The Power of Out‑of‑School Supports: How LHCC Helps Students Thrive
It is often said that only 20% of a child’s time from kindergarten through 12th grade is spent in the classroom. That means an astonishing 80% of learning occurs beyond school walls. This reality reveals a powerful opportunity: LHCC and other nonprofits serving vulnerable families can play a crucial role in shaping students’ academic and life outcomes by providing the social and emotional supports that public schools alone cannot meet.
One compelling illustration comes from Closing the Gap in American Schools by Annie Lowrey, which highlights the work of Communities in Schools (CIS). The study demonstrates that when nonprofits offer holistic wraparound services, everything from mentoring and counseling to food assistance, students experience measurable improvements. Our recent survey of LHCC mentees and their parents confirm this finding. Researchers examining data on more than 16 million Texas students found that the introduction of CIS led to higher test scores, lower truancy, and fewer suspensions. These supports also produced a 5.2% increase in graduation rates and significant growth in college enrollment, outcomes that LHCC uses to define meaningful success and positive long‑term results for the families we serve.
These encouraging results reinforce a fundamental truth: students cannot excel academically when they are facing instability at home or living in under‑resourced communities. At LHCC, we are uniquely positioned to help close this gap by offering high school mentoring, elementary tutoring, family resource navigation, and expanded learning opportunities through our trusted kinship relationships. By helping stabilize the environments in which children live, nonprofits like LHCC address behavioral challenges that often arise from unmet social and emotional needs.
Simple interventions, for example, connecting families with food resources or workforce development opportunities, after‑school enrichment, or ensuring that equipped mentors check in with students regularly can meaningfully reshape a child’s trajectory. These supports help young people feel safe, valued, and ready to learn.
When nonprofits nurture the 80% of a child’s life that unfolds outside the classroom, we do more than complement education; we help transform it. And when LHCC students’ basic needs and emotional well‑being are supported, their capacity to thrive inside the classroom expands dramatically. We are deeply grateful for our volunteer tutors and mentors, whose tireless commitment allows us to offer holistic services focused on improving outcomes for the next generation of leaders.
A Letter of Thanks from Our Executive Director
Thank you for the extraordinary role you play in the lives of our high school students. What may feel small to you, perhaps a quick call, a thoughtful text, or a simple word of encouragement, carries far more weight than you may ever realize.
These steady acts of care remind our students that they are loved, supported, and deeply believed in, even on days when they can’t see it themselves or when meeting in person isn’t possible.
Together, we are building a grace‑filled runway that helps launch each young person toward the fullest version of who God created them to be. Your faithfulness and consistency are planting seeds that may not bear visible fruit right away, yet we trust our sovereign God to bring the harvest in His perfect time. We are profoundly grateful for the way you serve and for the hope you help cultivate in the lives of our students.
You are making a difference, and our families are truly grateful.
Brent Morris
Executive Director
March 2026
