The Light and Salt Association invited Pearland youth to assist in the assessment and evaluation of its newly launched teen mental health program. The evaluation process involved youth volunteers participating in three 1.5-hour sessions, where they completed surveys and provided detailed feedback on the instructors and course materials. The volunteers thoroughly reviewed the teaching methods […]

Pearland volunteers conducted online English classes for elementary school children in China, focusing on beginner-level conversation and reading. The goal was to create a native English-speaking environment to help students develop basic conversational skills and expand their vocabulary. A small fee was charged for each class, with all proceeds being donated to the tutoring program […]

On September 15, 2024, Pearland volunteers successfully organized an online fundraiser in support of the city’s second inclusive park. The volunteers marketed a variety of donated items, including garden spray bottles, weed barriers, thermoses, stretch balls, and DIY fruit plates. They photographed the items, promoted the sale on social media, and handled deliveries to buyers. […]

On September 28, 2024, Pearland volunteers led a successful bucket drumming class at GiGi’s Playhouse Houston as part of the SMILE 4 Special Needs initiative. The volunteers trained local youth on how to conduct lessons, emphasizing the importance of adapting to different learning styles across age groups of individuals with special needs. They also reviewed […]

On September 20 th ,2024, Pearland Branch volunteers gathered at the West Pearland Library to host a delightful event—a free face painting session for local children. In the initial hour, four skilled volunteers shared their expertise, patiently guiding younger participants in the art of face painting. These experienced mentors not only taught the essentials but […]

On September 21 st ,2024, AYLUS Pearland volunteers made a substantial contribution to the local Farmers Market at Independence Park. Their day commenced at 8:00 am, as they energetically assisted in organizing the Welcome table. Their involvement was dynamic, ranging from manning the welcome desk with genuine warmth, handling donations for a local nonprofit, to […]

Pearland Branch participated in the Town Center Vendor Fair for the second time. Their booth featured plant sales and Face painting fundraising, alongside captivating performances by volunteers showcasing traditional Chinese Dragon Dance. This engagement demonstrated the branch’s commitment to community involvement and cultural exchange, fostering inclusivity and appreciation for diversity among attendees. This successful debut […]

In August 2024, AYLUS Pearland ran a successful clothes and shoes drive aimed at assisting residents. During the collecting period, volunteers gathered all the clothes, which were dropped off at various designated collection points across Pearland. On Friday 5:30pm-7:30pm, September 20, 2024, members of the organization packed and delivered the collected items to the Goodwill […]

On the evening of September 22, AYLUS volunteers held their first tennis class of the fall semester. The session started with a lively warm-up to get everyone moving. Participants then practiced drills to enhance their forehand and backhand techniques, and they also began learning the basics of volleys and serves. By the end of the […]

On September 22nd, 2024,Sunday Night, Edwin Gao, Erick Gao, and Ethan Gao went to the storage units run by Pearland Chinese Association (PCA), sorted out and relocated items used in the previous year’s Lunar New Year Festivals, and also moved more items into the new storage units and organized them. Total Hour (1 hour): Edwin […]

On September 21, 2024, Pearland youth volunteers assisted at the health fair organized by the Light and Salt Association from 9 AM to 1 PM. The volunteers contributed by helping at the registration desk, conducting hepatitis C screening tests, and supporting the cancer education booth. Volunteers (4 hours): • Jiarui Cui • Crystal Liu Parent […]

On September 14, 2024, Pearland volunteers have been supporting the Friends of West Pearland Library Big Book Sale. Everyone was so cheerful and eager to help. The library had 311 library patrons participate in this event.it was hugely successful. Volunteers set up the book sale (3 hrs): Andy Shi Volunteers Morning of sale activities (1 […]

On the evening of September 19, 2024, a group of volunteers gathered to sort donations from warehouses in preparation for a weekend fundraising garage sale. The volunteers unwrapped, labeled, and sorted household items, bedding, and kitchen items. The proceeds from the sale will support the construction of Pearland’s second inclusive park. Volunteers (1.5 hours): Gavin […]

