THSP Announces San Antonio as TxCAN Pilot Region
Aug 24, 2011 | posted by Staff
SAN ANTONIO – The Texas High School Project (THSP) today announced that San Antonio has been selected as a pilot region for the Texas College Access Network (TxCAN). TxCAN is part of the National College Access Network (NCAN), created to establish a sustainable network of agencies and organizations working collaboratively to increase student access and success in postsecondary education.
THSP noted successful and effective collaborations already taking place in San Antonio under the leadership of Mayor Julián Castro, along with the work of the San Antonio Education Partnership, as major factors in the city’s selection for this statewide and national initiative.
“San Antonio’s efforts to give every student a chance at postsecondary success are already changing lives and strengthening the future of this great city,” said THSP Executive Director John Fitzpatrick. “TxCAN’s presence in San Antonio is an affirmation to the work of Mayor Castro, school districts, institutions of higher education and community groups that can one day be replicated in cities across the state and nation.”
“In San Antonio we recognize that brainpower is the currency of success in the 21st Century economy,” said Mayor Julián Castro. “I’m delighted TxCAN has chosen to partner with us to expand access to college so that more of our young people reach their full potential.”
Through TxCAN, organizations (such as institutions of higher education, school districts, school counselors, non-profit and for-profit college access service providers, and local government and state agencies) will have greater opportunities to work together in furthering a common mission of greater postsecondary access and success.
TxCAN will work within the existing framework in San Antonio to strengthen collaborations, align existing initiatives and programs, and effectively utilize resources. Active members of the San Antonio Education Partnership include: the City of San Antonio; local colleges and universities; area school districts and high schools; and corporate representatives. Among the successful postsecondary access and success initiatives already in place:
• Café College: The San Antonio Education Partnership manages and operates Café College for the City of San Antonio. It offers resources and services to the community, serving as the catalyst to close the college graduation gap by 2014. It is a one-stop clearinghouse of information, resources and experts offering free guidance to students to prepare for, apply to and enroll in higher education, and complete their college plans.
• Generation TX: Generation TX San Antonio is committed to making San Antonio a college-going and career-ready community in a single generation. Generation TX San Antonio will serve as a hub for community coordination of resources to prepare San Antonio students for
college and careers, and provide a focused marketing effort and curriculum of in-school messaging to inspire and ignite a shared commitment to producing the most successful generation of San Antonio students ever.
• Financial Aid Fiestas: A city-wide effort to increase high school financial aid completion as part of SA2020, a partnership of area chambers and businesses coordinated by the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.
• SA2020: A community-wide visioning process that asks the question: “What do we want San Antonio to look like in the year 2020?” The process identified 85 percent college readiness as a leading indicator for success.
Because of established networks and existing relationships with Texas school districts, state education agencies, local governments, policymakers, higher education institutions, business and philanthropy groups, THSP is leading the statewide development of TxCAN. In addition to San Antonio, the Dallas-Fort Worth area will also serve as a TxCAN pilot region.
The Texas High School Project, an initiative of the Communities Foundation of Texas, is a unique organization that brings together, partners with, and aligns the work of influential public and private groups committed to improving education in our state. By working directly with state agencies, superintendents and school districts, state and national philanthropy groups, business and civil rights groups, and our corporate partners, THSP shares and scales what's working in the areas of campus learning systems, teacher effectiveness and education leadership.
THSP’s work promotes postsecondary access, success and completion for all students - with a focus on first-generation, low income students who represent the economic future of Texas.
THSP’s public-private alliance members include: the Texas Education Agency; Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board; Office of the Governor; Texas Legislature; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Michael & Susan Dell Foundation; Communities Foundation of Texas; Greater Texas Foundation; The Meadows Foundation and National Instruments.
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To download the news release click here.