We are excited to announce that the Moody Foundation awarded a $1.1 million M-Pact Fund grant to Education Reach for Texans, in partnership with the University of North Texas (UNT) as the grant fiscal sponsor, to enhance educational opportunities across the state for students with foster care experience!

 

Education Reach for Texans focuses on improving post-secondary education outcomes for students with experience in foster care by offering professional development, training, and technical assistance to foster care liaisons and support programs. With the support of the Moody Foundation and UNT, Education Reach will pilot a peer mentoring program in several public colleges and universities across Texas to increase the percentage of students using the Texas Tuition and Fee Waiver and to increase campus support program engagement. The M-Pact Fund grant will these activities for a three-year period.

 

“This grant acknowledges our collective efforts to improve program effectiveness and foster positive outcomes for our students who have experience living in foster care,” said Elizabeth With, senior vice president for the Division of Student Affairs. “We are thrilled to collaborate with Education Reach for Texans and welcome this partnership.”

 

The M-Pact Fund grant will also allow UNT and Education Reach to study some of the barriers preventing most students with experience in foster care from accessing their higher education benefits and to implement targeted interventions to boost enrollment, retention and graduation rates among this student population. Education Reach hopes to utilize the results of this research to create a model for campus support that can be replicated at all public colleges and universities in Texas.

 

“This grant is a significant step forward for Education Reach and helps us strengthen our collaborations with other agencies and universities across the state,” said Dr. Sheila Bustillos, Education Reach for Texans Founding Board Member and Past President. “We are grateful to UNT for their partnership and support with this grant.”

 

The Moody Foundation strengthens the future of Texas by investing in charitable projects that exhibit innovative ideas and make long-term improvement in our communities. The M-Pact Fund is one of the largest grant commitments ever made by a private foundation in Texas. Started with a $1 billion pledge, the initiative will fund education institutions, nonprofits, and university endowments whose work aligns with the Foundation’s strategic priorities of Early Learning and Postsecondary Success.

 

Please be on the lookout for more information about this grant and its implementation in your area very soon!