(July 23, 2019) -- UTSA, BCFS-San Antonio and community partners are teaming up to provide Bexar County youth in foster care with the tools to prepare for their future. About 100 current and former foster youth will spend a day at UTSA during the Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) Independence Day Conference. The interactive and educational event is today from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Student Union Denman Ballroom (SU 2.01.28) on the UTSA Main Campus.
The annual PAL Independence Day Conference gives foster care youth the opportunity to explore the many potential paths their future could take in higher education and beyond.
The youth will hear motivational messages from UTSA President Taylor Eighmy and Frank Wilson, UTSA head football coach. They’ll also interact with UTSA undergraduate and graduate students who were formerly in foster care. During a panel discussion moderated by Megan Piel, UTSA assistant professor of social work, the students will share their inspirational stories that took them from foster care to college student and on a path to graduate.
The National Factsheet on the Educational Outcomes of Children in Foster Care reports that at least 70% of foster youth aspire to go to college, yet only 33% of foster care alumni enroll in postsecondary education, and in Texas, only 1.5% graduate with a 4-year degree by age 24.
Hosting this conference is one way UTSA is actively working to change that trend.
To further advance student success, UTSA, Texas A&M University-San Antonio, Alamo Community Colleges District, Bexar County Children’s Court and Child Advocates of San Antonio will receive a total of $3.5 million this biennium from the Texas legislature to create a pipeline of educational support for students with a history of foster care. The Bexar County Foster Care Support Pilot Program will position Texas to be a national leader in this area by enhancing existing resources and practices and developing targeted support to increase access, retention and graduation rates for foster care alumni.
“When young people age out of the foster care system, they are particularly vulnerable, and without an education and support system, face complex challenges,” said Peggy Eighmy, first lady of UTSA and one of the pilot program leads. “They experience homelessness, unemployment, early parenthood and incarceration at much higher rates than their peers. We owe these young people a better future. We can do so much better and I believe higher education is the best path forward in doing so.”
During the conference, the youth also will discuss degree options with college representatives at UTSA and Alamo Colleges, and learn about grant and scholarship opportunities. They will experience campus life during a tour of the Main Campus, climb the rockwall and engage in other activities at Campus Rec, and have a photo opportunity with Rowdy. Additionally, they will learn about community services and resources available to them.
“We want the students to walk away from UTSA on this day knowing a college education is attainable,” Eighmy added. “They have complete support from UTSA and the community to be academically and emotionally ready to succeed in college.”
Celebrate UTSA’s 50th Anniversary and share social media posts about the 50th using the hashtag #UTSA50.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Join Dr. Rachel Yvonne Cruz, Assistant Professor of Mexican American Studies, for an interactive discussion on how music can challenge patriarchy, sexism, and colonialism through a guided discussion and live acoustic performance.
Assembly Room, 4th Floor (4.04.22), John Peace Library, Main CampusIn this hands-on workshop, participants will learn to setup an EndNote library, save references and PDFs, and automatically create and edit a bibliography. Attendees are encouraged, but not required, to have EndNote already installed on a personal computer.
Virtual EventAre you required to use LaTeX for writing your research papers? This workshop is divided into two parts: an introduction to Zotero, a citation management tool, and a demonstration of the features of Overleaf, a free online LaTeX editor.
Virtual EventCome listen to the UTSA Jazz Ensemble at a free event.
UTSA Recital HallLiterature reviews are a key element of evidence synthesis and scholarly inquiry. In this workshop, attendees will learn the differences between systematic, scoping, narrative, and other literature review types. The session will also detail the guidelines and components of various literature reviews, as well as resources to best support each.
Virtual EventFinalist candidates for the dean of the College of the Sciences will discuss their vision for the college.
Regents Room, MB 3.106, Main CampusAre you required to use LaTeX for writing your research papers? This workshop is divided into two parts: an introduction to Zotero, a citation management tool, and a demonstration of the features of Overleaf, a free online LaTeX editor.
Virtual EventThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
