Nine students from Harmony Public Schools have received Congressional Gold Medals – the highest award the U.S. Congress can bestow upon a U.S. high school student. A tenth earned a bronze medal.
The Congressional Award is a non-partisan, voluntary, and non-competitive initiative that requires students to set and pursue goals in four separate categories: Voluntary Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness and Expedition/Exploration.
To earn a gold medal, students must complete 400 hours of Community Service, 200 hours of Personal Development, 200 hours of Physical Fitness and four-to-five days of Expedition or Exploration. At a minimum, the program takes 24 months to complete. All activities must be unpaid, and take place outside of school activities.
The Harmony students who received the award represent Harmony campuses in five Texas
communities:
- Austin:Ethan Chandra, Gold; Emine Tunc, Gold (Harmony School of Endeavor – Austin)
- Dallas:Akif Yorulmaz, Gold (Harmony School of Innovation – Dallas)
- Houston:Zeynep Ertuna, Bronze (Harmony School of Advancement – Houston)
- Katy:Manaf Asif, Gold; Vanessa Le, Gold; Vivian Le, Gold (Harmony School of Innovation – Katy)
- Sugar Land:Anjali Angrawal, Gold; Busra Dokmen, Gold; Ayse Sueda Sevinc, Gold (Harmony School of Innovation – Sugar Land)
Harmony Public Schools is a Texas-born, Texas-wide public charter school system with campuses serving PreK-Grade 12 students in 23 cities across the state, including Greater Houston, DFW, San Antonio, Austin, El Paso, Waco, Lubbock, Odessa, Bryan, Beaumont, and the Rio Grande Valley. Harmony’s curriculum places a heavy focus on STEM skills, Character Education, project-based learning, and college readiness.
Harmony Public Schools is currently accepting applications for the 2020-2021 school year for both students and team members.
