June 3, 2026 - The Bone Hill Foundation, as part of its five-year Build Texas initiative designed to encourage Shelby County students to explore vocational training opportunities, college-level technical programs, and available scholarships, will begin placing Build Texas banners in businesses throughout Shelby County this summer.
The banners contain a QR code that links directly to the Bone Hill Foundation website, where parents and students can access information regarding vocational training programs, educational opportunities, scholarships, and career pathways available after high school graduation.
The Build Texas initiative is a long-term county-wide effort that involves Shelby County schools, businesses, churches, civic clubs, community organizations, and individuals working together to increase awareness of vocational education opportunities available to local students.
One of the key components of the Build Texas plan is the 2nd Annual Vocational Education Fair, scheduled for November 2026 at the John Windham Civic Center in Center, Texas.
All Shelby County high schools, businesses, and interested organizations are invited to participate. Vocational and technical colleges from across East Texas will be present to showcase their programs, certifications, career pathways, and educational opportunities available to students.
Bone Hill Foundation has committed $100,000 over a five-year period to support the Build Texas initiative. These funds will be used to host the annual Vocational Education Fair and support other activities throughout the year designed to educate parents and students about vocational education opportunities.
The Foundation invites community participation and encourages businesses, churches, healthcare providers, civic clubs, and other organizations to become involved. For this initiative to be successful, cooperation from the entire county is needed.
Organizations willing to display a Build Texas vocational education banner for a two-week period during the summer are encouraged to contact the Foundation. In the fall, the banners will be relocated to Shelby County high schools to further increase student awareness of vocational training opportunities and scholarships.
For additional information or to participate in the Build Texas initiative, please contact:
Roy Blackshear, Chairman
Bone Hill Foundation royblackshear@yahoo.com
Bob Reeves, Member
Bone Hill Foundation bobreeves082159@yahoo.com
Alease Copelin, Project Coordinator
aleasecopelin@yahoo.com
Deborah Chadwick
Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Deborah@shelbycountychamber.com
Fred Wulf, Community Volunteer
fred@fredwulf.com
Bone Hill Foundation and its community partners look forward to working with schools, businesses, churches, civic clubs, and residents throughout Shelby County to help students discover educational opportunities, develop workforce skills, and build successful careers for the future.
