(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.”
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Roadrunner Days events welcome UTSA's newest students and helps our returning Roadrunners learn strategies for success in the new year.
Various locations, Main and Downtown campusesJoin the UTSA contingent as we honor the memory and work of Martin Luther King Jr. in this citywide march. The City of San Antonio has sponsored this march on the east side of the city down MLK Drive since 1987.
MLK Academy, 3501 MLK Drive, San AntonioThis exhibition, curated by Libby Rowe and Scott Sherer, presents the work of women artists who are compelled by their commitments to investigating and transforming social and cultural legacies and contexts.
UTSA Art Gallery (ART 2.03.04), Main CampusUTSA will further honor King with the university's annual MLK Day of Service. Roadrunners are encouraged to participate in the service day, located in various locations, including helping to beautify campus.
Various locations, Main CampusCelebrating the Year of the Rat, the 33rd annual Asian Festival will feature a wide spectrum of Asian cultures with family-friendly events and performances. Enjoy authentic Asian foods with a menu including Vietnamese, Korean, Thai, Pakistani, Chinese and Filipino cuisines. Vendors will sell clothing, artwork, dolls, silk items, jewelry and other exotic gifts.
Institute of Texan Cultures, Hemisfair Campus, 801 E. César E. Chávez Blvd., San AntonioPeniel E. Joseph, founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at UT Austin, will discuss his book “The Sword and The Shield,” which focuses on the lives of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X.
Student Union, Denman Room (SU 2.01.28), Main CampusThe Heart Walk will be held at all three campus locations starting at the same time. Support Go Red for Women Day by wearing red.
All UTSA campusesThe 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.
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