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In San Antonio, making ready younger individuals for the long run takes greater than tutorial readiness. It requires methods that work, areas to heal and alternatives for younger individuals to seek out and use their voice.
A method that work is taking form is thru the San Antonio Space Basis’s New Horizons Fellowship Cohort, an initiative that ties to the broader Future Prepared Bexar County Plan, a strategic community-wide effort to raised help younger individuals throughout training, nonprofit, authorities and workforce methods.
Led by UP Partnership, the plan brings collectively greater than 100 companions with a shared aim: rising the quantity of highschool graduates enrolling in school or credential packages to 70% by 2030. The work is guided by 4 focus areas: Therapeutic, Entry, Voice and Techniques Help.
As an anchor accomplice within the plan, the San Antonio Space Basis helps advance this work by strengthening the organizations behind it. By means of the New Horizons Fellowship Cohort, the muse is constructing nonprofit capability whereas supporting efforts centered on healing-centered approaches throughout Bexar County. That is considered one of two main grantee cohorts anchored by the Space Basis.
“The Future Prepared plan is exhibiting actual progress, 12 months over 12 months, in postsecondary entry. These investments are to assist be sure that younger individuals going through distinctive challenges are actively included in that progress,” mentioned Ryan Lugalia-Hollon, Chief Influence Officer of the San Antonio Space Basis.
That funding is concentrated not solely on funding packages, however on strengthening the organizations behind them. A key a part of that effort is the New Horizons Fellowship Cohort.
Constructing capability and connection by means of New Horizons
The New Horizons Fellowship Cohort is a two-year capacity-building initiative of the San Antonio Space Basis designed to strengthen nonprofit organizations serving younger individuals throughout Bexar County.
By means of multiyear funding, structured studying, teaching, and peer connection, the cohort helps organizations construct stronger inner methods, develop management capability, and plan for long-term sustainability, reflecting the muse’s strategy to pairing versatile working help with capacity-building sources.
“What we’re seeing is that when organizations have the area to develop and be taught collectively, their affect extends far past what anyone program can do by itself,” shared Andrea Figueroa, director of Youth Success of the San Antonio Space Basis.
For a lot of within the cohort, the expertise has dropped at mild new instruments, approaches and a renewed sense of connection which is already increasing partnerships, creativity and affect in response to challenges going through younger individuals.
That affect will be seen within the work of organizations within the cohort, together with Rejoice Dyslexia and Gemini Ink.
Rejoice Dyslexia: Addressing systemic boundaries to literacy
Rejoice Dyslexia, one of many fellowship organizations, is working to deal with systemic gaps in how college students with dyslexia are recognized and supported.
“We’re not simply offering companies; we’re altering the system,” mentioned Jasmin Dean, founder and CEO of Rejoice Dyslexia.
The group focuses on coaching educators, increasing the pipeline of licensed tutorial language therapists and partnering with universities to embed dyslexia coaching into diploma packages.
It’s also working to enhance entry to prognosis and help for justice-involved youth with undiagnosed studying variations.
Since 2019, Rejoice Dyslexia has reached a complete of greater than 125,000 college students all through all of their initiatives.
On the Cyndi Krier Juvenile Remedy Heart, expanded screening and interventions have elevated entry to lodging, with roughly 75% of youth now being thought of for help. These efforts have contributed to improved tutorial outcomes, together with the campus transferring from a “failing” score to a “C” score underneath the Texas Training Company accountability system.
The group’s work has additionally knowledgeable state laws requiring monitoring of dyslexia charges amongst youth getting into and exiting the Texas juvenile justice system.
“That is about altering life trajectories,” Dean added. “When college students get the help they want, every thing shifts.”
Gemini Ink: Empowering youth voice by means of artistic writing
Gemini Ink is working with younger individuals throughout San Antonio to construct confidence and management abilities by means of artistic writing.
By means of its Accomplice Lessons, the group gives free, trauma-informed artistic writing workshops in faculties, group areas and juvenile justice settings, reaching greater than 500 youth final 12 months.
By means of the New Horizons Fellowship Cohort, the group has expanded its attain by strengthening partnerships and figuring out new alternatives to collaborate with different youth serving organizations throughout Bexar County.
“The scholar at the back of the room who doesn’t need to be there, that’s who we love to show,” Alexandra van de Kamp, government director of Gemini Ink, mentioned. “By the top of the course, they are often writing, sharing and exhibiting up in a different way.”
By means of long-term workshops and mentorship, college students develop writing abilities and be taught to specific themselves, replicate on their experiences and have interaction extra totally of their training.
In 2025, Gemini Ink served 500 youth among the many 5,000 whole people the group reached. That very same 12 months, it printed 167 youth authors.
College students in its packages have additionally proven enhancements in tutorial outcomes, in addition to elevated attendance and engagement, at occasions outperforming their district friends in STAAR studying outcomes and grade promotion.
“When younger individuals can specific themselves, they begin to perceive their very own energy and company,” she shared.
A broader effort to help younger individuals
Organizations like Rejoice Dyslexia and Gemini Ink replicate the broader imaginative and prescient behind the Future Prepared Bexar County Plan, one which acknowledges making ready younger individuals requires greater than lecturers alone, however a holistic strategy.
By means of investments just like the New Horizons Fellowship Cohort, the San Antonio Space Basis is strengthening not solely particular person organizations, however the community working to help younger individuals throughout the area.
The aim is to construct a extra related system so younger individuals have the help and alternatives they should navigate what comes subsequent and take an lively position in shaping their future.
This story was developed in collaboration with the San Antonio Space Basis, Gemini Ink, and Rejoice Dyslexia.
