The ACCEYSS — Association of Collaborative Communities Equipping Youth for STEEAAM Success — was recognized as the “Education Partner of the Year” during the San Marcos Chamber 119th Annual Dinner & Awards Gala.
ACCEYSS was founded by Dr. Shetay Ashford-Hanserd, an associate professor and department chair at Texas State University in the Department of Organization, Workforce (TXST-OWLS). Upon receiving funding from the National Science Foundation 2017, Dr. Ashford-Hanserd, developed the ACCEYSS Model as a culturally-responsive, evidence-based curriculum framework. Additionally, she formed the ACCEYSS Network as a coalition focused on providing underrepresented and underserved youth with access to STEM and Agriculture pathways through Entrepreneurship and the Arts. As a subsidiary of the Power 2 Prosper Community Development Corporation (formerly named The P2P Movement), the ACCEYSS Network helps faith-based and grassroots organizations with resources and funding so that the STEEAAM equity gap can be bridged in their communities.
Since 2019, the ACCEYSS Network has supported summer camps for nearly 230 youth in the Greater San Marcos region. In summer 2022, ACCEYSS hosted an 8-week STEAM VBS camp and weekly horticulture camps that served over 100 students ages 5-12. ACCEYSS has partnered with organizations such as the San Marcos Youth Service Bureau (YSB), San Marcos Housing Authority, Keep San Marcos Beautiful (Dunbar Community Garden), Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos (Dr. Sean Justice - Scratch Maker Camp), Sozo Church, Hays Cares, A.L.M.S. Inc, and HCS Technical Services, and tekRESCUE to host ACCEYSS STEEAAM summer camps and weekly STEAM nights. Additionally, ACCEYSS has partnered with the Hays County Food Bank to facilitate monthly food distributions that have served over 400 people in the San Marcos area.
