Furr High School
Houston, Texas
Empowering students to tackle environmental injustice.
Furr High School is a comprehensive district high school of about 1,100 students built on the belief that every student can excel when presented with authentic opportunities to disrupt the cycle of poverty and catalyze community transformation. By supporting students in building relationships with the environment and community, Furr aims to prepare its students to leave high school equipped to succeed in postsecondary education, design their own futures, and positively impact the world.
Furr High School’s environmental focus provides meaningful, engaged learning experiences. Students collect water samples throughout the city of Houston’s waterways, conduct trash audits in adjacent community parks, attend public hearings, and advocate about environmental concerns impacting the health and wellness of their community. These projects equip students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences to address challenges and improve their community.
In 9th grade, students select from one of three pathways: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Health Science, or Media and Technology. Furr also offers two magnet programs: Futures Academy and STEM. The Futures Academy Program allows students to earn an associate’s degree and valuable industry certifications in high-demand career fields such as medicine, shipping, energy, manufacturing, and computer technology in collaboration with Houston Community College. The STEM program prepares students for industry-specific disciplines and readies them to enter a pipeline of talent for medical, energy, science, technology, arts, agriculture, engineering, and mathematics professions.
At the same time, Furr is disrupting the cycle of poverty and catalyzing community transformation by providing access to high-quality learning opportunities. With more than 500 students enrolled in agricultural studies, Furr strives to end the food deserts in its nearby communities through empowerment and education.
Student Outcomes
In 2022, 215 students graduated from Furr—the first class to spend all four years at Furr since the school began its partnership with XQ. According to XQ’s Senior Survey, one in four of Furr’s 2022 graduates earned college credits during high school (26 percent). The school’s leadership said 6 percent of graduates in 2022 earned a full associate degree.
On XQ’s Senior Survey for the class of 2022, when asked what aspects of Furr helped them achieve their goals for high school, college, and career, more 12th graders pointed to opportunities to learn outside the school in the community than to any other feature (41 percent).
“When I came to Furr, I remember talking to my teachers, telling them how much I wanted to become a writer. Through my three years here, I became more than a writer. I became a leader, a critical thinker, a collaborator, and, most of all, a better student.”
Morgan
Class of 2022
“We partner with US Fish and Wildlife, the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, and Houston Parks. Our school maintains a half-acre community garden that we built from the ground up.”
Juan Elizondo
Teacher and director of partners
