Last month, Project MALES (Mentoring to Achieve Latino Educational Success) hosted its fourth annual Summer Leadership Academy, bringing more than 40 AISD and Del Valle ISD students to the Forty Acres for two days of learning.

Activities, held at various location on campus on June 28-29, included campus tours, leadership-building workshops, basketball and soccer tournaments and cultural arts sessions. The students also got a glimpse into college life while staying overnight at Jester Residence Hall and exploring all of the amenities the university has to offer.

The goal of the Summer Leadership Academy is to help mitigate the effects of the “summer brain drain,” which refers to the loss of skills and knowledge that can occur in the summer months, putting students at a disadvantage at the beginning of the school year.

Go to the Project MALES website to learn more about the Summer Leadership Academy and how it is a part of a larger effort to help Texas meet its goals outlined in the state’s 60x30TX plan — which calls for 60 percent of Texans ages 25-34 to hold a certificate or degree by 2030.