Press
Houston, TX (October 12, 2016) – Collaborative for Children has hired Denise L. Gowan, M.S., as the director of the College Bound from Birth program, which engages early childhood education experts, child care providers, families and community leaders in creating college-bound environments for young children in Houston’s most underserved neighborhoods. Ms. Gowan brings extensive experience in nonprofit leadership, strategic planning and execution, community engagement and early childhood education.
Before joining Collaborative for Children, she served as the director of Strategic Engagement and Measures for Battelle for Kids, where she cultivated meaningful and ongoing business relationships with educational organizations, government agencies, foundations and individuals, and led strategic consulting on engagement and impact measures with some of the nation’s largest school districts. Ms. Gowan also previously chaired the Strategic Engagement Steering Committee for the Houston Independent School District to help develop and implement district-wide strategic measures.
Ms. Gowan founded and served as the first director of Friends of Montessori, a local nonprofit which placed Montessori programs in Houston ISD. She began her career in education as an elementary school teacher in Klein Independent School District. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from Texas A&M University and master’s degree in counseling from the University of Houston – Clear Lake.
Founded in 1987, Collaborative for Children believes that early learning is the key to long-term success – not just for our children, but for our entire community. Collaborative for Children works with all the key stakeholders who shape children’s success – parents, caregivers, educators, legislators and community leaders – to make sure the region’s children have all the learning opportunities they need to succeed, in school and throughout their lives. This will ensure that Greater Houston region has the skilled workforce necessary to compete in the changing world market.
