Community Service
OER Commons Hub - Custom Resource Center
Schools and teachers can create their own websites full of free learning materials like worksheets, videos, and lesson plans. The website helps organize these materials so students and other teachers can easily find what they need to learn.
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EligibilityOrganizations, schools, districts, and educational initiatives
FeesContact for pricing
“Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love. ”
— Rainer Maria RilkeRelated
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The Change Lab 2025 Annual Report: Building Civic Infrastructure Through Community Connection
“ THE CHANGE LAB A community of practice 2025 ANNUAL REPORT THE CHANGE LABthechangelab.net · A fiscally sponsored project of Impact Hub Houston · Page 1 of 2 We connect by serving and learning toget...”
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Social Connection in America: 2025 Survey Report on Community Bonds and Well-Being
“ 2025 Survey Report About This Project This survey will catalyze a broad and lasting impact—transforming how we define, prioritize, and support social connection in America. This survey is led by D...”
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From the Library
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Berkeley's Guide to Better Teaching and LearningThis is the education section of UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center website. It shares research-based articles and tools to help teachers, parents, and school leaders support children's emotional and social development. The site covers topics like helping quiet children speak up, teaching students how to disagree respectfully, protecting immigrant students during difficult times, and building critical thinking skills even when certain topics are restricted. Teachers can find monthly happiness calendars with daily tips, learn about self-compassion to handle stress, and discover ways to create kinder classrooms. The content is based on scientific research about wellbeing and meaningful relationships. Parents can learn how to encourage intellectual humility in their kids and understand teenagers better. School leaders get advice on staying grounded during challenging times and building compassionate school communities. All articles are written by education researchers and experts who translate complex studies into practical advice that anyone can use to help children thrive emotionally and academically.
Community Groups Win Big Changes for Better Jobs, Housing, and SchoolsThe Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) helps community groups across America make big changes that improve people's lives. Their biggest wins include: helping over 16,000 people in Texas, Arizona, and Louisiana get better-paying jobs that average $40,000 per year through job training programs. They built over 4,500 affordable homes in poor neighborhoods in New York, Baltimore, and Washington DC, completely changing these areas. In Texas, they helped improve schools by getting parents more involved, which raised test scores by 15-19%. They created the first 'living wage' law in Baltimore that requires city workers to earn enough money to support a family. They helped pass Massachusetts' universal health care law that gave 500,000 people health insurance - this became the model for the national Affordable Care Act. Along the Texas-Mexico border, they got over $2 billion invested to bring clean water and sewers to poor communities. These victories show how organized communities can win major improvements in jobs, housing, education, wages, health care, and basic services.
Houston Schools Research Group Studies Education EquityThe Houston Education Research Consortium (HERC) is a partnership between Rice University's Kinder Institute and eight Houston-area school districts. They work together to study how to make schools more fair and equal for all students. HERC does long-term research on important school topics like helping students who move between schools, supporting kids learning English, improving pre-K programs, and getting students ready for college and careers. They look at real data from schools to help leaders make better decisions. Recent studies include how the state's school grading system affects low-income students, what parents think about HISD's Parent University program, and how social-emotional learning helps with school discipline. They also studied how Hurricane Harvey affected homeless students and how COVID-19 changed school enrollment. The research helps school districts understand what works best for students, especially those who face challenges like poverty or language barriers. All their reports and data are shared publicly to help improve education in Houston.
Real Stories: How Mentoring Changes Lives for Kids and AdultsMENTOR shares inspiring stories of mentors and mentees whose lives were changed through long-term relationships. Joe met his mentor Robin when he was 8 years old, and 17 years later, both men talk about how mentoring helped Joe succeed despite growing up in a single-parent household. Christina was shy and anxious in first grade when she met mentor Elaine, but is now a confident 22-year-old who mentors other children. Chelsy helped her mentee Theresa get into a prestigious high school in Harlem by driving her to interviews and helping her prepare. Edgar and Ulises met at a community center when Ulises was 6 and trying to learn English - now Ulises is studying to become an immigration lawyer. Robert and Demetrius have done everything together since 2010, from fishing trips to college campus tours, helping Demetrius graduate high school and get accepted to multiple colleges. These stories show how mentoring creates lasting bonds that help both mentors and mentees grow, learn, and succeed. The stories demonstrate that mentoring relationships can last for years or even a lifetime, with mentors providing guidance, support, and encouragement while also learning from their mentees.
Similar Services (6)
All servicesCurated Collections of Educational ResourcesOER Commons offers curated collections of free educational resources organized by subject and grade level. Digital librarians pick the best materials from their library to help teachers and students find quality learning resources. Collections include materials for career training, Common Core subjects like math and English, science standards, open textbooks, and adult education. All resources are free to use for teaching and learning.Climate Education ResourcesOER Commons provides free climate education materials for teachers and students from kindergarten through college. The resources include lessons, activities, and learning tools about climate change impacts in different U.S. regions. Teachers can find materials sorted by grade level, subject area, and educational standards. The collection covers topics like weather extremes, sea-level rise, agriculture, human health, and climate action. All materials have been reviewed by experts and are organized by U.S. regions including Alaska, Pacific Islands, Northwest, Southwest, Central Plains, Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Caribbean territories.OER Commons - Free Educational ResourcesOER Commons is a free online library with over 50,000 educational materials for teachers and students. You can find lesson plans, textbooks, and full courses for all grade levels. Everything is free to use, change, and share. Teachers can customize materials to fit their needs. Students save money because they don't have to buy expensive textbooks. The site has special sections for K-12 remote learning and college open textbooks. Anyone can create a free account to access and use these resources.PowerED by National Geographic Society Learning HubA free online library of educational resources from National Geographic. Teachers and students can access interactive lesson plans, maps, activities, and courses created by National Geographic Explorers. The resources cover topics like fossil forests, wildlife, ocean science, space, and planetary health. Everything is designed to make learning fun and hands-on. You can join groups to ask questions and share ideas with other educators. All materials are free to use and designed to help students become curious explorers.ALTA Youth Leadership Training ProgramHigh school students can join this free program to learn leadership skills and job training while getting paid $9 per hour. Students work on projects and learn important life skills to prepare for their future careers.Clarion AI for Counselors and CoachesThis computer tool helps counselors and coaches understand how they talk with their clients. It listens to conversations and makes reports that show what works well and what could be better.
The Journey
22 connected resources across 5 levelsTrail depth
Level 1
Get CuriousRead, watch, explore2 resourcesLevel 2
Find Your PeopleMeet orgs, neighbors, groups11 resourcesYou are hereOrganizationTeacher StoriesThis organization shares inspiring stories about teachers through podcasts, videos, and articles. They celebrate the hard work and creativity of educators to help people appreciate how teachers make a difference in students' lives.
OrganizationLearning LifeOffers education programs and resources to help people learn new skills and grow throughout their lives. Supports people in reaching their personal goals.
OrganizationRice University OpenRice Learning CenterOpenRICE is an initiative by the Glasscock School to offer relevant and timely expertise and insight, free and online, to the Houston community. Reflective of the wide-ranging nature of our educational programs, these single session experiences will provide access to a broad cross-section of subjects to help Houstonian
+8 more at this levelLevel 3
Show UpEvents, meetings, volunteeringWe are building resources for this level
Level 4
Go DeeperTraining, sustained involvement5 resourcesLevel 5
Make Your MoveAdvocacy, organizing, creating4 resources