Community Outreach

Community outreach is one of the Hobby Center for Public Policy's primary objectives. The Hobby Center for Public Policy (HCPP) works with several Houston organizations including Global Unisource, Inc, the League of Women Voters, Coalition for the Homeless for Houston-Harris County, and Texas Southern University's Mickey Leland Center to promote civic engagement, scientific policy analysis and professional training.

 

Providing Expertise

The Hobby Center for Public Policy researchers are routinely sought as event speakers and by local, state and national media for input in a variety of areas:

 

Jim Granato (national politics and economic policy)

Barton Smith (Houston economy and real estate)

Richard Murray (local, state and national politics and public opinion)

Renée Cross (local and state politics and civic engagement)

 

 

 

 

Hobby Center for Public Policy Launches Inside Policy & Politics Blog

 

Houston Chronicle readers can now interact with the Hobby Center for Public Policy (HCPP) through our Inside Policy & Politics blog. As one of the blogs featured by the Chronicle's City Brights section, Inside Policy & Politics promises to bring readers the latest information on research and analysis  taking place at the University of Houston's Hobby Center for Public Policy. Topics for discussion will be diverse and timely as you hear from experts such as Jim Granato, Richard Murray, Barton Smith, Bill Hobby, Renée Cross, and numerous others.

 

 

 

The Certified Public Manager Program is Now Offered at UH

 

 

Upon satisfactory completion of the courses and final project, the CPM graduate is entitled to use the official designation of Certified Public Manager® (CPM). The CPM designation exemplifies recognized standards for excellence in public management and leadership.

 

The HCPP’s program is an affiliate of the CPM Program offered through the William P. Hobby Center for Public Service at Texas State University and is accredited by the National Certified Public Manager Consortium.

 

Registration is now open! Learn more about the Certified Public Manager program.

 

 

 

Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center's Blood Drive

 

 

 

 

 

Study Tours

 

The Hobby Center for Public Policy coordinates various professional training programs annually for Global Unisource, Inc.  Global Unisource offers study tours focusing on American government, economics, education and business practices for professionals in China. More—

 

 

 

Previous Projects

 

 

HCPP's Jim Granato Explains the Mathematics of Trillion on FOX 26 Morning News
		Exploring Mathematics of Trillion Updated: Wednesday, 10 Feb 2010, 11:10 AM CST Published : Wednesday, 10 Feb 2010, 11:10 AM CST   There was a time when one million dollars seemed like an unimaginable sum of money, but in 2010, a lot of people have had $1 million during their lives.   A 2005 report found that almost 9 percent of Americans were millionaires, although the U.S. economic recession has likely caused a decrease in that amount. Read the full article

 

 

University of Houston Community Pet Food Drive for AniMeals on Wheels, April 11 thru May 2, 2011.

 

As a community service project, the Hobby Center for Public Policy held its 3rd Annual pet food drive on the University of Houston campus for AniMeals on Wheels, a program that benefits the clients of Meals on Wheels for Greater Houston.

Meals on Wheels of Greater Houston provide home-delivered meals to more than 3,600 homebound seniors. Many elderly and disabled people who receive food from the Meals on Wheels share what food they receive with their pets, which leads to neither the person nor pet receiving proper nutrition. For homebound seniors in the Meals on Wheels program, the companionship of a pet is essential to their health and happiness. However, the cost and ability to acquire food for their best friends is an impractical task. To help decrease the burden that seniors feel when it comes to feeding themselves and their pet companion, Meals on Wheels for Greater Houston has initiated the new AniMeals on Wheels program which provides donated pet food to Meals on Wheels households. Read more about the pet food drive for AniMeals on Wheels.

 

 

 

 

 

The Community-Based Participatory Research Workshop

 

The Hobby Center for Public Policy's community research workshop was held on April 8-9, 2010. This  two day workshop brought academics, applied practitioners and community advocates together to discuss the most effective ways to conduct research within a community, particularly with hard to reach populations. The 2010 Workshop was sponsored by the Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics (JERHRE), the University of Houston's Hobby Center for Public Policy, and the Community-Campus Partnerships for Health. The 2011 Workshop "Communication in Community-Engaged Research" is now scheduled for October 27-28, 2011. Click here to read more about it.

