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In San Antonio, preparing young people for the future takes more than academic readiness. It requires systems that work, spaces to heal and opportunities for young people to find and use their voice.
One way that work is taking shape is through the San Antonio Area Foundation’s New Horizons Fellowship Cohort, an initiative that ties to the broader Future Ready Bexar County Plan, a strategic community-wide effort to better support young people across education, nonprofit, government and workforce systems.
Led by UP Partnership, the plan brings together more than 100 partners with a shared goal: increasing the number of high school graduates enrolling in college or credential programs to 70% by 2030. The work is guided by four focus areas: Healing, Access, Voice and Systems Support.
As an anchor partner in the plan, the San Antonio Area Foundation is helping advance this work by strengthening the organizations behind it. Through the New Horizons Fellowship Cohort, the foundation is building nonprofit capacity while supporting efforts focused on healing-centered approaches across Bexar County. This is one of two major grantee cohorts anchored by the Area Foundation.
“The Future Ready plan is showing real progress, year over year, in postsecondary access. These investments are to help ensure that young people facing unique challenges are actively included in that progress,” said Ryan Lugalia-Hollon, Chief Impact Officer of the San Antonio Area Foundation.
That investment is focused not only on funding programs, but on strengthening the organizations behind them. A key part of that effort is the New Horizons Fellowship Cohort.
Building capacity and connection through New Horizons
The New Horizons Fellowship Cohort is a two-year capacity-building initiative of the San Antonio Area Foundation designed to strengthen nonprofit organizations serving young people across Bexar County.
Through multiyear funding, structured learning, coaching, and peer connection, the cohort helps organizations build stronger internal systems, develop leadership capacity, and plan for long-term sustainability, reflecting the foundation’s approach to pairing flexible operating support with capacity-building resources.
“What we’re seeing is that when organizations have the space to grow and learn together, their impact extends far beyond what any one program can do on its own,” shared Andrea Figueroa, director of Youth Success of the San Antonio Area Foundation.
For many in the cohort, the experience has brought to light new tools, approaches and a renewed sense of connection which is already expanding partnerships, creativity and impact in response to challenges facing young people.
That impact can be seen in the work of organizations in the cohort, including Celebrate Dyslexia and Gemini Ink.
Celebrate Dyslexia: Addressing systemic barriers to literacy
Celebrate Dyslexia, one of the fellowship organizations, is working to address systemic gaps in how students with dyslexia are identified and supported.
“We’re not just providing services; we’re changing the system,” said Jasmin Dean, founder and CEO of Celebrate Dyslexia.
The organization focuses on training educators, expanding the pipeline of certified academic language therapists and partnering with universities to embed dyslexia training into degree programs.
It is also working to improve access to diagnosis and support for justice-involved youth with undiagnosed learning differences.
Since 2019, Celebrate Dyslexia has reached a total of more than 125,000 students throughout all of their initiatives.
At the Cyndi Krier Juvenile Treatment Center, expanded screening and interventions have increased access to accommodations, with roughly 75% of youth now being considered for support. These efforts have contributed to improved academic outcomes, including the campus moving from a “failing” rating to a “C” rating under the Texas Education Agency accountability system.
The organization’s work has also informed state legislation requiring tracking of dyslexia rates among youth entering and exiting the Texas juvenile justice system.
“This is about changing life trajectories,” Dean added. “When students get the support they need, everything shifts.”
Gemini Ink: Empowering youth voice through creative writing
Gemini Ink is working with young people across San Antonio to build confidence and leadership skills through creative writing.
Through its Partner Classes, the organization provides free, trauma-informed creative writing workshops in schools, community spaces and juvenile justice settings, reaching more than 500 youth last year.
Through the New Horizons Fellowship Cohort, the organization has expanded its reach by strengthening partnerships and identifying new opportunities to collaborate with other youth serving organizations across Bexar County.
“The student in the back of the room who doesn’t want to be there, that’s who we love to teach,” Alexandra van de Kamp, executive director of Gemini Ink, said. “By the end of the course, they can be writing, sharing and showing up differently.”
Through long-term workshops and mentorship, students develop writing skills and learn to express themselves, reflect on their experiences and engage more fully in their education.
In 2025, Gemini Ink served 500 youth among the 5,000 total individuals the organization reached. That same year, it published 167 youth authors.
Students in its programs have also shown improvements in academic outcomes, as well as increased attendance and engagement, at times outperforming their district peers in STAAR reading results and grade promotion.
“When young people can express themselves, they start to understand their own power and agency,” she shared.
A broader effort to support young people
Organizations like Celebrate Dyslexia and Gemini Ink reflect the broader vision behind the Future Ready Bexar County Plan, one that recognizes preparing young people requires more than academics alone, but a holistic approach.
Through investments like the New Horizons Fellowship Cohort, the San Antonio Area Foundation is strengthening not only individual organizations, but the network working to support young people across the region.
The goal is to build a more connected system so young people have the support and opportunities they need to navigate what comes next and take an active role in shaping their future.
This story was developed in collaboration with the San Antonio Area Foundation, Gemini Ink, and Celebrate Dyslexia.
