(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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Join us for an engaging conversation with President Eighmy to learn more about UTSA’s progress to date on the strategic plan, the goals of the mid-point refresh process and its importance to the Roadrunner community.
Buena Vista Theater (BV1.326), Downtown CampusJoin us for our annual Winterlude concert series featuring students from across all areas in the School of Music for a half-week of holiday cheer and delight. This three-day celebration continues to showcase both contemporary and traditional holiday works and will include performances by the UTSA Orchestra, Choirs, Bands, Jazz Ensemble, Lyric Theatre, and Dance Studio.
Recital Hall, Main CampusJoin us for our annual Winterlude concert series featuring students from across all areas in the School of Music for a half-week of holiday cheer and delight. This three-day celebration continues to showcase both contemporary and traditional holiday works and will include performances by the UTSA Orchestra, Choirs, Bands, Jazz Ensemble, Lyric Theatre, and Dance Studio.
Recital Hall, Main CampusLavender Graduation is a celebration of the academic accomplishments of LGBTQIA+ students. Students are given a stole to wear for Commencement showing their pride. This is a validation and celebration of each student and their identity. The Lavender Student Leadership Award is presented during the celebration.
Denman Ballroom (SU 2.01.28,) Main CampusJoin us for our annual Winterlude concert series featuring students from across all areas in the School of Music for a half-week of holiday cheer and delight. This three-day celebration continues to showcase both contemporary and traditional holiday works and will include performances by the UTSA Orchestra, Choirs, Bands, Jazz Ensemble, Lyric Theatre, and Dance Studio.
Recital Hall, Main CampusOne of the seven principles of Kwanzaa, Ujima stands for collective work and responsibility. This graduation celebration honors Black students and their academic accomplishments. Students are given a custom stole to remind them to continue to work collectively to better the communities in which they work and live. The UJIMA Student Leadership Award is presented during the celebration.
HEB Student Union Ballrooms, Main CampusThe Doctoral Hooding Ceremony will take place for doctoral graduates at 7 p.m. on Friday, December 8, in the H-E-B Student Union Ballrooms (HSU 1.104).
H-E-B Student Union Ballroom (HSU 1.104,) Main CampusThe 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 ending generations of discrimination and inequity. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
