(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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Come experience a Hispanic Market with us!
Rowdy StatueWe will be reading For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez. We will meet on Zoom to discuss the book. The book is free for students who request it, please email multicultural@utsa.edu to request the book and/or to join the Book Club and receive messages and information about this and future readings and discussions.
Virtual EventCome and practice your Spanish in a friendly and engaging environment! You will also learn about Hispanic cultures with us as we play games, watch videos, sing, and participate in many other language and cultural activities! All levels are welcome! ¡Nos vemos!
Willow Room (SU 2.02.12,) Main CampusIn partnership with UTSA Libraries and the Consulado General de México en San Antonio, Carriqui will host Ven a Tomar, where guests will sample mezcal, cocktails and unique bites to celebrate UTSA's Mexican Cookbook Collection.
Carriqui, 239 E Grayson St San Antonio, TX 78215The UTSA Orchestra will be performing Rapsodia Mexicana, a captivating concert celebrating Mexican music and the confluence of cultures in South Texas. Joined by organist Colin Campbell (Texas A&M International University) and UTSA's Mariachi Los Paisanos, watch as the orchestra brings to life the essence of Hispanic culture through their powerful performances.
UTSA Recital Hall, Main CampusA fun night for UTSA students to relax and play loteria. Student Success Centers will also have recourses for students to learn more about programs and services.
Denman Ballroom (SU 2.01.28,) Main CampusCome play a game of Loteria sponsored by the UTSA College of Education and Human Development (COEHD), UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts (COLFA) and UTSA Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
Willow Room (SU 2.02.12,) 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.
