Bezos Academy opens three locations in Houston
Amazon founder and former CEO Jeff Bezos’ tuition-free preschool nonprofit has opened three locations in Houston and is currently accepting applications. The Bezos Academy Houston locations include the Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center at 6402 Market St., the Community Family Center Building in Magnolia Park at 7524 Ave. E., and in North Shore at the San Jacinto College North Campus at 5800 Uvalde Rd.
Last year, the City of Houston and Bezos Academy announced a 10-year lease agreement for the Montessori-inspired preschools. All three schools will offer a full-day-year-round schedule for children 3-5 years old and will provide students with breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
“We are happy to continue to work with Bezos Academy to fight for the future of all children, especially those within our Complete Communities,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a news release. “When we invest in our children, we are investing in a brighter and more equitable future for our city.”
Turner said the schools will help close childcare gaps and provide access to education for under-resourced communities. “Mayor Turner’s vision to expand that access to kids who wouldn’t otherwise have it made Houston an obvious place for us to open schools,” said Dr. A. Tracie Brown, Bezos Academy superintendent of schools, in the release. “Now that our first three schools are up and running, that vision has become a reality for the children who show up at Bezos Academy preschool each day, we can’t wait to welcome more.”
Bezos Academy opened its first school in Des Moines, Wash. in October 2020. The preschool program has three other Texas locations, including two in Dallas and one in Lancaster.
All three locations are accepting applications until 11:59 p.m. PST Monday. Students from underserved communities will be selected via a lottery system, which will be conducted on Tuesday. For more information on eligibility, visit the Bezos Academy website.
Bezos Academy (Founded by Jeff Bezos, not Amazon)
Bezos Academy is a tuition-free preschool network funded by Jeff Bezos through the Bezos Family Foundation.
Key points:
Montessori-inspired education
Focus on underserved communities
Serves children ages 3–5
Emphasizes curiosity, independence, and critical thinking
Not run by Amazon, even though Bezos founded Amazon
Why people connect it to Amazon:
Jeff Bezos applies the same long-term thinking and systems mindset he used at Amazon to education.
Written by: Ariana Garcia
