The Dallas Morning News Reports on Brewer Foundation

30 Years of Partnership and Service

The Dallas Morning News published an in-depth feature celebrating the Brewer Foundation's 30th anniversary, focusing on the students whose lives have been transformed by its educational initiatives.

In "How a Dallas Nonprofit Built Education Pathways from Oak Cliff to New York and Beyond" the piece traces the impact of the Brewer Foundation's flagship programs: the Future Leaders Program (FLP) and the International Public Policy Forum (IPPF).

The Future Leaders Program: Creating Opportunity, Elevating Outcomes

Founded in 2001, the FLP now serves more than 200 Dallas ISD students, delivering a rigorous, year-round Saturday curriculum, blending traditional academics with standardized test preparation, leadership development, and college admission support.

Unique to FLP, each class is co-taught by two educators by both a public and private school educator, a deliberate format designed to blend perspectives, raise expectations, and reinforce the message our FLP students belong. Current partner private schools include:

• The Episcopal School of Dallas

• St. Mark's School of Texas

• The Greenhill School

• The Hockaday School

Efrain Vera: From FLP Graduate to Commercial Litigator

Since founding, FLP has seen thousands of students graduate and matriculate into a top universities, many on full-scholarships. One of those success stories, Efrain Vera (pictured on the right) was profiled in the piece.

Starting the FLP program as a student at the Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet at Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Center, Vera took an opportunity and turned it into an outcome through hard work and the consistent application of effort.

During his senior year, Vera earned the Bill & Melinda Gates Millennium Scholarship, giving him a full-ride scholarship to New York University. He didn't stop there. Vera then went on to graduate from Albany Law School, extern for a U.S. magistrate judge, and join elite global law firms. He has built a career trajectory that would be highlighted as case study in an FLP classroom.

And what does he credit for that success?

If it wasn’t for FLP, I probably wouldn’t be where I am right now,

Angel Zavala: Adding to FLP's Legacy of Success

Like Vera, Angel Zavala comes from humble beginnings. However, as the profile highlights, his story reflects the same opportunity offered, and the same drive required to turn potential into achievement.

Earlier this month, Zavala learned that he earned a full-ride scholarship to Princeton University through the highly competitive QuestBridge College Match program.

He put it plainly:

I started off at a farm, like a goat herder, with my grandpa in the field. “I never expected to just go to the No. 1 … university in the U.S. I never expected that. So reach for the stars. Anything is possible.

He joins his FLP classmates, Emanuel Benitez and Nicholas McClinton, who also earned a full-ride scholarships to Columbia University and Case Western Reserve University respectively through competitive scholarship programs.

Both of these students join the prestigious community of QuestBridge and Gates Scholars. They also join the number of FLP graduates who have earned:

• Full-Ride Scholarships

• Nationally Competitive Awards

• Acceptance to Ivy League Universities and other Top Institutions

The International Public Policy Forum (IPPF): Fostering Global Dialogue

Also highlighted in the article is the Brewer Foundation/NYU International Public Policy Forum (IPPF). Each year, high school students from around the world submit essays and engage in multiple rounds of written and oral debate.

This year's topic tackles one of the most pressing global challenges: the crisis in education.

Resolved: The Group of 20 Nations should levy a global education tax equal to 1% of each member country's gross domestic product to establish a dedicated international organization that supports the provision of universal, free, quality primary and secondary education.

Students are already deep in the competition cycle. And the stakes have never been more significant. This year's competition is the largest and most global in contest history:

• 528 Teams Registered

• 48 Countries

• 30 US States

The final eight teams are invited to New York City, where the IPPF finals will be held at New York University School of Law, with just one team taking home the Brewer Cup and $10,000.

For the first time in contest history, a symposium will coincide with the IPPF finals, providing a forum for political leaders, academics, and experts in education to discuss the very topic posed to the students.

A Celebration of the Past, but a Focus on the Future

Joining us in celebrating this success are all the community leaders, families, and teachers who helped make this all possible. Advocacy is a team sport and without their support none of this would be possible

While yesterday's piece wrote about what the last 30 years made possible, we at the Foundation, the Future Leaders Program, and the International Public Policy Forum, remain focus on the stories yet to be written.

Read the full article here.