(Canyon)—West Texas A&M University is taking the lead in creating a Panhandle P-16 partnership group with area educators. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, educational attainment levels for the Texas Panhandle stagger behind state and national averages.
Educational stakeholders agree that access, success and opportunity to pursue a college education begin in preschool and must be supported throughout college graduation. The university’s goal is to streamline educational opportunities for students pre-kindergarten through college.
The project includes 22 area school representatives participated in the Southwest Regional P-16 Conference: Partnering for Student Success April 24-26 in Austin, thanks to an $8,000 grant from Texas Guaranteed and special funding from WTAMU.
Area educators and administrators from high schools, middle schools and junior colleges are joining representatives from WTAMU at the conference hosted by the Texas P-16 Consortium.
“We are very excited to be included in this group,” Connie Bradford, ACE college liaison director with the Amarillo Area Foundation, said.
Working together as partners will help create a pipeline of educational opportunities geared toward college access and overall student success. Students and parents will have an increased awareness of the benefits of higher education, and university personnel will learn more about partnering to serve Panhandle students.
Members of the Panhandle P-16 Partnership who will be committing valuable time before, during and after the conference are:
For more information about the Panhandle P-16 Partnership, contact Troy
Johnson, WTAMU dean of enrollment management, at (806) 651-2031. 