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Programs that
prepare students to lead.
Closing the opportunity gap, from hands-on STEAM education that builds the six competencies every student needs, through a paid pathway into a skilled trades career for young adults aging out of foster care.
🏕 SUMMER PROGRAM · GRADES 2–6
A full-service summer STEAM program that blends academics, enrichment, and social-emotional learning. Designed specifically for underserved students in mixed-age classrooms, with a curriculum built around choice, creativity, and acceleration.
Camp Katy learning takes off.
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WHO IT'S FOR
Grades 2–6 · Underserved communities
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WHEN
Summer · Full-service academic program
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MODEL
Project-based · Interdisciplinary · SEL-integrated
WHAT STUDENTS LEARN
Six summers worth of
skills that actually stick.
Camp Katy's curriculum is built around the 6 Cs of 21st-century education, weaving them into every project, activity, and session so students build competencies without even knowing it.
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Communication
Students present projects, share ideas, and learn to articulate their thinking building confidence in every voice, regardless of background or reading level.
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Creativity
Art and STEAM are taught as one. Students design, make, iterate, and present, discovering that creativity is a skill, not a talent, and that it belongs in every discipline.
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Collaboration
Mixed-age classrooms teach students to lead, follow, listen, and build together. Every major project is a team effort modeled after real-world work environments.
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Character
SEL is woven throughout. Students develop perseverance, emotional regulation, and integrity as natural outcomes of doing hard, meaningful work.
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Critical Thinking
Through STEAM challenges and project-based inquiry, students learn to observe, question, hypothesize, and refine the same loop that drives scientific discovery.
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Citizenship
Citizenship students connect their work to the community. They learn that what they make and do matters to their neighbors and the world beyond the classroom.
HOW IT'S BUILT
A curriculum designed
for the whole student.
Camp Katy's academic backbone is the Bamboo Curriculum™ NuMinds Enrichment's proprietary model, built on storytelling, project-based learning, and an inductive-science approach.
Academic Acceleration
Built-in options for choice and accelerated materials mean no student is bored and no student is left behind. Literacy and numeracy fluency are reinforced through every project; students grow 1–2 grade levels over a single summer.
STEAM Enrichment
Science, technology, engineering, art, and math are taught as interconnected disciplines, not siloed subjects. Students tackle real challenges with real tools and leave with real work to show for it.
Social-Emotional Learning
Mindfulness, emotional regulation, and relationship skills are woven throughout the day, not delivered as a separate class. Research shows SEL-integrated programs produce significantly better academic and behavioral outcomes.
Mixed-Age Classrooms
Grades 2–6 learn side by side, guided by trained Inspirators who are specialists in working with underserved students. Older students develop leadership; younger students accelerate through peer modeling.
POWERED BY NUMINDS ENRICHMENT
🛠 Skilled Trades Workforce Program · Ages 18–21
A paid, 12-week skilled-trades apprenticeship pathway built jointly with data center operators, connecting young people aging out of foster care to structured careers in data center maintenance and HVAC. Relocation, housing, mentorship, and case management are built into the timeline, so a fresh start comes with a paycheck and a plan.
Upskill U:
a career, not just a job.
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WHO IT'S FOR
Ages 18–21 · Foster care alumni
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WHEN
12-week paid cohorts · Rolling enrollment
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MODEL
Relocation · Apprenticeship · Mentorship · Placement
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LOCATION
Rural & exurban data center sites nationwide
Why This Program Exists
A workforce gap
and a talent pool the industry has missed.
The skilled-trades workforce keeping data centers running is retiring faster than it's being replaced, and every year, more than 20,000 young people age out of the U.S. foster care system without a family safety net to fall back on. Upskill U connects the two: a renewable pipeline of motivated young adults into a renewable shortage of skilled-trades jobs.
Weeks 1–2
Relocation & Onboarding
Travel, housing setup, orientation, mentor matching, and benefits enrollment are everything a candidate needs to move and get settled before training begins.
→ Data center–funded relocation stipend & travel
→ Housing bridge paired with HUD's Foster Youth to Independence
(FYI) vouchers
→ Mentor matched from Education Unbound's alumni and partner network
→ Benefits and orientation walkthrough
Weeks 3–10
Core Skills Training
Paid, hands-on skilled-trades training built around what data center sites actually need, no degree or prior trade experience required to enroll.
→ HVAC, electrical & mechanical fundamentals
→ Blueprint reading
→ Safety certifications (OSHA-10, CPR/First Aid)
→ Direct employer networking throughout training
Weeks 11–12
Arts & Creative Leadership
Training ends with a job, not a certificate alone, plus the ongoing support to make the transition to independent life stick.
→ Job placement at the data center site
→ Housing transition support
→ Ongoing case-management check-ins
→ Entry point to a longer-term career ladder
Throughout
Wraparound Support
Delivered as a partnership: the data center anchors the financial and housing infrastructure, and Education Unbound brings the human infrastructure: mentors, case managers, and continuity research that alumni need most.
→ Continuity of case management from referral through the first year on the job
→ Natural-mentor relationships linked to better employment outcomes
→ Career advancement pathway after placement
→ Partnership model, not a one-time hiring push
68%
20:1
140K
20,000+
Facility maintenance technicians are over age 45
Skilled-trade openings for every new worker through 2032
Electricians, HVAC techs & tradespeople the U.S. will need by 2030
Youth age out of foster care annually. Upskill U's renewable pipeline
How It Connects
Three steps to
Upskill U.
01
Referral
Candidates come to us through foster alumni programs and partner organizations. Education Unbound identifies and recruits foster alumni ready for a skilled-trades career.
02
Readiness & Case Management
Education Unbound screens candidates and provides wraparound support—housing, coaching, and mentorship—while matching each candidate to a data center partner site.
Apprenticeship & Placement
03
Candidates complete the paid 12-week apprenticeship and step into a technician role at the data center site, with case management continuing through the first year and a clear career ladder ahead.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Everything you need
to know.
Is there a cost for families?
Both programs are designed to be accessible to underserved communities. Scholarships and subsidized spots are available. Contact us at Info@educationunbound.org to discuss your situation; no family should be turned away due to cost.
How do I know if my child qualifies for Camp Katy?
Camp Katy serves students in grades 2–6 in underserved communities across Dallas and North Texas. We partner with school districts and community organizations to identify eligible students. Reach out and we'll let you know right away.
How does Education Unbound measure success?
We track academic growth, participation rates, social-emotional outcomes, and post-program pathways. Camp Katy students have shown 1–2 grade level academic growth in a single summer and 3× literacy fluency gains. Through our NeuroArts research partnership, we also study the wellbeing and psychological impact of creative practice on our students.
What is the connection to NeuroArts Dallas?
Education Unbound is a founding partner of NeuroArts Dallas, a research initiative led by artist and researcher Weeda Hamdan at UTD. Our programs contribute real data to the growing body of science on how creative practice shapes learning, wellbeing, and community health.
How can organizations or schools partner with us?
We actively seek partnerships with school districts, nonprofits, healthcare organizations, and corporate sponsors who share our mission. Email us at Info@educationunbound.org or visit our Get Involved page to start a conversation.
How long does the program take to complete?
Upskill U is a 12 week program with rolling enrollment, so candidates can start as soon as they are approved rather than waiting for a fixed start date.
Is the training online or in person?
Training is fully online with a dedicated mentor guiding each participant. About 80 percent of the coursework is project based, so students build real, job ready skills rather than just watching lectures.
The program is designed for foster alumni, veterans, and unemployed individuals ages 18 to 21 who are ready to start a new career. Relocation, housing, mentorship, and case management are built into the program for those who need them.