MAY 19, 2021 — UTSA will host its nationally-recognized Parent Summit in a virtual format for the first time ever. The UTSA Family Engagement Program will host the collaborative summit via Zoom from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 22. This virtual event is free and open to the public.
The theme of this year’s Parent Summit is “Engage, Educate, Empower.” Families from the region will engage in valuable conversations to promote planning for early academic success for their children, but the virtual event will include new elements as well.
The summit will consist of three 90-minute bilingual presentations, with the elementary parent session at 9 a.m., the middle school parent session at 10:30 am, and the high school parent session at noon. Parents can choose to attend one session or all three sessions.
“I am thrilled that we will be able to offer it virtually this year.”
Several topics will be covered, including: identifying how children learn; encouraging a growth mindset; understanding advanced placement (AP) and dual-credit courses, exploring a college application; and understanding financial aid, scholarships and more. Attendees will also learn about organizations to benefit their children away from school hours.
The summit will also feature a student essay contest with winners announced during the event. The essay topic is “What is one goal or dream you have for your education and why is it important to you?” Three student winners will receive a $100 H-E-B gift card and UTSA swag for their family.
Senior program coordinators Melissa Garcez and Kayla Martinez have been working closely with partners from the Alamo Colleges District, Scobee Education Center, Military Child Education Coalition, Education Service Center Region 20, Café College, UP Partnership, UTSA Academy for Teacher Excellence, UTSA Community Relations and UTSA’s Community Outreach and Transfer Recruitment Office to organize the summit.
“Parents are critical to student success. Although this has been an extraordinary year, families still want to receive the information needed to help them prepare their children for academic success as early as possible,” said Belinda Saldaña Harmon, senior director of community outreach and transfer recruitment. “In 2015, the UTSA Parent Summit was named a Bright Spot in Hispanic Education by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics and continues to be a valuable resource in our community. I am thrilled that we will be able to offer it virtually this year.”
UTSA Family Engagement is a community outreach program in the Division of Strategic Enrollment that seeks to promote a sense of connectedness and belonging among members of the community.
