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Market Statement

The Prairie View A&M University Juntos project targets dropout prevention and college preparation program for Latinx youth and their parents in Texas. The program’s goal is to help youth enter higher education and then the workforce.

This project targets dropout prevention and college preparation program for Latinx youth and their parents in Texas. The program’s goal is to help youth enter higher education and then the workforce. Juntos builds resilience among Latino teens and their families through parent involvement, life-skill development, one-on-one coaching, and connections with caring adults. This is an evidence-based program with a curriculum for parents and teens fashioned around four wraparound components: 1) Family engagement, 2) Monthly individualized success coaching with each student by a local Juntos Site Coordinator, 3) After-school Juntos 4-H club meetings and activities, and 4) A week-long summer college experience. The focus will be to increase the number of minority students pursuing enrollment in post-secondary education, being aware of college majors, and taking interest in STEM and agriculture careers. These goals will be met by improving student attendance and grades in school, increase the sense of belonging among Latinx students and families in their schools and communities, increase family engagement, increase teens use of technology, increase the percentage of Latinx students graduating and attending higher education, and increase the Juntos Program’s long-term sustainability.

Program Implementation

All students who participated in Juntos in Cameron, Texas were in middle and high school grades. The Juntos program at Texas is led by extension agents and volunteers managing the daily activities. Cameron County Juntos is implemented within the ACE afterschool program and includes monthly 4-H club meetings, family workshops, bi-monthly family nights, field trips and ACT prep. Bexar County Juntos is experiencing a revival after a hiatus brought on by personnel changes. The Juntos Program continued to serve and support students and families to deliver four Juntos components and two optional features. There were 13 club meetings, 59 success coaching sessions held, 2 college campus tours (field trips), 1 Juntos Academy (summer residential pre-college program), 10 family engagement events, and 1 ACT Prep workshop.

Community Integration

The Juntos 4-H families grew close as a community with every Juntos workshop, family night, and 4-H club meeting they attended. We were even fortunate enough to have parent volunteers ask to attend the Juntos 4-H Summer Academy as volunteers. 36 students and their families experienced a packed full Juntos 4-H Summer Academy that included soft skill workshops, and 4-H project including presentation, while allowing them to explore all types of careers throughout the week, as well as University tours. We took them to see not only the campus but some of the local attractions around the campus. We also continued to work with and through community partners (San Benito Consolidated Independent School District Texas Education Agency, 21st Century Community Learning Centers - Afterschool Centers for Education program).

Technology Integration

We were able to integrate technology in the Success Coaching, Juntos Academy, 4-H Club and ACT Workshop. The Success Coaches used a database/excel spreadsheet to track sessions. The youth participants completed photography and robotics project and presentation at Juntos Academies, the used IPADS and laptops for these projects. The 4-H club members learned to use a Cricut machine to design t-shirts for volunteers. The youth used the online Naviance curriculum to complete assessments and ACT practice tests.

Sustaining

Extension 4-H Specialist, Guadalupe Castro-Ventura, met with the Cameron County sustainability committee. A collaboration with San Benito ACE, San Benito family engagement, and Cameron County CEP 4-H agent to finalize a sustainability plan for the end of the grant cycle. It was agreed that San Benito ACE and San Benito family engagement would work together to continue the family workshops and family nights, and San Benito ACE would include volunteer stipends in their budget line item to continue to support the volunteers after the end of the CYFAR grant funds.

Short-Term Results

• Increase Latinx student success by improving student attendance and grades as measured by annual school report cards

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• Increased family engagement as measured by teens and parent's knowledge of the pathway to college and help in the preparation for college as reported on parent and youth surveys

  1. How many participated in the evaluation?

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  3. When was it given or conducted?

  4. Analysis

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• Increase in graduation rates for participating teens at each community site

  1. How many participated in the evaluation?

  2. Evaluation Type used:

  3. When was it given or conducted?

  4. Analysis

  5. Findings

  5. Implications

• Increase the sense of belonging among Latinx students and families in their schools and communities as measured by parent and youth surveys

  1. How many participated in the evaluation?

  2. Evaluation Type used:

  3. When was it given or conducted?

  4. Analysis

  5. Findings

  5. Implications

Long-Term Results

• Increase teens use of technology for workforce skills necessary for 21st century digital economy

  1. How many participated in the evaluation?

  2. Evaluation Type used:

  3. When was it given or conducted?

  4. Analysis

  5. Findings

  5. Implications

• Increase in college attendance and college graduation for participating teens at each community site

  1. How many participated in the evaluation?

  2. Evaluation Type used:

  3. When was it given or conducted?

  4. Analysis

  5. Findings

  5. Implications

• Increases in the 7 factors of sustainability including community capacity, strategic funding, and collaboration that will lead to a sustainable Juntos Program in Texas

  1. How many participated in the evaluation?

  2. Evaluation Type used:

  3. When was it given or conducted?

  4. Analysis

  5. Findings

  5. Implications