A new collaboration between the Alamo Colleges District and AVANCE–San Antonio aims to help student parents balance their education with family responsibilities by providing support for both parents and their children.
The partnership was introduced at a press conference held at the Alamo Colleges District ACCESS Building, where leaders from both organizations were joined by student parents who discussed their experiences.
“Student parents are at the heart of our moonshot to end poverty through education and training,” said Dr. Mike Flores, Alamo Colleges District Chancellor. “By partnering with AVANCE – San Antonio, we are building bridges for families, empowering our student parents to earn a credential while ensuring their children are learning, growing, and thriving. This partnership is what community impact looks like.”
Two programs are already operating under this initiative: AVANCE to College at San Antonio College and Kids on Campus at Palo Alto College.
AVANCE to College at San Antonio College is based at the Empowerment Center and offers parenting education, early childhood instruction, childcare enrollment opportunities, college readiness workshops, and holistic support services. The program helps caregivers—including expecting mothers, extended family members, and foster families—act as their child’s first teachers while exploring further education options.
Kids on Campus at Palo Alto College features Texas’s first Head Start program of its kind in partnership with the National Head Start Association. It provides free early childhood education and childcare directly on campus for qualifying student parents through the Ray Ellison Family Center. The goal is not only to benefit children with quality care but also to improve student retention and completion rates among parent learners by addressing family needs.
“This is more than childcare—it’s about breaking barriers for families,” said Yesenia Alvarez-Gonzalez, Executive Director of AVANCE – San Antonio. “Together, we are reimagining what’s possible for student parents by creating pathways for both parents and children to learn, grow, and succeed—side by side.”
Research from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research indicates that single mothers with an associate degree can expect significantly higher lifetime earnings compared to those with only a high school diploma. By investing in these types of programs for student parents, organizers hope to strengthen local families as well as the regional economy.
This partnership coincides with the 80th anniversary of the Alamo Colleges District.
For more information about Alamo Colleges District’s history or programs visit alamo.edu/80; details about AVANCE-San Antonio can be found at www.avancesa.org.
