From the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce

San Marcos Educational Partners, is reaching out to San Marcos parents and students with the first-ever San Marcos Education Fair, an event designed to help parents become more involved in their children’s education. The fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 11 at the San Marcos Activity Center, located at 501 East Hopkins.

The Education Fair will provide information on early childhood development; elementary, middle, and high school; and college admission. For the children, there will be a “reading garden” and craft-making area. Big Brothers, Big Sisters will be looking for mentor volunteers. Fair organizers have also invited the participation of numerous non-profit agencies which provide vital support services to San Marcos families.

All attendees of the fair that visit a minimum of six booths can enter a drawing sponsored by State Farm Insurance to win great door prizes including gift cards, bicycles, and two brand new laptop computers.  Several other area businesses are also donating door prizes for the event. The event’s key message for San Marcos parents is that Education Pays.  Students that graduate from high school can expect lifetime earnings of more than $1 million dollars.  Students that graduate from college will earn another million in lifetime earnings.

SOAR is a collaboration of the San Marcos Educational Partners including Texas State University , San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District , the San Marcos Education Foundation, the San Marcos Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the San Marcos Area Chamber of Commerce. More entities are joining SOAR daily as the group works together to encourage further collaboration among all educational partners in San Marcos.

Current SOAR initiatives include efforts to increase school readiness in early childhood, eliminating disparities in the education system by increasing college access and preparedness, and addressing issues in work force development. For more information on how you can become a part of SOAR or how you can participate in the San Marcos Education Fair, contact the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce at (512) 393-5900.

RELATED IN THE MERCURY:

• Creating a community of learners | October 8, 2008
• Partners expand program to prepare San Marcos students for college | February 12, 2009
• Hernandez Intermediate hosting college fair for sixth graders | January 20, 2009
• United Way collecting books for local pre-schoolers | July 4, 2009
• District’s series helps students prepare for college challenges | April 28, 2008