On the evening of September 7, 2024, Pearland volunteers organized the 16th Pearland My PlayClub. Volunteers arrived early to set up outdoor adaptive games, bucket drumming, and face painting/tattoos. Thanks to the pleasant weather, the event saw a great turnout. The adaptive fishing game was a highlight, allowing kids to practice casting and reeling in […]

On Saturday, September 7, the youth volunteers of AYLUS Pearland gathered for a heartwarming event: celebrating the birthday of a special needs child named Mya. The party, organized by a local civic group, was filled with laughter, excitement, and an outpouring of compassion from these dedicated young volunteers. The highlight of the afternoon was face […]

AYLUS Pearland has been a partner of Project Rise and Shine (PRS) since 2020 and has received an annual grant from the Hogg Foundation to promote the mental health of minority youth. As part of the grant requirements, AYLUS Pearland submits expense reports, maintains a list of programs with statistical data, and reports to PRS […]

Since July 2024, AYLUS Pearland has been assisting Project Rise and Shine (PRS) in developing a responsive and engaging website to help users learn about PRS’s organization, mission, programs, and events. Volunteers Andy Shi, Aila Jiang, Katherine Wu, Jonathan Niu, and Matthew Niu began working on this project in July 2024. In August 2024, Andy […]

Since May 2023, AYLUS Pearland has been supporting LSA to build a database to track their events participations and monitor their class progression. The database was successfully built by the end of summer in 2003 and implemented into their daily management. In the month of August, AYLUS volunteers Jonathan Niu, Matthew Niu, Andy Shi, and […]

On August 17, 2024, the Aylus Pearland Branch successfully hosted a book drive to benefit the local library. Aimed at gathering new and gently used books, the event attracted enthusiastic community participation and resulted in the collection of over 500 books across diverse genres and age groups. Volunteers were instrumental in organizing, sorting, and delivering […]

On August 15, 2024, AYLUS Pearland ran a successful food drive aimed at assisting local residents. During the collecting period, volunteers gathered unopened and unexpired dry and canned goods, which were dropped off at various designated collection points across Pearland. On Friday, August 23, members of the organization delivered the collected items to the Pearland […]

In August 2024, youth volunteers participated in a survey and essay call regarding several programs in the youth-serving special needs community, sponsored by the Light and Salt Association. The survey included 20 questions seeking volunteers’ feedback and evaluations on various aspects of these programs. The essays primarily focused on the volunteers’ experiences serving the special […]

Youth volunteers with experience in serving the special needs community were called upon to design inclusive, youth-led activities for future special needs programs. To gather evidence-based practice information for a state grant application, the Special Needs Caring Center of Light and Salt Association engaged several youth organizations in collecting feedback and designing future inclusive activities. […]

 On August 24, 2024, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, volunteers brought face painting, balloon twisting, and cotton candy to the back-to-school party at GiGi’s Playhouse Sugarland, a Down Syndrome Achievement Center. The event saw a great turnout, including many participants from the summer Bucket Drumming for All program. Volunteers and guests enjoyed chatting and […]

On the evening of August 17th, from 7 to 9 PM, Pearland Chinese Association organized a community lecture on organic gardening at the local library. The event was a great success, with over 40 Pearland residents attending and actively participating in the discussions. The lecture covered various aspects of organic gardening, including best practices, benefits, […]

In preparation for the upcoming Garage Sale Fundraiser, Pearland Branch volunteers have been diligently addressing several key tasks. Three weeks before the event, they began promoting it by posting flyers on social media to boost awareness. Throughout this period, they organized collection drives and established designated drop-off points across the community to gather donated items. […]

On Saturday, August 17th, 2024, AYLUS Pearland hosted a garage sale at Silverlake Scofield community, Pearland. There are 2 shifts from 6:45-9:45am and 9:45am-12:45pm. Starting at 6:30 am, parents and members set up advertisement signs in the community and arranged sale items. People started lining up at the driveway at 7:00 AM, while AYLUS volunteers […]

