What began as a simple idea has rapidly grown into a full-scale exploration event, offering Harris County middle and high school students an up-close look at potential college and career opportunities after graduation.

In its second year, the LevelUp Afterschool is Cool Youth Expo welcomed nearly 200 students representing 14 area school districts to the sports– themed event. Held March 29 at the University of Houston-Downtown, participants took advantage of a day of learning and networking, building their “Game Plan for Success” along the way.

Tineka Rentie, project coordinator for college and career readiness initiatives with Harris County Department of Education’s (HCDE) Center for Afterschool, Summer and Enrichment (CASE) for Kids, spearheaded the event. Her background in the classroom and passion for preparing young minds with opportunities following graduation merged to put the expo into motion.

“This is literally my favorite thing to do and why I feel I’m here at CASE for Kids and Harris County Department of Education,” Rentie said. “College and career readiness is a part of afterschool naturally and we don’t always look at it that way.”

However, the journey from idea to implementation wasn’t without a few bumps. Dr. Lisa Caruthers, the division’s senior director, believed in Rentie’s vision but was concerned with scaling the expo to a college campus and involving vendors, given CASE for Kids currently only supports afterschool and out-of-school time services at two area high schools.

“She brought the idea to go beyond our two high schools and bring in community partners,” Caruthers said.

The result was quick growth in just two years. From approximately 110 students to nearly 200 covering a larger footprint in Harris County. From 18 vendor partners in 2024 to more than 40 expressing interest this year.

Another win is that students willingly decide to attend the event on a Saturday.

“They could be anywhere else, but they chose to wake up and be active at 8 a.m.,” Rentie said. “Hopefully they all got something. Just one little jewel that can help them build their gameplan for what’s next in their lives.”

Students began the day with a provided breakfast before a welcome from Ben Robles, UHD College of Public Service assistant dean. They were then treated to a panel discussion, featuring educators and individuals with advanced degrees, to current students at the University of Houston. The mix allowed students to hear from those in their same shoes not too long ago to older individuals offering a different perspective.

“They talked about influences, the people you hang around and how it influences what you do in school,” said Victoria Stemley, a freshman at Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy in Houston Independent School District. “Those things follow you. I loved how much advice they gave.”

Added Bryianna Fips, CASE for Kids regional program coordinator at Galena Park ISD’s Cobb Sixth Grade Campus: “The panelists were just in those same seats as my 11- and 12-year-olds, so it’s important to have people that are close in age, as well as older. Both sides can tell you the difference, what they went through, and how things have changed, because the world has changed.”

Students were divided into groups for rotations throughout the day. They included visiting community partners in a vendor fair and getting a hands-on experience through BridgeYear’s Career Test Drive Program, which connects students with high-demand career pathways that require less than a traditional 4-year degree. The career demonstrations on hand were phlebotomist, pipefitter, surgical technologist, pharmacy technician, electrician and manufacturing technician.

BridgeYear proved to be a hit with students. Many expressed to their site coordinators a desire to bring the program to their respective campuses.

“It gave them the opportunity to do, to demonstrate, to feel, to touch and even to smell sometimes – depending on what it is – so that they can know if that’s something they want to do, or maybe they learn it’s actually something they don’t want to do,” Rentie said.

The third rotation featured a variety of presentations on various topics. They ranged from self-esteems effect on career readiness to balancing technology and social skills. HCDE assistant superintendents Dr. Jesus Amezcua, Dr. CJ Rodgers and Jonathan Parker led a session on leadership.

High school students met with a campus admissions counselor to end their day, while middle school participants learned financial literacy tips and de-escalation strategies to reach a common ground.

“Afterschool and out-of-school time activities and events like this are a way that kids can contextualize what they’re doing all day in school,” Caruthers said. “We get the beautiful luxury of doing the fun stuff, but that fun stuff connects the dots in the kids’ brains of where they can go and what they can do with their learning.”

Added Rentie: “My purpose in CASE is to serve our community at large, so that is our 25 school districts, and to be there for them to provide the support that they need. One of the goals with this expo, and all of our college and career readiness initiatives, is to help people identify some of the things they’re already doing and then enhance them with some of the things we’re doing. We want to be that resource.”