HTX-SLM: Impact 6/18/2026

Good Morning, Sugar Land & Missouri City!

Top Story

Fort Bend Children’s Discovery Center celebrates 10 years

Fort Bend Children’s Discovery Center, a special project of the Children’s Museum Houston, celebrated its 10th anniversary of serving families in Sugar Land.

Henry Yau, who serves as vice president of public relations for the Children’s Museum Houston, said the museum ran a market run with a satellite location in Sugar Land Town Square during the summers of 2007 and 2008, which was met with great success and solidified the decision to fundraiser to expand to Fort Bend County.

What they offer: The center, which is located at the historic Imperial Sugar refinery site, serves families with children from birth to age 12 and features three permanent galleries including:

Kidtropolis USA, where kids can learn how to run a city featuring real life Fort Bend County business building such as Fort Bend Christian Academy and H-E-B
How does it work gallery, where kids can learn physics and STEM-related items
Tot*Spot for children up to age 3

The museum also features two rotating galleries—cultural and what’s new—which are changed every 18 months, Yau said.

Explore the full story.

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In Your Area

Gulf Coast Blood opens Sienna donor center

Gulf Coast Blood has opened a new donor center in Sienna as the organization continues as the region's only 24/7 blood provider.

The details: The 5,620-square-foot facility features eight donors chairs which will help officials reach the 1,000 daily blood donations needed to supply blood to over 170 hospitals and health care facilities across 26 counties, officials said.

What they're saying: “As our communities continue to grow, so does the need for a strong, resilient blood supply that patients can depend on every day,” said Nikhil Nayak, president and CEO of Gulf Coast Blood. "We envision Gulf Coast Blood – Sienna will serve as a lasting home for generosity, compassion and community impact for many years to come.”

9010 Sienna Crossing Drive, Ste. 300, Missouri City

Read here.

County Coverage

Harris County Flood Control District hosting webinars for FEMA floodplain map updates

The Harris County Flood Control District is hosting a series of webinars for the general public to explain the new draft floodplain maps from the Federal Emergency Management Administration.

What residents need to know: During the webinars, HCFCD officials will go over major changes in the floodplain maps and how residents can utilize the county's online interactive tool to view the floodplain changes.

Residents can register to join the free webinars hosted on the following dates:

June 23, 4:30 p.m.
July 1, noon

In their words: "These sessions are designed for the general public and no prior knowledge is needed," HCFCD officials said in the news release. "Whether you’re a homeowner, renter, or simply interested in flood risk in your community, we encourage you to attend a session and learn more."

Learn more.

Latest Education News

HCC to launch trade program with $17M investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies

Houston City College has received a $17 million investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies to launch Gulf Coast TradeUp Careers, a program aimed at providing free training in skilled trades and connecting students with paid apprenticeship opportunities.

At a glance: The program is a part of a new $90 million national effort from Bloomberg Philanthropies to change how high school students prepare for high-paying and skilled trades, officials said in a June 8 news release.

The program, which is spearheaded by the Gulf Coast Region Apprenticeship Hub, is intended to strengthen the area in:

Skilled trades workforce development
Registered apprenticeship expansion
Industry-driven career pathways
Earn-and-learn education models
Workforce innovation

The program is being developed with several partners including HCC, the Greater Houston Partnership, school districts in the Greater Houston area—including Houston and Alief ISDs—as well as several workforce organizations.

Looking ahead: The program, which is slated to begin in August, is set to serve 1,350 students over three years.

Find out more.