On August 17, 2024, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm, volunteers brought face painting, balloon twisting, and cotton candy to the back-to-school party at GiGi’s Playhouse Houston, a Down Syndrome Achievement Center. The event saw a great turnout, including many participants from the summer Bucket Drumming for All program. Volunteers and guests enjoyed chatting and making […]

On August 16, 2024, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, Aylus Pearland volunteers played a key role in Challenger Elementary School’s Back-to-School Party by offering engaging activities such as face painting and balloon twisting. The face painting station allowed children to choose from a variety of colorful designs, while the balloon twisting provided them with fun, […]

On August 12, 2024, 1:00-5:00 pm, volunteers focused on preparing activities for future inclusive play and learn events. They selected activities from Highlights magazine, donated by a parent, and laminated them for durability. The chosen activities, such as “Find the Silly Things” and “Spot the Differences,” were specifically selected to help train cognitive skills. In […]

On August 8th, AYLUS volunteers hosted their last dance lesson of the summer. With it being the last class, the teachers let the kids choose a dance out of three different choices and the students all agreed that they wanted to do ETA. To make the last dance different and more fun, the teachers personally […]

On Thursday, August 1st, AYLUS volunteers resumed their summer dance lessons at the house of Anna, one of the teachers. The lesson started with a simple stretch routine. After stretching they moved on to the highly anticipated dance, called Supernova. The song was harder for the kids to learn due to its fast moves, but the kids persevered, and […]

On August 8, 2024, the teachers of the Aylus robotics class gathered to create a comprehensive summary video. This video encapsulates the key knowledge shared during the summer robotics classes and showcases the students’ accomplishments. By compiling photos and videos from throughout the program, the video serves both as a recap of the learning experience […]

On August 3, 2024, the Pearland Chinese Association hosted a successful Community Connect Happy Hour at the Brazoria Library West Pearland Branch, from 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM. The event was attended by approximately 30 Pearland residents, who came together to enjoy an evening of camaraderie, cultural exchange, and networking. The event’s success was made […]

August 9, 2024, marked the last youth-assisted SMILE Camp of the summer. In the morning, volunteers assisted with a painting class and a crafts class. In the afternoon, they led the campers in a variety of games. To celebrate the end of the youth-assisted summer camp, the volunteers and campers enjoyed cakes together.  Volunteers (6 […]

On August 9, 2024, volunteers from Aylus Pearland played a vital role in preparing for the Pearland Westside Library’s Adopt-A-Book event by setting up tables, arranging furniture, and decorating the photo booth. Their thorough preparation helped create an inviting and well-organized space for the event. On August 10th, five dedicated volunteers continued their invaluable support […]

The 5th health fair at Ed White ES nfeatured partnerships with Hummingbird Community Outreach, Light and Salt Association (LSA), Agape Dental, DTHY Matters, and the AYLUS Houston branch. LSA provided a range of free services, including height/weight measurements, blood pressure and blood sugar checks, and mammogram registration. Agape Dental offered dental consultations, and DeBakey High […]

 On the morning of August 7, 2024, volunteers assisted with a life skills class and a computer class at the LSA SNCC SMILE Camp. In the afternoon, they helped with a crafts class where participants used pony beads to make keychains and small decorative items. The day concluded with the volunteers assisting in a Chinese […]

On the morning of August 6, 2024, volunteers assisted with a painting class at SMILE Camp. In the afternoon, they led a lesson on plants. The session began with an AI teaching demo developed by Andy Shi, which attracted significant interest from the campers and professionals. Following the demo, the volunteers led a discussion on […]

 On the morning of August 5, 2024, volunteers arrived at Memorial Presbyterian Church to teach a bucket drumming class for the Adult Day Program organized by Easter Seals Greater Houston. This was their second class, and a total of 13 individuals with special needs attended, several of whom were in wheelchairs. The participants preferred sitting […]

It was dusk of the final robotics lesson. Withholding tearful goodbyes, we provided one last challenge for them to accomplish. One last rock to turn over. The robot’s build had already been completed, and the only task left was to code the code. The goal for this intrepid exercise is to rig the robot to […]