Welcome to Back to Basics Summer Institute

Texas Southern University is committed to building partnerships with Houston area schools, community organizations, and business leaders. The Back to Basics Summer Institute, funded in 2010 and 2011 by Chevron, was an immense success.  Houston teachers and their students participated in a ten-day intensive series of seminars, focusing on technology, multi-ethnic literature, and SAT/ACT preparation.

The genesis for this institute was my twenty plus years of commitment to working with teachers in local teaching institutes, such as Houston Teachers Institute and Common Ground Teaching Institute, both initiatives sponsored by the University of Houston.

When I joined the Texas Southern University family in Fall 2009, I immediately began making plans to continue my work with teachers. I researched summer teaching institutes and decided upon a plan for an institute that would be tailor-made for TSU, one that would be in keeping with its mission. I decided that what would make this institute different from existing institutes— locally, regionally and nationally—would be to work simultaneously with teachers and students in a structured environment. In a competitive application process, we selected area schoolteachers who then selected talented and gifted students to join them for the two-week institute.

One of the main goals of this institute is to prepare our youth for success. My reflections on the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. became the cornerstone for building the syllabus for this first summer institute. Dr. King’s blueprint for success is interwoven throughout the institute, especially in the selection of multi-ethnic literature that speaks to the need for our nation to recognize and respect all Americans. Dr. King’s dream that we teach our children well to become tomorrow’s leaders is a major part of the foundation of this institute.

It is my hope that this institute will become a staple at Texas Southern University and will grow to reach students across the city . . . indeed, across the nation.

Elizabeth Brown-Guillory, Ph.D.
Executive Director of Back to Basics Summer Institute
Distinguished Professor of Theatre
Associate Provost/Associate Vice President for Academic and Faculty Affairs
Texas Southern University 

Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Announcements

2012 Back to Basics Summer Institute will be held from Wednesday, June 19  to Tuesday, July 2, 2013 at Texas Southern University.

2013 Summer Institute Application

Download Application (PDF)

Showcasing Student Talent

Click here to view 2010 Back to Basics student's talent