The Story Goes...

A child’s early years lay the foundation for all that is to come. In San Antonio, where we've prioritized kinder readiness, third grade literacy, maternal and infant health, Brighton Center provides developmental and educational services to children of ALL abilities. Through early intervention and family support services, Brighton Center helps ensure that children with disabilities and developmental delays reach their full potential. The Brighton Center’s nationally accredited program for children advances the development of every child in a supportive, safe, and nurturing environment that promotes learning through social interaction. In 2017, of the 3,875 children and families served by Brighton Center’s programs, 98% of 1,897 children participating in the Early Childhood Intervention program improved their development within 6 months of enrollment. Of the 198 children enrolled in the Early Childhood Education program, 100% of the children that graduated from the program will have developed the skills necessary for success in kindergarten. Resources: https://www.brightonsa.org San Antonio Education Vision: https://report.sa2020.org/education/

San Antonio is both one of the top cities for college-educated millennial growth and one of the top cities for income segregation. We are both one of the top cities for software developers and one in six are living in poverty. In this episode of the podcast, we talk about growing San Antonio's economy while focusing on growing our homegrown talent pool. The San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, under Jenna Saucedo-Herrera's leadership has committed to helping connect industry needs to our homegrown workforce through initiatives like San Antonio Works and the newest regional economic development strategy. Resources: San Antonio Economic Development Foundation www.sanantonioedf.com San Antonio Works www.sanantonioworks.org 2019 Jobs Report from SA Works www.sanantonioworks.org/uncategorized…-jobs-report/ SA2020 2019 Economic Competitiveness Report report.sa2020.org/economic-competitiveness/

   The Centers for Applied Science and Technology (CAST) is a network of tuition-free, industry-led, career-themed high schools in San Antonio. Jeanne Russell, Executive Director, talks about how CAST Schools lead with student experiences and help to keep their eyes on helping grow our homegrown talent pool. For links and resources, visit: www.klrn.org/TheStoryGoes

 As San Antonio struggles to shift its college attainment and workforce development, internships provide an opportunity to link young folks to employers in our community. This conversation with Sofia Delgado & Audrey Herrera helps to tell the complete story of recent high school graduates who are staying in San Antonio to attend college and help better our community.   Resources: College to Career from Family Service SA Works 

The ARC of San Antonio enhances the lives of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families. In building community for their clients, providing support, and connecting resources, The ARC helps drive health and economic outcomes for San Antonio. Resources: https://www.arc-sa.org  

In 2010, Bexar County led the country in teen pregnancy rates. With an original SA2020 goal set to reduce the birth rate among teenagers by 15%, the San Antonio Teen Pregnancy Prevention Collaborative convened to help meet that goal. By the year 2012, that goal was met. Over the last several years, Bexar County has reduced its teen pregnancy rate by more than 45%, and Healthy Futures of Texas plays a large role in that progress, helping students achieve their dreams by specifically reducing teen and unplanned pregnancy. Resources: hf-tx.org, report.sa2020.org/health-and-fitness/ 

With 35% of San Antonio's population with a college degree, Associates or higher, and a growing need for our workforce to have something beyond high school for the jobs of today, we need to double down our efforts on college readiness and workforce development. Christina Martinez not only works at Big Brothers Big Sisters, helping to connect adult mentors to student mentees, but she also serves on the school board for SAISD, showing how school districts and nonprofits can influence our students' futures. Resources: www.bigmentor.org www.saisd.net/main/ report.sa2020.org/education/ 

The City of San Antonio's mission statement is "to deliver quality city services toward a vision of prosperity." How profound is it, then, that in San Antonio, we developed that vision (report.SA2020.org/home) together. The Office of Innovation seeks to break down silos and enhance processes for City departments, helping our local government better partner with local institutions and ultimately move the needle on shared community results. Resources: sanantonio.gov www.sanantonio.gov/Innovation/Home

Believing mobility and independence are basic human rights, Project MEND empowers individuals to become active members of their communities through the reuse of medical equipment. The right piece of equipment at the right moment in time promotes independence and improves quality of life for the recipients and their caregivers. Increasing economic development by getting clients back to work, helping environmental sustainability by keeping medical equipment out of landfills, and improving health outcomes are but some of the ways Project MEND makes San Antonio stronger.  Resources: https://www.projectmend.org 

