A group of students from West Orange and Tekoa Academy kicked off year 2 of its NextGen Guardians of the Gulf Coast program this week at the International Seafarers Center in Port Arthur.

The program started with a tour of the Port of Port Arthur for students to get a better idea of what some of the career paths looked like in person.

The Program is run by Charity Productions, a Houston-based organization that has dedicated itself to bridging the opportunity gap for underserved communities. CEO Charles X White sets out to help local students find opportunities through disaster management programs that are growing due to climate change. 

The program seeks to introduce the next generation of students to disaster management with support from programs from FEMA and Texas A&M Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center.

White said that he believes these students have incredible gifts and talents but many students will deny themselves that same talent. White believes in the potential of these students and wishes to see them grow.

The program offers courses from FEMA that students can complete and receive college credit for completion. Courses range from “Community Hurricane Preparedness” to “Leadership and Influence” to teach kids not only disaster mitigation but also general life skills. 

“Learning is a thing that we have to do that way we can progress and do everything we want in life,” said Alexander Gonzalez, a former student of the Gulf Guardians program.”And these courses what they’re going to teach us all about management, time management, situational management, and, emergency management. I find these courses important because you can learn how to manage everything.”

The program is a continuation of the work that began last year in Port Arthur and is expanding into Beaumont and Orange County. The program is planned to run for three years and hopes to recruit at least 200 students throughout Southeast Texas. 

All students will be awarded a FEMA certificate upon completion of the courses.