Become A Jaguar 
Request Info 
Apply WHAT: Texas A&M University-San Antonio celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Week of the Child at the Pavilion at the San Antonio Zoo, 3903 N St. Mary’s Street.
WHEN: Saturday, April 17, 2012, 1:00 p.m.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg will be joining Texas A&M University-San Antonio President Dr. Cynthia Matson to recognize the 50th anniversary of Week of the Young Child and the Baby Paws School graduation. The Week of the Young Child is an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the world’s largest early childhood education association. The Baby Paws School program connects early childhood pre-service professionals with South San ISD professionals and families.
Housed within the A&M-San Antonio College of Education and Human Development in the Department of Educator and Leadership Preparation, Familias UniTED (Families and Universities Together Enhancing Development) is a family engagement project that includes the South San ISD and A&M-SA Baby Paws program. This program provides parents the opportunity to take part in learning sessions centered on nurturing and responsive caregiving, health and wellbeing, as well as emergent literacy and numeracy to better support their child in the early years. “Through the Baby Paws program, we support parents, as they, in turn help their children develop and gain more confidence,” said Dr. Carl Sheperis, Dean of the College of Education.
The partnership with South San ISD also benefits future teachers at A&M-San Antonio as they learn how to connect with children and families under the mentorship of South San Antonio ISD teachers.
Elvira Matias, a senior graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Child Development with a minor in Education, shared these insights -- “The Baby Paws program has influenced my professional development in a variety of ways, one of which is that it provides me time to facilitate positive experiences for parents and young children in school. Parents will commit to being present, and children will benefit when their parents remain involved in their education.”
Baby Paws School is part of the South San Antonio ISD Care Zone and recognizes that for children to thrive developmentally, the whole child and family must be supported. Together, A&M- San Antonio and SSA ISD are supporting families.
FOR MEDIA: Media planning to cover the event are requested to contact Adriana Contreras at 210-784-1115 or by email at acontreras@tamusa.edu
###
Texas A&M University-San Antonio
Established as a stand-alone university in 2009, Texas A&M University-San Antonio is a comprehensive four-year public university that reflects the culturally diverse, heritage-rich community it serves. Situated on nearly 700 acres in south San Antonio, A&M-San Antonio is a Military Embracing™ institution offering 30 undergraduate degrees and 14 graduate degrees to nearly 6,800 students. The University is home to the Henry G. Cisneros Institute for Emerging Leaders and the Cyber Engineering Technology/Cyber Security Research Center. A&M-San Antonio holds the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) designation. Military Times ranks the University No. 35 in the nation for “Best for Vets: Colleges.” Visit tamusa.edu for more information. #onamission