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Monday 8am - 5pm Tuesday 8am - 5pm Wednesday 8am - 5pm Thursday 8am - 5pm Friday 8am - 5pm

Employ210, 501 W. César E. Chávez Boulevard, San Antonio, TX (2026)

06/14/2026

As part of our recent virtual training sessions for aspiring instructional assistants, we encouraged our participants to volunteer at Camp Durango — a UT San Antonio summer program geared for autistic youth and their siblings. Directed by the university’s Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) department, the program benefits volunteer counselors with disabilities by providing real-world experience organizing camp activities and supporting campers as they play games and engage with arts and crafts.

During our first week of volunteer slots, Employ 210 Special Research Associate Kiana Leal and Graduate Research Assistants Rubi Garcia and Kassandra Smith supported four “graduates” of our instructional assistant training. Volunteers including Darius and Mia got a chance to put some of their new skills into practice, including utilizing an evidence-based strategy called pairing to build better rapport with students, and incorporating varying levels of prompts during activities to help students be more independent. Paired with feedback from the Employ 210 team, this aspect helped participants feel more confident working with children.

“Darius really enjoyed playing basketball with his camper,” Employ 210 Project Manager Sierra Stegemann reported. “And Mia made lots of new connections with campers and counselors alike.”

With hands-on experience under their belts, participants 18 and up with high school diplomas or GEDs are better equipped to apply to work as instructional assistants in public schools for the upcoming school year.

Next week, we’re excited to welcome a second round of instructional assistant trainees as Camp Durango volunteers!

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

06/12/2026

Earlier this week, Employ 210 Project Director Dr. John Davis, Project Manager Sierra Stegemann, and Special Research Associate Kiana Leal welcomed Chick-fil-A managers and representatives for a workshop exploring neurodiversity in the workplace. During three presentations, they highlighted the goals of our grant-funded program and ways they align with Chick-fil-A’s “Winning Hearts Every Day” initiative — a customer service and operational strategy that aims to make the brand the “world’s most caring company.”

In addition to outlining the various types of neurodivergence, the presentation “Foundations of Neurodiversity” covered the advantages of tapping into an underutilized talent pool and fostering a workplace that combines neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals.

“Function of Learned Behavior” shed light on ways reinforcement and punishment shape workplace behavior; best practices for applying the A-B-C model (antecedent, behavior, consequence); and the importance of providing positive feedback.

And “Supporting Neurodivergent Talent” looked at challenges employees with disabilities face in the workplace along with accommodations that can empower them to perform their best. These accommodations can span from devices like noise-canceling headphones to implementations like quiet zones and flexible work schedules.

When the workshop wrapped up, one attendee expressed their gratitude, saying, “This information was wonderful for everyone, understanding behaviors, autism, ADHD, and everything that we employers may come across in our daily lives.”

If your business is interested in scheduling a free training session with Employ 210, email us at [email protected] or call us at (726) 842-3895.

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

06/07/2026

Please join us in congratulating Employ 210 Graduate Research Assistant Rubi Garcia on her recent graduation from UT San Antonio with a master’s in higher education administration! A Los Angeles native who earned a bachelor’s degree in child development before relocating to San Antonio, Rubi drew inspiration from personal experiences when carving out her professional path.

“Working with individuals with disabilities has been a passion for me since I was young,” she said. “My brother was diagnosed with Down syndrome, and I have always been around therapists. I struggled knowing what I wanted to be growing up, but I always knew my goal was to create a welcoming place for individuals with disabilities.”

Since joining Employ 210 in July of last year, Rubi has contributed to various aspects of our grant-funded program — from prepping training materials and recording data to supporting participants as they fill out paperwork. “My role involves being flexible and willing to learn many skills,” she said. “It’s definitely helped increase my professional development.”

Congratulations Rubi, and cheers to great things ahead!

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

06/05/2026

Helping others is a driving force that led Dr. Felicia Castro-Villareal to pursue a career in educational psychology. A native of Robstown, Texas, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from St. Mary’s University before earning a Ph.D. in school psychology from Oklahoma State University.

