 2026 with an initial cohort of 150 teacher candidates.
“Education is the foundation for future success. Lone Star College Foundation is eager to see this grant expand opportunities for aspiring teachers who will encourage and empower the next generation,” said Nicole Robinson Gauthier, CFRE, LSC Foundation executive director.
The Houston Endowment is a private, nonpartisan organization founded by Jesse H. and Mary Gibbs Jones in 1937. Grants awarded support public education, civic engagement, arts and culture, and green space initiatives to help meet the Houston region’s most pressing needs.
“Every child deserves a well-prepared teacher, and that starts with strong, affordable pathways into the profession. Lone Star College System’s new bachelor’s degree in early childhood education is a smart, timely response to our region’s certified teacher shortage,” said August Hamilton, education program director for Houston Endowment. “By aligning with workforce needs and supporting future educators on their journey to certification, this program will help ensure more children in Greater Houston have the skilled teachers they need to thrive.”
Launching this new degree requires approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as well as the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to ensure academic alignment with state needs and confirm the institution’s capacity to offer the program.
If approved, the BAS degree in Early Childhood Education and Teaching will be LSCS’ fifth bachelor’s program, with others offered in cybersecurity; emergency management; energy, manufacturing and trades management; and nursing. Additionally, the college system currently offers an Associate of Arts in Teaching and an Alternative Teacher Certification Program. Learn more at LoneStar.edu/Programs-Of-Study/Associate-Of-Arts-Teaching.
About Lone Star College Foundation
Lone Star College Foundation impacts students’ lives by reducing the financial barriers to a quality college education. Since 1991, LSC Foundation has awarded over $26 million in scholarships to more than 27,000 students and nearly $13 million in program and emergency support. Learn more at LoneStar.edu/Giving.
About Lone Star College System
Lone Star College System enrolls over 90,000 students each semester providing high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education. LSCS is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Mario K. Castillo, J.D., serves as Chancellor of LSCS, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area and has been named a 2024 Great Colleges to Work For® institution by the Chronicle of Higher Education. LSCS consists of eight colleges, seven centers, eight Workforce Centers of Excellence and Lone Star Corporate College. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.