Community and District Partnerships
ATE works with schools, districts, community colleges, and community organizations in various efforts to improve support services to teacher candidates and students seeking degrees.
Partnership Advisory Leadership Stakeholders (PALS)
The Partnership Advisory Leadership Stakeholders (PALS) is comprised of representatives from the various San Antonio area school districts, community colleges, community programs, teachers, parents, students, and community leaders.
Meetings and forums held for PALS provide the organization a means to serve its purpose, which is to:
- Engage in critical reflection and dialogue;
- Serve in an advisory capacity to ATE and its demonstration projects;
- Make recommendations for improvement, sustainability and expansion; and
- Strengthen the UTSA, community colleges, and school districts partnerships.
To join the PALS team, please send an email with your name, email address, and organization affiliated to ate@utsa.edu.
Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas (HWNT)
ATE partners with HWNT to provide outreach opportunities. Each year, the HWNT hosts a scholarship competition for Hispanic students. In order to qualify for the scholarship, students must participate in a series of workshops. ATE hosts workshops for the HWNT scholarship series regarding the journey to college and 21st-century skills.
Alliance for Technology Education in Applied Math and Science (ATEAMS)
Our work with the Alliance for Technology Education in Applied Math and Science has enabled teachers across San Antonio to enter into externships that provide them with industry experience and skills. These expert teachers pass on their knowledge and skills to their students, preparing them for higher education in STEM fields and the workforce beyond.
Community Growth
Character Education
Character education is a vital educational approach that nurtures the development of students as whole individuals through the cultivation of positive character qualities, values, and virtues. It is essential to equip them for professional success and to encourage them to develop integrity, excellence, innovation, respect, collaboration, and responsible citizenship. Character education fosters values and virtues that guide individuals to live ethically, act responsibly, and contribute meaningfully to society. It aims to develop not just capable minds, but good-hearted people.
At the ATE, we are working with passion and commitment to empower the entire university community—students, faculty, staff, families, and leaders—through research-based teaching practices, transformative curricula, and practical tools that nurture personal growth, ethical leadership, positive character traits, and authentic human connection. By helping everyone recognize and grow their unique strengths, we cultivate a culture of daily flourishing—in the classroom, the workplace, and society at large.
Character Education and Whole Child Education at ATE:
- ATE Summer Bridging Institute: Character Education across the Subjects (2018-2025)
- Sessions for Clinical Teachers on Whole Child Education, Social Emotional Learning, and Character Development (2020-2021)
- Bilingual Parents series on Virtues Education for Academic Goals and Character Development
- Series on Nurturing Great Children through Character Education (2018-2020)
- SECCEE: Social - Emotional - Character and Culturally Efficacious Education Program (2020)
Faculty Development
According to Reybold, Flores, and Riojas-Cortez (2006), “The goals [of faculty development] should be to acknowledge the diversity that exists within our global society, to increase faculty understanding and awareness of diversity issues in teacher preparation, to implement new understanding and awareness of diversity issues in teacher preparation, and to implement new understandings of that diversity in their teaching.”
The goal of the Faculty Development component is to increase the sensitivity and preparation of faculty in addressing the need for a culturally and linguistically diverse population within their delivery of curriculum and instruction and "sphere of influence". Faculty Members are provided with professional learning opportunities, such as monthly book group sessions designed to enhance their academic instruction to meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse students.
Teacher Support
ATE provides opportunities for continued professional development for both preservice and in-service educators. Multiple opportunities and avenues are available for educators to receive ongoing support.
Professional Development
ATE provides year-round professional development for teacher candidates and veteran teachers. Teachers can earn CPE hours for their attendance, which can be used toward the renewal of their Standard certificate. Visit the ATE Calendar to see a list of all upcoming workshops and events.
Career Transition Guidance
Participants receive psychosocial support to help with the transition into teaching. Career Transition Guides (CTG) use the LIBRE Model to work with participants to help them navigate through the psychosocial phases of teaching and problem-solve the challenges they are facing in the classroom and in their personal lives. The goal is to affirm and empower self-efficacy skills needed to consciously manage the processing of concerns and problems as they arise.
Summer Bridging Institute (SBI)
The ATE Summer Bridging Institute is a 3-day professional development event presented in the second week of July each year. We invite educational students and professionals from across the state to attend workshops, collaborate, and network at the UTSA Downtown Campus. If you are interested in attending, volunteering, or presenting, please complete our interest form so that we can contact you with more information.
Character Education
Dive into dynamic, hands-on sessions designed to enhance classroom engagement in Science, Technology, Research, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STREAM). These sessions will showcase practical strategies and innovative ideas for creating student-centered, research-based lessons that spark curiosity and foster active learning.
Ideal for PK–12 educators seeking to energize their STREAM instruction.
