A new event designed to get students and families ready to go back to school will take place next month at Harvey Convention Center.
The event, called "#SchoolisCool," is scheduled for 5 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 14 and is free for prekindergarten through 12th-grade students in Tyler and the surrounding areas. It is being put on by the city of Tyler, Northeast Texas Public Health District, Brookshire's, the Business Education Council, Tyler ISD and Tyler Council PTA, according to a news release.
During "#SchoolisCool," door prizes will be given away and a mobile school clothing and uniform store will be available, said Christi Khalaf, executive director of the Tyler Area Business Education Council.
She said a fashion show also is scheduled to show attendees what they can and can't wear to school. Among the other event features are health screenings, dental screenings, immunizations, information on Internet safety, college and career information, an exercise session, a nutrition and wellness presentation and school lunch sign-ups. The Tyler police and fire departments also are slated to be on hand.
"It's going to really be a lot of variety," Ms. Khalaf said.
"Really it's just to showcase the services we offer to students and families in our community," she added.
She said the idea for "#SchoolisCool" came out of an update of the city's comprehensive plan, Tyler 1st,, which included adding a chapter on education.
The Tyler 1st Steering Committee brainstormed ways that the city could show support for Tyler ISD and students in the area, and one idea was to celebrate back to school as a fun time, Ms. Khalaf said.
So a subcommittee gathered and decided there needed to be a comprehensive place for families to go to access particular services, she said. Overall, she described it as "a celebration/information session."
Ms. Khalaf said she hopes people leave with resources that they didn't previously know about.
The deadline for vendors to sign up is July 15.
More information about the event is available by calling 903-592-1661 ext. 252 or visiting www.SchoolisCoolTyler.com.