 

 

 

Local High School Students Receive a Real Voting Experience

 

Charles H. Milby High School seniors received a real voting experience on May 5 and 6 as they voted for their prom king and queen. Unlike many other high schools who are voting the traditional way using paper ballots, seniors from Milby were able to cast their votes using eSlate electronic voting equipment; the same equipment used to conduct state, county and city elections.   The students at Milby were able to use the electronic voting equipment thanks to an educational pilot program developed by the Harris County Clerk's  Communications and Voter Outreach Department titled Voter Outreach and Teaching Enterprise (VOTE) and the assistance of the University of Houston’s Center for Public Policy. The mission of VOTE is to educate potential voters, encourage participation in the electoral process and promote the integral role citizens play in the maintenance of the democratic process.   Teneshia Hudspeth, Voter Outreach Coordinator for the Harris County Clerk’s Communications and Voter Outreach Department, provided the training on how to use the eSlate voting equipment. Teneshia is also a former Hobby Center for Public Policy Mickey Leland Congressional Intern.   View a video of the Milby High School Prom Election

Milby High School students, Victoria Hernandez (left) and Mireya Perez (right) served as poll workers during the election of their senior prom  king and queen.     Teneshia Hudspeth instructs students how to use the eSlate voting equipment.

 

 

 

 

The 2008 Presidential Election 

 

On Thursday, October 16, 2008 the University of Houston's Hobby Center for Public Policy held a panel discussion and luncheon at the Federal Reserve Building. Moderated by Dr. Richard Murray, the national panel included the Washington bureau chief of the Houston Chronicle, Richard Dunham; political correspondent for the national newspaper USA Today, Kathy Kiely; chairman of Bracewell & Giuliani, Patrick Oxford; and Larry R. Veselka, a partner in the law firm of Smyser, Kaplan and Veselka. Read more about the panel and the luncheon.

 

 

 

 

The University of Houston's Hobby Center for Public Policy joined the Mayor's Complete Count Committee for the 2010 Census. Learn more about the United States Census 2010. 

 

 

 

 

 

Click here to view our Events Page.

 

Global Unisource, Inc

 

 

Since 2000, the Hobby Center for Public Policy has worked with Global Unisource, Inc to coordinate executive training sessions for Chinese professionals. With topics ranging from accounting to engineering to governmental customer service, participants from China learn skills to thrive in a global economy.

 

According to Global Unisource president David Guo, "Our study tours play an important role in U.S.-China relations by promoting an awareness of the different government and business cultures found in the two countries.  The sessions provide Chinese leaders an understanding of the role of the U.S. government and how the market economy works." More—

 

 

 

The 2011 Community-Engaged Research Workshop, October 27-28

 

Read more about the workshop on "Communication in Community-Engaged Research".

 

 

 

 

Community Partners

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interfaith Ministries for Greater Houston brings people of diverse faith together for dialogue, collaboration and service.
 

 

 

 

 

The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. The LWV HA is also on facebook.

 

 

 

 

The mission of the Mickey Leland Center on World Hunger and Peace at Texas Southern University is to serve as a state and national resource for information on the problems of global hunger and peace. Read more.

 

 

 

 

Mi Familia Vota Education Fund is a national organization working to unite and build power in Latino, immigrant and allied communities, and to ensure social and economic justice through increased civic engagement. Learn more about Mi Familia Vota.

 

 

 

The NALEO Educational Fund is the nation's leading non-partisan, non-profit organization that facilitates the full participation of Latinos in the American political process, from citizenship to public service. A nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization first established in 1981, we carry out our mission through programs that integrate Latinos fully into American political society, provide professional development opportunities and technical assistance to the nation’s more than 6,000 Latino elected and appointed officials, and monitor and conduct advocacy on issues important to the Latino community and our political participation. Read more about the NALEO Educational Fund.

 

The mission of Texans Together is to build a strong grassroots movement that educates and mobilizes average Texans to fight for their economic opportunity.

 

 

Hobby Center for Public Policy  ▪  University of Houston  ▪  501 E Cullen Building  ▪  Houston, Texas 77204-5021  ▪  713 743 3970