“I’ve always enjoyed listening to people and helping in any way that I can,” Castro-Villareal said. “My passion is to help youth experiencing mental health, learning, and behavioral concerns.”

Now a Licensed School Psychologist and a psychology professor at UT San Antonio, Castro-Villareal joined the Employ 210 team during the grant-funded program’s conceptualization and writing stages. In her role as Employ 210’s School Partner Liaison, she connects and partners with K-12 schools and universities and works within those partnerships to train individuals for competitive and meaningful employment. “With employers, I work to identify high vacancy needs and help develop blueprints for training in these high vacancy areas,” she explained.

Another aspect of her role is partnering with UT San Antonio’s Center for Military Affiliated Students (CMAS) and supporting military students with disabilities. “With this partnership we work with CMAS to identify workforce and career readiness needs to inform training,” she said. “Similarly, we work with CMAS employer partners to identify high vacancy need areas and build training blueprints around those areas.”

When asked about her goals for the future of Employ 210, Castro-Villareal says she hopes to see our reach expand. “My hope is that we can place an increasing number of Employ 210 participants in meaningful and competitive employment,” she said. “I wish more people understood that different is beautiful, different is unique, and different is brilliant. I wish people would focus on and find the brilliance in neurodivergence.”

05/31/2026

Although there are no definitive statistics about the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder in the U.S., the National Center for PTSD has found that about 5% of the population has PTSD in any given year. In San Antonio, that number is higher due to our large military population. Nicknamed “Military City USA,” San Antonio is home to 160,000 veterans and more than 80,000 active-duty service members.

Thankfully, San Antonio boasts a wealth of support for individuals with PTSD. A generally effective component of treatment, trauma-focused talk therapy is offered free of charge through several local organizations including the Military Veteran Peer Network, the Warrior Group, the San Antonio Vet Center, and the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The online database and Employ 210 partner San Antonio Community Resource Directory (SACRD) also maintains listings for various support outlets, including the PTSD Foundation of America, which runs the 24/7 Combat Trauma Help Line at (877) 717-7873.

UT Health San Antonio is also dedicated to addressing PTSD and other veteran issues. In April, the university reported a breakthrough that significantly reduces symptoms for PTSD victims. During a monthlong study, researchers complemented psychotherapy with a patented MRI-guided, robotic-controlled form of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMI) and found that 85% of recipients experienced symptom reductions significant enough to improve quality of life.

Another valuable resource, UTSA’s Office of Veteran and Military Affairs supports students in many ways and also hosts Coffee with Vets — a monthly program that takes place every second Wednesday in UTSA’s Veterans Lounge.

But PTSD isn’t bound by military issues. If you or someone you know is struggling with PTSD in any form, help is available at no cost through the UTSA Sarabia Family Counseling Center and around the clock via the National Institute of Mental Health’s crisis hotline, which can be accessed by calling or texting 988.

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

05/29/2026

As a grant-funded program with ambitious goals, Employ 210 thinks quite a bit about numbers. But each number represents a person — and specifically a participant we’ve supported on their journey to finding competitive employment in San Antonio. As we prepare for a busy summer ahead, we’re happy to report that 135 individuals with varying disabilities have completed one of our specialized “blueprints” — free job-training programs that incorporate hands-on learning and simulated workplace scenarios. Of those 135 participants, 36 have been placed in jobs with one of our San Antonio business partners. As encouraged as we are by those numbers, we’ve got plenty more growing and expanding to do — and we’re always looking for the next opportunity.

If you or someone you know could benefit from one of our completely free job-training programs, we encourage you to fill out the general interest form on our website (Employ210.com), email us at [email protected] or call us at (726) 842-3895.

And if you’re a San Antonio business owner who’s interested in tapping into an underutilized talent pool of pre-trained job seekers, we would love to hear from you as well!

