Business View Magazine | August 2022

91 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 8 HURST-EULESS-BEDFORD INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DI STR I CT known as the “summer slide.” Cole explains, “The school district and the three cities all collaborated to create one great, big summer reading program. It’s now a model across the country of how to maintain academic achievement and bridge that summer gap. We even have a mobile STEM lab powered by HEB Reads called the Think Tank that travels around the community, giving students access to more hands-on learning year round.” The new Fire Academy program, launched in partnership with Tarrant County College and the fire departments of Hurst, Euless, and Bedford, also has them excited for what it could bring as far as a major workforce investment. “The key is our collaboration with the cities,” states Harrington. “We’re connecting these students with municipal fire services. We’re getting them their EMT certifications and giving them a way into that field. Essentially, we’re giving them options. Now, more than ever, students are Community involvement is also a vital part of HEB ISD’s success. “For 10 or 12 years, the Board of Trustees has sponsored a twice-yearly meeting that we call our City Collaboration Meeting,” Cole says, “with members of the school board and all members of the Executive Leadership Team in the district. We invite the mayors and city councils of all three cities to join us. We invite the hospital and the community college as well. During these meetings, we open up a conversation about how we can work together. What has come out of those conversations are some really incredible programs, like an expanded summer reading program we call HEB Reads, and our Fire Academy.” The mission of HEB Reads is to strengthen the community with a coordinated effort that provides educational and literacy opportunities for all. The program was designed to combat the impact of summer learning loss, otherwise