The University of Houston-Downtown’s Gator Resource Center (GRC) is participating in Student Parenting Month this September, highlighting events to support students balancing academic goals while raising children. The program advocates for a community where students can balance their course load during pregnancy and parenthood.
The Senate designated September as National Student Parent Month for the past four years, noting that about one-fifth of postsecondary students are parents. The Student Resource Center serves a majority of the commute and first-generation population, some of which are parents or expecting to be.
The Pregnant and Parenting Program, led by the GRC Coordinator Teena Bland, will organize activities throughout the month. Bland joined the program’s team this past summer, with hopes of expanding the program’s offerings and exciting plans moving forward. The events will include a Gator Glow-Up Wall, a baby-needs donation drive, a designated Gator Mart shopping day, and a campus-wide baby shower.
The Gator Glow-Up Wall serves as a place for students and faculty to leave words of affirmation on notes for the parents and UHD’s “tiny gators.” The wall will be available from Sept. 8-19 outside the GRC (S-292). The Gator Mart will also dedicate Sept. 15 as a shopping day for student parents, offering food pantry access and more items for families’ needs.
The program aims to collect essential items such as formula, diapers, wipes, blankets, and new clothing for the “Baby Needs Drive.” Donations must be unopened and unused. The drive will run from Aug. 25-Sept. 26 with boxes set up around campus.
The program encourages the student body to support their fellow students who face challenges beyond the curriculum. Donations could ease their financial burdens.
“Right now, the biggest challenges our parenting students face are financial resources and time,” Bland said. “We want them to know UHD cares about their needs—not just symbolically, but through real support like food, scholarships and community.”
Student Parenting Month will conclude with a baby shower on Oct. 1. The event will feature gifts and supplies for UHD students as well as a guest speaker, Naomi Berger-Perez, director of counseling services, who will bring an educational edge with self-care strategies and parenting resources.
The Pregnant and Parenting Program launched this past summer to address the unique needs of student parents at UHD, who make up part of the university’s population. Future initiatives may include scholarship opportunities and ongoing case-management support.
For more information, visit the Gator Resource Center (N210) or call (713) 226-5245. Get in touch on Instagram at @uhd_grc.
