“Generation Texas” To Help HS Graduates - Wentworth
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) recently announced a new, multi-year, statewide initiative that will organize and mobilize entire communities to help Texas students and their families pursue the path to college or career education beyond high school.
Pronounced “Generation Texas,” Bexar County students will be among the first to benefit from the initiative. Generation TX will launch in two pilot markets -- San Antonio and Fort Worth -- at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year. These pilot markets will lay the foundation for building a movement focused on creating a culture of college and career readiness that will expand statewide as quickly as possible.
Generation TX is not just another program. THECB believes there are already programs and resources at the state and community levels to help high school students prepare for college or for career training. For many students, especially disadvantaged students or students who would be the first in their families to continue their education beyond high school, gaining admission to college or a technical institute can be daunting.
Navigating Web sites, filling out admission applications and applying for student loans can be so difficult that students and their parents become discouraged and just give up. Generation TX will unify resources under a common banner to make it easier for students and their families to find the help they need and utilize it appropriately.
Generation TX is partnering with the P16Plus Council of Greater Bexar County, chaired by Bartell Zachry, to make these resources available to 15 independent school districts. The P16Plus Council is a group of educational and community leaders who formed the council to ensure that all San Antonio students are prepared for college and the workforce. These two efforts will complement and support each other.
With more students failing to complete college because they are not adequately prepared, this effort is important in assisting students gain admission to college or career programs; in addition, these skills also will be valuable in helping them accomplish their goals. Their success is important both to them, as individuals, and to the state of Texas.
When it is fully underway, Generation TX will invite students, parents, educators and business and community leaders to become part of the movement and to support this generation of Texas students.
To learn more about Generation TX and to see an introductory video, you may go to: http://www.GenTX.org.
Generation TX’s success depends on the active involvement not only of students, parents and educators, but also of friends, neighbors, businesses, nonprofits and community leaders. Collectively, we can make a difference in the lives of many young Texans and in the future of the Lone Star State.