Temple College is launching a new Adopt-A-School program with five elementary schools in its service area.
The College is partnering with Kennedy-Powell Elementary School (Temple Independent School District), Miller Heights Elementary School (Belton Independent School District), Naomi Pasemann Elementary School (Taylor Independent School District), Nadine Johnson Elementary School (Hutto Independent School District) and Rockdale Intermediate School (Rockdale Independent School District).
The goal, Temple College leaders said, is to help create a collegegoing culture amongst the students. “We want every student we encounter, whether it’s at these schools or out in the many communities we serve, to know that college is available to them,” said Dr. Susan Guzmán-Treviño, Temple College’s provost and vice president for academic affairs and student services. “This new Adopt-A-School program gives us the opportunity to walk alongside school administrators, teachers and parents to engage with their students and share that message. We know it’s important to connect with students and families in the early years because the earlier students and families realize that college is attainable for them, the more likely they will be to attend, succeed and achieve their goals.”
Each school will host an official kickoff event in the coming weeks. During these ceremonies, Temple College will present a banner to the school to commemorate the partnership. Kickoff events include a ceremony at NPE Nov. 7 at 1 p.m.
As part of the Adopt-A-School program, Temple College staff and faculty will participate in the schools’ various activities throughout the year and work with the schools’ administrators to create opportunities, such as classroom demonstrations or college campus visits.
Events have already taken place this fall. In October, Temple College staff traveled to Rockdale Intermediate to meet with students and provide hands-on STEM and workforce activities. Another group, including the Temple College mascot, traveled to Miller Heights to participate in the school’s fall carnival, which included a station for students to use virtual- reality headsets.
“When we were first approached about ‘adopting’ a school, we weren’t exactly sure what that meant. There was no clear definition,” said Eric Eckert, executive director of strategic communications and outreach, whose office is organizing the project. “We met with school leaders and researched what was needed and how we could help. Using that information, we were able to build this pilot program and find the resources to devote to the project. We’re very excited to move forward.”
The program is under the direction of Louis Treviño, Temple College recruiter, who focuses on community outreach.
“Each elementary school is assigned a Temple College staff liaison who works with the principal to map out the activities for the year,” Treviño said. “Each school is unique, and we want to do our best to meet their needs.”
Eckert said the Adopt-A-School program is a prime example of Temple College being “Your Community’s College.”
“That’s more than a slogan,” he said. “It’s a commitment to the communities we serve that Temple College is an active neighbor and an excellent resource.”
