A conversation about new approaches, promising findings, and the people who make this work possible. Collective learning powers our partnerships across Civic Engagement, Education, Arts & Culture, and Greenspaces. Our new webinar, Upstream, takes you straight to the source—bringing together researchers and change-makers to talk about what’s working, what’s exciting, and where we go from here. Join the conversation at houstonendowment.org/upstream.
With & For: How Human-Centered Design Is Addressing Citizenship Barriers
Greater Houston is home to approximately 360,000 lawful permanent residents who are eligible to naturalize, yet only 10% apply in any given year. In response to this gap, Houston Endowment launched the Greater Houston Citizenship Project.
Using a human-centered design approach, the project sought to better understand and address the barriers facing eligible-to-naturalize residents. From 2023 to 2025, working together with residents and community partners, project leaders co-designed and tested a set of programs tailored for specific audiences.
This project contributed to broader efforts that saw the Houston field office posting the highest number of citizenship applications.
On the next episode of Upstream, we’ll explore the process at the heart of this multi-year initiative—human-centered design—from the perspectives of a grass-roots nonprofit leader, community engagement lead, program evaluator, and local funder. We’ll reflect on the structure and speed of such an approach, its inherent challenges, and the surprising insights made possible by engaging community members and trusted messengers.
24 Jun 2026
Change is brewing: How nonprofits are turning data into action
In the latest episode of Upstream, data experts gathered to discuss Coffee & Quality (https://unitedwayhouston.org/what-we-do/coffee-and-quality/), a nonprofit capacity-building initiative from United Way of Greater Houston (https://unitedwayhouston.org/) that helps organizations use data, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement (CQI) to strengthen their programs and impact. The group shared real-world examples of how data can drive decision making and create positive change across organizations.
29 Apr 2026
Inside the push to build a stronger teacher pipeline
As Texas works to strengthen its teacher workforce, big questions are emerging about certification, preparation pathways, and what it takes to support teachers already in the classroom. In this episode of Upstream, we’re bringing together research, policy, and on-the-ground experts to explore how HB 2 is shaping this moment and discuss new findings from the Learning Policy Institute.
24 Feb 2026
When the artist is the subject: Why a regional survey matters now
In the second episode of our webinar series, Upstream, we explored an essential question: How do artists live and work in Houston? This question is the basis of the Greater Houston Artist Survey (https://fresharts.org/greater-houston-artist-survey/), a tool created by and for artists and intended to capture the most detailed portrait yet of their working life, challenges, and opportunities for growth.
Art leaders and data experts weighed in on the unique approach to creating the survey, hopeful findings, and the impact the results can have citywide.
21 Oct 2025
What is a Grow Your Own program & why does it matter now in education?
Hear experts from Houston Endowment, Tomball ISD, and Steuck & Associates unpack the basics of Grow Your Own Programs in public education. They’ll talk about:
How these programs can help paraprofessionals and other staff transition to certified teaching roles, especially after the passage of House Bill 2
Common program threads, challenges, experiences, and benefits of Grow Your Own Programs
And more!
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Host of Upstream?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
