Building Futures: The John Cooper School Dedicates Its 25th Habitat for Humanity Home

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- The John Cooper School celebrated a proud milestone this month by dedicating its 25th Habitat for Humanity home, continuing a long-standing tradition of service rooted in the School’s mission.

Founded on the values of critical thinking, creative expression, leadership, and citizenship, The John Cooper School has long emphasized providing students with opportunities to impact the world beyond the classroom. The Habitat for Humanity project stands as a shining example of that mission in action.

On Saturday morning, students, faculty, and families gathered at 10:00 a.m. for a group celebration with two other newly completed Habitat homes. After the group ceremony, Cooper’s community moved to their own home dedication, where students shared reflections, presented a gift basket, and officially welcomed Manuel and Esther to their new home.

Throughout the years, Cooper students have volunteered countless hours, working weekends to help construct the home alongside Habitat for Humanity staff. Their efforts exemplify the School’s commitment to fostering leadership, service, and community spirit.

Samir Muhith, faculty sponsor of The John Cooper School Habitat Project, reflected on the impact of the project: “Even more importantly, we are able to dedicate this house to Manuel and Esther today — their very first home. Personally, I am incredibly grateful to our students and families at Cooper who make this possible. It truly is a testament to the amazing students we have, who are willing to put in the time and effort in service to our community."

The students say the experience is deeply meaningful. "I really enjoy Habitat for Humanity because we put in a lot of labor, but we also get to see the fruits of that labor,” said Bethany Harman ‘25, Habitat for Humanity Co-Chair. “Habitat is a great way to get the whole Cooper community involved — it starts in Lower School with donations, continues in Middle School with the support of Habitat t-shirt sales, and culminates in Upper School with building the house. It really brings our whole community together!”

The mission of The John Cooper School is to provide a challenging education in a caring environment to a diverse group of select students, enabling them to become critical and creative thinkers, effective communicators, responsible citizens and leaders, and lifelong learners.