As we roll into the Thanksgiving holidays, a little crisp settling into the air, students, teachers, and all educators are breathing a sigh of relief as they contemplate turning off alarm clocks, time with family and friends, and turkey, a favorite side, or perhaps pie.   We work in a human-centered business and it is… Continue reading Defining Youth Voice and Agency with CAST’s Student Advisory

Last week, parents at our Advanced Learning Academy (ALA) received a letter from San Antonio Superintendent Jaime Aquino informing them that, as part of a multiparty deal to bring a baseball stadium to downtown, the district had asked the development group to provide $45 million to build a new school for ALA-Euclid, which currently serves… Continue reading An Important Update from SAISD Regarding ALA

Last year at CAST Tech High School, seniors chose the theme of “Legacy” for their capstone projects, identifying different ways to leave a mark on their school. One group of students aimed to improve industry opportunities for CAST Tech students with local tech companies. Another proposed innovative, social solutions to student isolation. Award-winning CAST Ink,… Continue reading Creating Youth Voice and Agency: How CAST is Redefining San Antonio Education and the Student Experience

When the Advanced Learning Academy (ALA) was founded in 2018, teachers were given an opportunity to design elective courses based on their passions, and Stephanie Cash, a founding English teacher, chose leadership. At previous schools, she had been the sponsor for student council and academic leadership organizations such as the National Hispanic Institute, but she… Continue reading Leadership Is Built, Not Born

This week, CAST Schools Deputy Director Jen Maestas and I attended the Aurora Institute conference in New Orleans, where Jen presented CAST’s approach to youth voice and purpose-driven education along with our longtime partner nXu. At the conference, Author Rhonda Broussard shared her work as an interviewer had taught her that inquiry and curiosity were… Continue reading Incorporating Youth Voice into CAST’s Processes

This month, CAST STEM hosted a panel of students who held summer internships at San Antonio’s Toyota Motor Manufacturing. As a parent of teens myself, my jaw hit the floor as students recounted weeks of getting up at the crack of dawn. Literally, Jason Eslora said: “I was not expecting to wake up at 4:15… Continue reading Manufacturing Takes off in San Antonio!

The Advanced Learning Academy held its Noche Musical de Los Muertos event on October 24th, 2024. This event celebrates the many aspects of what makes ALA the school it is today. The main programs the event showcased were the Mariachi, Dance, Band and Theater programs. Throughout the event, each of these programs showed the community… Continue reading ALA Holds ‘Noche Musical de Los Muertos’ Event