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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

  1. How many participated in the evaluation? 0

  2. Evaluation Type used: N/A

  3. When was it given or conducted? N/A

  4. Analysis N/A

  5. Findings N/A

  5. Implications No access to school data yet.

• 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? 31

  2. Evaluation Type used: Pre-post survey design with quantitative measures and focus groups held in the summer with parents and youth.

  3. When was it given or conducted? The pre-survey was conducted in October 2023 the post in May 2024

  4. Analysis I analyzed the pre-post data focusing on parent involvement metrics (Q8_1-Q8_14), student confidence in college pathways (Q14, Q17_1-17_5), and parent knowledge of educational pathways (Q14, Q15). Parent survey data provided additional insights on family engagement and knowledge of college pathways.

  5. Findings The data shows significant improvement in family engagement metrics. 76% of parents reported talking with their child about school "Daily during the school year," and 71% discuss college and career goals with their children regularly. Parent confidence in helping with educational pathways improved, with 70% feeling "Highly certain" they can help set educational goals. Students reporting "Strongly Agree" to "My parents expect me to go to college" increased from 71% to 83%. However, parent knowledge about financing options was rated lower than other areas.

  5. Implications The results suggest the Juntos program effectively strengthens family engagement in college preparation. The improved parent-student communication about college indicates successful fulfillment of program objectives. Future programming should focus on enhancing parents' knowledge of college financing options, which was identified as an area for growth.

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

  1. How many participated in the evaluation? 31

  2. Evaluation Type used: Pre-post survey design with quantitative measures and focus groups held in the summer with parents and youth.

  3. When was it given or conducted? The pre-survey was conducted in October 2023 the post in May 2024

  4. Analysis I examined graduation readiness indicators including academic progress metrics (Q12_1), student confidence in graduation (Q17_5), parent expectations for education completion (Q13), and parental monitoring of academic progress (Q8_4).

  5. Findings The data shows that 95% of participating students reported being "on track to graduate" in the post-survey, compared to 83% in the pre-survey. Student confidence in graduating high school increased significantly, with 87% reporting feeling "completely prepared" or "quite a bit prepared" compared to 68% in the pre-assessment. Parent data shows strong support for graduation, with 95% "Strongly Agreeing" it's their responsibility to help their child graduate (Q12_5) and 80% monitoring academic progress daily.

  5. Implications Results indicate the Juntos program has a positive influence on graduation readiness, particularly through the combined effect of student motivation and parent support. The program should consider expanding duration and implementing targeted supports for students exhibiting lower confidence in graduation preparation, while continuing to engage parents in academic monitoring.

• 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? 31

  2. Evaluation Type used: Pre-post survey design with quantitative measures and focus groups held in the summer with parents and youth.

  3. When was it given or conducted? The pre-survey was conducted in October 2023 the post in May 2024

  4. Analysis I conducted a comparative analysis of school and community belonging metrics (YRM10, YRM13) and support networks (Q22_1-Q22_6). Parent surveys provided additional data on community belonging (Q40_10, Q40_13) and cultural identity (Q40_17).

  5. Findings Hispanic/Latino students reported significant increases in school belonging measures from pre to post assessment. In the parent surveys, 60% reported feeling a strong sense of belonging in their community, 85% reported positive treatment in their community, and 80% reported high levels of enjoyment of family cultural traditions. The data shows a positive correlation between program participation and increased sense of belonging for both students and families.

  5. Implications The results demonstrate that Juntos effectively builds a sense of belonging among Latino/Hispanic youth and their families. The improvements in both school and community belonging metrics suggest program activities successfully bridge school-community connections. The program should continue cultural celebration events and parent engagement activities to further strengthen this sense of belonging.

Long-Term Results

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

  1. How many participated in the evaluation? 13

  2. Evaluation Type used: Pre-post survey design with quantitative measures and focus groups held in the summer with parents and youth.

  3. When was it given or conducted? The pre-survey was conducted in October 2023 the post in May 2024

  4. Analysis I evaluated technology skill development through self-reported measures (YRM16) and parent perceptions of skill development (Q40_16). The data included responses about skill development for future careers and technological literacy.

  5. Findings Students reported significant increases in technology-related workforce skills. Self-reported skill development metrics (YRM16 - "I have opportunities to develop skills that will be useful later in life") increased from an average of 3.9 to 4.5 on a 5-point scale. Parent surveys show 85% value "Getting and improving qualifications or skills" as very important, and 75% believe their children have opportunities to develop skills useful for future careers.

  5. Implications The digital skill development components of the program appear effective, with both students and parents recognizing their importance. The program should consider expanding technology integration across program activities and developing parent education components about emerging technology careers and how to support digital skill development at home.

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

  1. How many participated in the evaluation? 0

  2. Evaluation Type used: N/A

  3. When was it given or conducted? N/A

  4. Analysis N/A

  5. Findings N/A

  5. Implications None of the participants are/were eligible for graduation yet.

• 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? 7

  2. Evaluation Type used: Stakeholder assessment focusing on program sustainability factors and parent engagement metrics.

  3. When was it given or conducted? Throughout the 2023-2024 program year.

  4. Analysis I evaluated progress across sustainability domains including community capacity, strategic funding, partnerships, and program adaptation based on student and parent feedback.

  5. Findings The Texas Annual Report (2023-2024) highlights several sustainability metrics: Strategic funding through the USDA CYFAR award (continuing until 2026), community capacity expansion through parent volunteers (with parents volunteering for the Summer Academy), strong collaboration with multiple partners including San Benito Consolidated Independent School District, and program adaptation based on participant feedback. Parent surveys demonstrate strong buy-in and ownership of the program, with many parents volunteering and participating regularly.

  5. Implications The program demonstrates strong progress toward sustainability, particularly in funding diversification and community capacity. The high level of parent engagement shown in the surveys suggests potential for parent leadership in sustaining program activities beyond grant funding. Future efforts should focus on formalizing parent leadership roles, developing a concrete post-grant sustainability plan, and continuing to strengthen institutional partnerships.