El Paso, TX –<\/b> Today, <\/span>CREEED<\/span><\/a> 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<\/a> and its program, \u201cDeepening Employer Engagement in the Talent Development Pipeline,\u201d 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<\/span> \u201cGirl Powered \u2010 Preparing STEAM Leaders for Tomorrow\u201d conference hosted by the Ysleta Young Women\u2019s 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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPart of CREEED\u2019s mission is to continuously support students and educators in ways that improve higher education outcomes in our region,\u201d said<\/span> Eddie Rodriguez, Executive Director for CREEED<\/b>. \u201cBoth 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\u2019ll need to pursue these careers beyond high school.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Established in 1999, The Bridge of Southern New Mexico\u2019s mission is to facilitate collaboration and leverage resources between public and private sectors to support educational excellence and optimize Do\u00f1a Ana County’s workforce.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOur 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,\u201d said<\/span> Tracey Bryan, CEO<\/b>, The Bridge of Southern New Mexico<\/b>. \u201cWith CREEED\u2019s support, we are able to collect one-of-a-kind industry workforce data to guide educators in the skills, credentials and\u00a0<\/span>jobs that are available in the region so they can help prepare students for these jobs.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n