CREEED announces two new grants in support of STEM academics and teacher development
El Paso, TX – Today, CREEED announced two new grants totaling $70,000 to improve education outcomes for students in the Borderplex region. The first grant is a $60,000 commitment invested over the next three years to The Bridge of Southern New Mexico and its program, “Deepening Employer Engagement in the Talent Development Pipeline,” which aims to increase teacher involvement in leadership, mentorship, internship, apprenticeship, and externship opportunities offered by employers. The second grant is a $10,000 commitment that supported the 6th annual “Girl Powered ‐ Preparing STEAM Leaders for Tomorrow” conference hosted by the Ysleta Young Women’s Leadership Academy, as well as ongoing initiatives, including community-wide robotics competitions, an on-campus STEAM fair, and a weekly after-school STEAM club at the academy.
“Part of CREEED’s mission is to continuously support students and educators in ways that improve higher education outcomes in our region,” said Eddie Rodriguez, Executive Director for CREEED. “Both grants share a common theme, which is about ensuring students are exposed early to various careers so they can start to develop the skills and knowledge they’ll need to pursue these careers beyond high school.”
Established in 1999, The Bridge of Southern New Mexico’s mission is to facilitate collaboration and leverage resources between public and private sectors to support educational excellence and optimize Doña Ana County’s workforce.
“Our vision is to create a culture of opportunity and employability that drives student academic and economic success, and quality teachers are needed to make that a reality,” said Tracey Bryan, CEO, The Bridge of Southern New Mexico. “With CREEED’s support, we are able to collect one-of-a-kind industry workforce data to guide educators in the skills, credentials and jobs that are available in the region so they can help prepare students for these jobs.”
Founded in 2002, the Young Women’s Preparatory Network is a nonprofit agency that partners with public school districts across Texas to operate the largest network of all-girls, public, college preparatory schools in the nation. Its mission is to support single-gender, college-preparatory, public education giving young women the academic and leadership skills to achieve success in college and in life.
“Thanks to CREEED, our Girl Powered ‐ Preparing STEAM Leaders for Tomorrow conference attracted more than 700 students and educators from throughout the region,” said Alicia Rascon, Development Manager, Young Women’s Preparatory Network. “With this grant, we can continue boosting girls’ interest in STEAM-based education and activities, which will encourage and support students to try new roles and push outside of their comfort zones and introduce them to in demand career opportunities.”
Eddie Rodriguez, Executive Director of CREEED; Alicia Rascon, Development Manager, Young Women’s Preparatory Network; and Tracey Bryan, CEO, The Bridge of Southern New Mexico are available for interviews.
For media inquiries, please contact Laura Rodriguez at (915) 209-2230 or media@creeed.org.
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About CREEED:
The Council on Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development (CREEED) is a not-for-profit organization focused on increasing the number of high-performing seats in El Paso’s public education system. This is accomplished by investing in initiatives that are creating measurable outcomes to close the achievement gap for El Paso students. CREEED supports organizations, initiatives, and policies that prepare students to succeed in college and in our future workforce. CREEED’s efforts are focused on increasing the quality of education that students receive in El Paso. Our efforts fall into three categories: Increasing Student Attainment; Increasing Teacher Talent & Leadership Development; and Increasing Parent and Community Engagement. Each of which contributes to the formation and sustainability of a quality workforce with quality career paths and opportunities.