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

05/24/2026

Currently Recruiting for: Instructional Assistants

Employ 210 is currently recruiting job seekers with varying disabilities and support needs for free virtual training sessions that will prepare them to apply for positions as Instructional Assistants in public schools. An Instructional Assistant supports students with special needs by assisting with instruction, behavior management, personal care, safety, social skills, and the implementation of individualized educational goals in the classroom. Applicants may choose between two virtual training schedules:

Monday, June 1 & Wednesday, June 3 from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.

OR

Tuesday, June 2 and Thursday June 4 from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Following the virtual training, participants are encouraged to volunteer at Camp Durango at the UTSA Downtown Campus to gain experience working with children with disabilities in a fun, educational setting with support from Employ 210 staff. Applicants may choose between two in-person volunteer schedules at 501 W. César E. Chávez Blvd.

Monday, June 8 - Thursday, June 11 from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

OR

Monday, June 15 - Thursday, June 18 from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

After completing the training, participants 18 and up with GEDs or high school diplomas will be prepared to apply to work as an Instructional Assistant at their desired school district for the upcoming school year, with opportunities for both full-time and substitute positions that offer flexible scheduling.

To register, visit Employ210.com/events, email [email protected] or call (726) 842-3895.

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

05/22/2026

Last week, Employ 210 hosted a series of four training sessions developed in partnership with RK Catering, a San Antonio hospitality industry titan that produces thousands of events each year. During the sessions, Employ 210 Project Manager Sierra Stegemann, Special Research Associates Kiana Leal and Marie Conant, and Graduate Research Assistants Colleen Hale, Rubi Garcia and Kassandra Smith supported a cohort of six job seekers with varying disabilities as they learned and practiced new skills during simulated workplace scenarios. In addition to event preparation exercises such as folding napkins and setting banquet tables with silverware and glassware, the participants practiced lifting and carrying heavy service trays and serving hors d’oeuvres — all skills that will help them stand out when applying to work with RK Catering.

“All our participants were attentive and eager to learn, and they took feedback well,” Sierra said. “This group had a really positive attitude about working, and they are all super excited to apply to RK Catering!”

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

05/17/2026

Our tech team recently traveled to Southern Methodist University in Dallas for the pilot testing of the forthcoming Employ 210 app. While at SMU, tech team members Leslie Neely and Katie Holloway met with mechanical engineering professor Adel Alaeddini along with Zack Dugue, Manan Shukla and Yassine Hafiane to begin testing the app’s video analysis feature.

“The pilot testing went great,” Katie reported. “The application will be able to record a video of a vocational task being executed and turn it into a task analysis for training others in executing the same task. We specifically selected technical tasks like laser cutting and robotics operations to test the complexity of tasks that the feature can handle. We will be processing the performance metrics of the results in the coming weeks.”

The tech team was also able to attend an SMU networking event focused on integrating AI into educational settings — a topic that’s particularly relevant to the specialized training “blueprints” Employ 210 develops for job seekers with varying disabilities and support needs.

A beta version of the Employ 210 app is expected by the end of the summer.

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

05/16/2026

Please join us in congratulating Employ 210 Graduate Research Assistant Colleen Hale on her graduation from UT San Antonio with a master’s in behavior analysis! A Southern California native who grew up two miles from the beach, Colleen earned a BFA before beginning her master’s program. “It took me a while to decide what I wanted to study for my master’s degree,” she explains. “I wanted to choose a study that would lean on my life experiences and benefit others.” Colleen joined the Employ 210 team during the second year of her master’s program. In her role as a Graduate Research Assistant, she supports senior researchers in developing the Employ 210 job training “blueprints” that give our participants a great advantage when applying for jobs. “I wanted to take this opportunity to get involved in research at UT San Antonio,” she says. “There are very few times in our lives when we get to reimagine ourselves and focus purely on our interests. This opportunity presented itself, and I jumped on it.” As you can see from these photos taken during Employ 210 Job Experience Events, Colleen’s kind and supportive nature makes her a great fit for our program. Congratulations Colleen, and cheers to great things on the horizon!

Funded by U.S. Department of Education, Grant Number H421F240046.

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