With more than 200 students from over 70 schools being served year-round, SAY Sí is not only supporting the future creative leaders of San Antonio, they are promoting college attainment, economic development, and civic engagement. Nicole Amri, SAY Sí's Program Director, walks us through their philosophy in engaging young voices and giving them a seat at the table, shaping their futures and the future of San Antonio. Resources:   http://saysi.org  https://report.sa2020.org/arts-and-culture/ 

With more than 10% of Bexar County's population aged 18-24 and nearly 30% aged 25-44, MOVE Texas, which began its journey as MOVE San Antonio, understands the importance of increasing the youth vote and bringing their voices into the electoral process.  H. Drew Galloway, Executive Director of MOVE Texas, shares their strategy in registering young voters and compelling them to turn out to vote, just as San Antonio moves into the thick of our municipal election.  Resources: https://movetexas.org ilovesanantonio.org https://report.sa2020.org/civic-engagement/ 

For over 50 years, Alpha Home (www.alphahome.org) has helped women recover from drug and alcohol addiction. With a commitment to treating the whole person, Alpha Home's work brings people out of crisis, while supporting mental health wellness, reuninting families, and putting their clients on career and education paths. It costs Alpha Home approximately $10,500 to deliver these critical services to the women they serve each year. In comparison, women who are hospitalized, imprisoned, separated from their children and family, and navigating the court system due to their addiction, cost the health and justice system upwards of $250,000. Find out more about the work Alpha Home does with Angela White, CEO. Other resources mentioned in this podcast: San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Awareness (SACADA) sacada.org, Rise Recovery www.riserecovery.org, Lifetime Recovery www.lifetimerecoverytx.org 

Episode 102. As San Antonio works to increase its college attainment to 50% to achieve its 2020 goal, we know that our college enrollment numbers continue to decline. The average associate degree graduate from the Alamo Colleges will see an increase in earnings of $9,400 each year compared to someone with a high school diploma working in Texas. James E. Cooper Jr. talks about a new grant at St. Philip's College that connects students experiencing violent acts to resources, ultimately reducing barriers and providing support so students can reach their full potential. Find out more about his work here (www.alamo.edu/spc/alamocares/) and learn more about Alamo Colleges here (www.alamo.edu). Then, it's time to act. Find an SA2020 Nonprofit Partner to give your time and talent to, by visiting SA2020.org/partners. If you or someone you know is the victim of domestic violence, call the confidential Battered Women and Children's Shelter Hotline at 210-733-8810. The Rape Crisis Center's certified advocates are ready to help you 24-hours a day at at 210-349-7273. Thanks for listening www.klrn.org/thestorygoes 

Episode 101 San Antonians envisioned a transportation system recognized as a model of efficiency and environmental sustainability where everyone is able to walk, ride, drive, or wheel in a safe, convenient, and affordable manner to their desired destinations (report.sa2020.org/transportation/ ). Our population is growing: 66 people are born or move to our city every day, and we are estimated to double in the next twenty years. Our streets and sidewalks are lifelines to the places we need to go: work, school, healthcare providers. Connect+Ability at Warm Springs (warmspringsconnectability.org ) supports people with life-altering injuries and their families and caregivers. This means expanding services and support to include areas where people with life-altering injuries need accessibility. In Podcast #2, Dawn Dixon, Executive Director, explains how their work, which helps meet the needs of people with disabilities, will ultimately better serve the San Antonio community-at-large. You can also read more about their work in the latest SA2020 Impact Report (www.sa2020.org/blog/transportati…m-that-works-all/). Learn more at www.klrn.org/thestorygoes #TheStoryGoesSA

 Episode 0100. In this episode of The Story Goes… we meet Jessica Gutierrez, who works at Clarity Child Guidance Center and is a returning college student. With 35% of adults in San Antonio having their college degree, hear how Jessica re-entered college with the help of Upgrade at San Antonio Education Partnership and is mere months away from completing her Associate’s Degree at San Antonio College.