Building a strong community takes a ton of work. Myriad barriers in place can almost be too much to overcome. Generational habits, new forms of substance abuse, and even language can all conspire to make creating a more vibrant and informed environment difficult, to say the least. Down in Laredo, however, they have a plan. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission and TAMIU GEAR UP IV “Creating a Vision” joined forces to hold a Mental Health Symposium to educate and rally parents around healthy living habits and college-prep strategies.

During the daylong event, speaker presentations and workshops were held to close the knowledge gap for TXGU parents, in addition to informing them of the resources at their disposal. Each participant was provided transportation, lunch, and a bag of groceries to help make it as easy as possible for them to participate. Head over to the Toolbox to watch the latest “Texas GEAR UP in Action” video for a peek at how the event was a huge success.