HOUSTON – When the final bell rings at Blackshear Elementary, learning doesn’t stop. The lights stay on—and so does hope. Inside the after-school rooms, the U.S. Dream Academy pairs students with mentors, keeps them safe, and builds skills that carry home.

“This isn’t just afterschool—it’s after the odds,” reporter Zach Lashway observed during a visit to the program. The scene is simple: pencils moving, small groups focused, adults kneeling beside kids who need targeted help and a steady voice.

“For me, it’s a place where my kids can go, be in activities, stay busy,” said parent Lucretia Robertson. “I feel very safe when they’re here—whether I’m at work or in school.” Asked what she would do without the program, she didn’t hesitate: “I don’t know what I would do. It helps me so much.”

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