Alamo Colleges District and AVANCE–San Antonio Partner to Support Student Parents

A new partnership between the Alamo Colleges District and AVANCE –San Antonio is helping student parents pursue higher education while ensuring their children receive high-quality early learning and care. 

The partnership was announced during a press conference at the Alamo Colleges District ACCESS Building on Wednesday, November 12, where leaders from both organizations joined student parents who shared their experiences and celebrated this growing collaboration.

“Student parents are at the heart of our moonshot to end poverty through education and training,” said Dr. Mike Flores, Alamo Colleges District Chancellor. “By partnering with AVANCE – San Antonio, we are building bridges for families, empowering our student parents to earn a credential while ensuring their children are learning, growing, and thriving. This partnership is what community impact looks like.”

The partnership is already taking shape through two programs across the Alamo Colleges: AVANCE to College at San Antonio College and Kids on Campus at Palo Alto College, each designed to support student parents and their children.

AVANCE to College at San Antonio College

At San Antonio College, the AVANCE to College program, located at the Empowerment Center, provides parents with the tools, resources, and support to balance college, career, and family life.

In collaboration with local community colleges, AVANCE to College supports caregivers – including expecting mothers, parents, extended family, and foster families – in becoming their child’s first teachers at home while also introducing them to the possibilities and opportunities for continued education and workforce upskilling.

Participants have access to:

• Culturally responsive parenting education and family engagement activities
• Early childhood instruction and childcare enrollment opportunities
• College and career readiness workshops
• Holistic support services available through the Empowerment Center and partner organizations

Kids on Campus at Palo Alto College

Building on the same two-generation model, Palo Alto College and AVANCE – San Antonio are extending impact through the Kids on Campus partnership—the first Head Start program of its kind in Texas. Located at the Palo Alto College’s Ray Ellison Family Center and launched in collaboration with the National Head Start Association, the initiative brings free, high-quality early education and childcare directly to campus for qualifying student parents.

Children benefit from engaging, developmentally appropriate education while also witnessing higher education in action, which can spark future academic aspirations for their own lives. Palo Alto College, in turn, strengthens student persistence, retention, and completion by addressing essential family needs and creating an environment where student parents can thrive.

A Shared Commitment to Community

These initiatives are redefining what it means to support student parents by integrating family care, early learning, and academic opportunity in one cohesive model.

“This is more than childcare—it’s about breaking barriers for families,” said Yesenia Alvarez-Gonzalez, Executive Director of AVANCE – San Antonio. “Together, we are reimagining what’s possible for student parents by creating pathways for both parents and children to learn, grow, and succeed—side by side.”

According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, a single mother with an associate degree will earn an estimated $329,500 more over her lifetime than one with only a high school education. By investing in student parents, the Alamo Colleges District and AVANCE – San Antonio are creating ripple effects that strengthen families, communities, and the regional economy.

As the Alamo Colleges District celebrates 80 years, this partnership reflects the district’s moonshot of partnering to end poverty through education and training.