Success from first cohort of El Paso School Design Collaborative inspired expansion into older age groups
El Paso, TX — An initiative launched last year to reimagine and transform El Paso schools is continuing and expanding in 2025 thanks in part to an additional $250,000 grant secured by CREEED and the El Paso Community Foundation from the Prentice Farrar Brown and Alline Ford Foundation. The El Paso School Design Collaborative, launched by CREEED and El Paso Community Foundation in partnership with the national education organization Transcend, previously brought together eight El Paso elementary schools to build student-centered programs that help support the social emotional needs of students, while improving their academic growth.
This year, with support from the Prentice Farrar Brown and Alline Ford Foundation, the El Paso School Design Collaborative will help sustain programs at O’Shea Keleher Whole Child Academy, Congressman Silvestre & Carolina Reyes Elementary School, Jose Alderete Middle School, Carroll T. Welch Elementary School, Gonzalo & Sofia Garcia Elementary School, and Jose H. Damian Elementary School and expansion to Clint Junior High School and Clint High School.
As with the first cohort of the El Paso School Design Collaborative, the second cohort began with listening sessions that included parents, students, administrators, educators, counselors and college advisors, former students, and other community members to discuss the issues impacting the social and academic outcomes of students in local schools and brainstorm solutions to support the wellbeing of all students.
The schools have embarked on a 10-month journey of gathering data about the needs of their students, imagining and reimagining solutions, and implementing a model that involves every adult on campus in student success.
“The El Paso School Design Collaborative is designed to ensure schools are responsive to their changing communities and that they put students at the center of all decision making,” said Nadia Tellez, Choose to Excel Director at CREEED. “We are thrilled with the progress of our first cohort of schools, especially as many of them are working towards becoming models for other schools in the region”
“By expanding into middle and high schools, we are ensuring that all students receive the resources and are educated in an environment that provides them the best chance to succeed academically and prepares them for post-secondary education,” said Stephanie Otero, Vice President of Operations at El Paso Community Foundation. “This initiative provides a meaningful way of collecting data, developing a purposeful response, and building transformative initiatives on El Paso campuses.”
Transcend, CREEED, and EPCF have continued their work with the first cohort of elementary schools, all of which have developed new models for student interaction and education. At Carroll T. Welch, the school has implemented restorative classroom circles and school-wide Friday-morning meetings that encourage family participation and engagement. O’Shea Keleher has implemented villages in grades 2-5 that foster a sense of confidence and belonging for students.
“Our collaboration with Transcend and the El Paso School Design Collaborative has truly helped reshape how we support students at Carroll T. Welch,” said Daisy Garcia, principal at Carroll T. Welch Elementary. “By embedding daily classroom circles and school-wide Friday-morning meetings, we’ve created a culture of connection where every student feels seen, heard, and supported by every adult on campus—teachers, office staff, custodial staff, and more. As a result, we’ve seen stronger student engagement and gains in both social-emotional development and academic achievement. At Carroll T. Welch, we believe in fostering an environment where every child can thrive, which is why we affirm daily: I am loved, I can regulate my brain, I believe in myself, I belong at CTW.”
The work from the second cohort of schools will culminate in a school design presentation in the spring where participating schools will present their data, solutions, and implementation plans.
To date, CREEED and the El Paso Community Foundation have secured more than $2.5 million in funding for local schools from the Prentice Farrar Brown and Alline Ford Foundation. This funding has helped strengthen the educator workforce to ensure all students have strong dedicated teachers in El Paso, and helped spur innovation to ensure students are able to grow in strong supportive campus environments.
To schedule interviews with schools participating in the El Paso School Design Collaborative or learn more about the investments from the Prentice Farrar Brown and Alline Ford Foundation, contact Kayla Suarez at ksuarez@raben.co.
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CREEED is a non-profit organization focused on increasing college readiness and completion rates. We invest in high-performing schools and high-quality initiatives that have shown success in closing the achievement gap for all El Paso County public school students. CREEED supports organizations, initiatives, and policies across four focus areas: Students & Schools; Educators; College & Career; and Parent & Community Engagement.
About El Paso Community Foundation
Founded in 1977 as a permanent endowment for El Paso and the surrounding borderland region, the El Paso Community Foundation has given back more than $267 million to a wide variety of organizations and projects in education, health, human services, arts, environment, and animals. The Foundation is more than a grant maker, it acts as a leader and convener to support numerous projects and initiatives across our region. More info available at epcf.org.
About Clint ISD
The Clint Independent School District is committed to providing a dynamic, innovative education where every student, educator, and community member is empowered to thrive. With over 100 years in our school community, we continue to offer creative solutions, forward-thinking initiatives, and dedication to supporting the diverse needs of our students. As The District of Innovation, we are committed to cultivating a culture of collaboration, respect, and empathy where…Together We Build Tomorrow!