2022 Q2 Pathways Quarterly Magazine

Helping Teen Parents
— and Their Children —
Learn and Grow
There are currently 27 EAA graduation candidates in the teen parent
program. Rather than becoming dropouts, they are becoming
proud high school graduates.
At Acceleration Academies of Ector County,
educators care not only for their enrolled
graduation candidates but also the most special
people in the GCs’ lives — their children.
EAA educators work in partnership with
the Ector County Independent School
District’s Teen Related Parenting
Services program to support young
parents with services such as free
day care, transportation, help
with government benefits, and the
opportunity to participate in “Dad
U” and the “Beach House” facility
for moms to nurse their babies
while on campus.
“It’s that collaboration that makes
the program unique,” says EAA Life
Coach Maya Cotton.
The partnership is critical to young mothers and
fathers who might otherwise miss the opportunity
to earn their diplomas, says Alicia Syverson,
Assistant Superintendent of Student and School
Support at the district.
The challenge is particularly steep in an area of
Texas where the oil industry provides high-paying
jobs that young parents — fathers, in particular —
take to support their families. “It’s hard for some
of these kids to decide between making almost
six digits in some cases or getting their high
school diplomas.”
Syverson is an Odessa native, veteran
educator and mom who’s seen the boomand-bust
cycle of oil jobs. She and
her fellow educators want to make
sure young people have a diploma
to secure their futures even when
those jobs go away.
With the ECISD/EAA program,
they can work full-time, complete
their studies on a flexible schedule
and get the parent services they need,
says Syverson.
“We are producing the future leaders, the
future workers in this area, so we have to make sure
we are providing all the supports they need to be
successful.”
16 Pathways Magazine | Summer 2022