Annual Collaborative Social convenes partners from My Brother’s Keeper San Antonio and Diplomás networks to celebrate progress made in increasing equitable outcomes for students of color

Annual Collaborative Social convenes partners from My Brother's Keeper San Antonio and Diplomás networks to celebrate progress made in increasing equitable outcomes for students of color

In April, we launched the Future Ready Bexar County Plan which includes the collective North Star of increasing the percentage of Bexar County High School graduates enrolling in a postsecondary degree or credential program to 70% by 2030. Currently, this number sits at around 50% in Bexar County.

The plan centers around three equity pillars — healing, access and voice — the must HAVEs for equity amongst Bexar County’s young people.

Specifically, institutions will assess and develop a strategic framework to align and improve goals, partnerships and strategies for postsecondary success with a focus on young people of color. Institutions have also agreed to revamp fund initiatives and policies to close disparities for students of color, track real time application and financial aid data to monitor current strategies and build a data infrastructure between secondary and postsecondary institutions for more efficient data sharing.

Rooted in the Future Ready Bexar County equity pillars of access and healing, the Equitable Enrollment and the Restorative Practices Collaboratives, two collaboratives that incorporate partners from My Brother’s Keeper San Antonio (MBKSA) and Diplomás, respectively focus on ensuring the uptake of enrollment and students of color — especially young men of color and Dreamers—and instilling restorative practices such as peace circles and peace rooms to help diminish the school-to-prison pipeline in Bexar County.

On Friday, Aug. 19, 2022, we convened partners from these collaboratives for the annual Collaborative Social at Weathered Souls Brewing Co. where they were able to mingle, enjoy some great food and drinks, and learn more about My Brother’s Keeper San Antonio, Diplomás, and each other. We also honored our network chairs with a certificate of appreciation and a unique glass art piece from Garcia Art Glass.

UP Partnership extends its gratitude once again to those chairs: Rebecca Alejos-Sharadin, Dr. Edwin Barea-Rodriguez, Melissa Flores-Valencia, Dr. Abel Gonzales, John Martin, Kimberly Nanez, Elizabeth Ozuna, and Ramon D. Vasquez for their hard work and dedication in leading MBKSA and Diplomás work groups. We enjoyed sharing space and breaking bread with our community.

If your organization is ready to join the Future Ready movement or the Equitable Enrollment Collaborative, please contact admin@uppartnership.org to find out more information on how you can become a Future Ready partner or donate to the work here.

You can also follow our progress by signing up for our newsletter and following us on social media.

Diplomás network has tangible impact on Latinx students in Bexar County

Diplomás network has tangible impact on Latinx students in Bexar County

Today we kickoff Hispanic Heritage Month—a month to appreciate and celebrate the culture, history and diversity of Latinx communities. Introduced in June 1968 by Congressman George E. Brown, the celebration was originally only one week long. It was extended to the now 30-day celebration by President Ronald Reagan and was formally adopted into law on Aug. 17, 1988.

Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 every year. While the Sept. 15 start day may seem odd, it is important and relevant considering Sept. 15 is the day of independence for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, followed by Mexico’s independence day on Sept. 16 and Chile’s independence day on Sept. 18. The month ends three days after Día de la Raza (“Race Day”), held Oct. 12, a prominent holiday celebration in many Latin countries that honors the rich history and culture of a pre-colonized America. 

As we begin this month of celebration of the Hispanic culture, we would be remiss to acknowledge the difficulties and disparities that continue to impact our Latinx communities.

At UP Partnership, our network, Diplomás, is a collective impact effort that unites 23 cross-sector partners to increase the college attainment and quality of life of San Antonio’s Latinx youth. 

Diplomás’s core beliefs center around economic viability as it ties to the success of Latinx students, college access for everyone and shared responsibility between community partners in student success. Therefore, at UP Partnership, we  focus on creating alignment between community partners, streamlining college admissions resources and supporting Dreamers in getting into, and completing, college. 

Providing ACCESS to postsecondary opportunity is the foundation of Diplomás, and is one of the three equity pillars, along with HEALING and VOICE, that our recently  launched Future Ready Bexar County Plan is rooted in. Those equity pillars have been identified as the must HAVES for equity amongst Bexar County’s young people.  As we work toward our collective North Star goal, to increase the percentage of Bexar County High School graduates enrolling in postsecondary degree or credential programs to 70% by 2030, the work that Diplomás does is integral to reaching our goal. This work will take every member of our community, working together, to ensure the success of young people through the Future Ready Plan.

If your organization is ready to join in on the Future Ready movement, please contact admin@uppartnership.org to find out more information on how you can become a Future Ready partner or donate to the work here.

You can also follow our progress by signing up for our newsletter and following us on social media.

How young people can improve relational skills

Four ways young people can improve their relational skills

Throughout life, everyone will have different relationships varying from siblings, parents, friends and partners. Relationships take a lot of work to maintain, so below are a few ways to help you better your relationships.

For all relationships, it is important to be honest. In romantic love, it can be scary to admit how you feel or what you really want early on. You don’t want to waste your time in a relationship if it won’t go anywhere. It is best to be honest about your opinions, beliefs, and expectations for your relationship. Do not ever settle for less than what you deserve.

With community, it is important to admit to your siblings, friends, or even your neighbors how you truly feel. If you don’t express how you feel, it will just fester inside of you. Leaving it be sometimes feels like the high road, but the only one getting hurt is you. Express how you feel in a calm way and let your words be heard.

For parental love, it is vital to be transparent. Sometimes our parents can be aggressive towards us with expectations, grades, and even discipline. Without communicating how they hurt you, they may continue to do so unknowingly. You have to advocate for yourself. Be honest with your parents at some point with your sexuality. Although it is frightening, believe me, you shouldn’t have to deny a part of your identity. My parents were able to accept me as I am now, but it took time and uncomfortable conversations.

The very last thing I want to talk to you about is your relationship with yourself. Look in the mirror, be completely honest, and ask yourself, “Have I been loving my body, personality, or myself to the fullest?” If not, you need to begin your journey of self-love. First, the most important thing is to change your negative self-talk with positivity. Although this takes some practice, you will begin to see your mood boost. Next, you should pamper yourself in whichever way makes you feel better. This can be a skincare routine, self-date, a walk, or even buying something you really wanted. Whatever it may be, it should be a way of showing appreciation towards yourself. Over time, you will love yourself endlessly from the stomach rolls to the tears.

Relationship types can vary but improving them is part of the process. Practice being honest and loving yourself one day at a time.

— Trinity, Alyssa, Shradha

Editor’s Note

The idea of youth voice takes on many forms, including sharing experiences and ideas with policy makers, which many of the young people of Our Tomorrow have done. 

However, young people’s experiences and ideas are abundant, and we at Our Tomorrow and UP Partnership wanted to create a space for them to share their thoughts on current issues they face around mental wellness. This is a series of blogs that we will share monthly that highlight these experiences, thoughts and opinions. Thank you to The Center for Young Minds and The Ecumenical Center for partnering with us for this initiative.

These thoughts and opinions do not expressly represent the thoughts of UP Partnership, its leadership team or board of directors.