Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation deepens its long-standing support for transforming education in the El Paso region
El Paso, TX – Today, the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation announced that it has committed an additional $10 million to CREEED, a regional education nonprofit. The unrestricted gift will support CREEED’s efforts to increase educational attainment for all students in El Paso and will be distributed over five years.
“This generous investment from the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation strengthens their commitment to education in our region and to the work CREEED is doing to improve educational outcomes for El Paso county students,” said Richard Castro, chair of the CREEED Board of Directors. “This contribution has the potential to transform public education in our region and unlock opportunities for future generations of students – who are, of course, El Paso’s future business owners, workers, and taxpayers.”
The Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation supported CREEED’s launch with an initial $12 million gift more than a decade ago as well as another $8 million commitment to increase the number of high-performing schools in the El Paso region. Since its establishment in 1987, over 90 percent of the Foundation’s $153.4 million in total giving has supported institutions, organizations and initiatives in the Borderplex region; with nearly a third of its giving committed in support of education-related initiatives.
“We welcome the opportunity to continue our support for CREEED and the students, teachers, and families of El Paso,” said Woody L. Hunt, chairman of the Foundation. “We firmly believe that better education outcomes create new opportunities for our young people and are key to the long-term prosperity of our region. That’s why education remains the top category in which we focus our giving, and why we consider CREEED such a valuable partner.”
Over the last decade, CREEED has worked to improve student outcomes by ensuring all students have access to a rigorous curriculum and high-quality schools, build a strong educator workforce by focusing on teacher training and retention, and empower parents with the goal of seeing more El Paso students graduate from high school prepared for the rigors of a college education and obtain a higher education credential.
“The support and investment from the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation has been catalytic to advancing our work of preparing all students in El Paso for success in higher education and the workforce,” said Eddie Rodriguez, CREEED’s executive director. “A skilled and educated workforce helps create new jobs, attract employers, and build the economic base of any region, and that’s why CREEED is dedicated to increasing educational attainment in El Paso. We have made steady progress over the last decade, outperforming the state in college enrollment rates, and now we want to double down and ensure students not only enroll in college, but complete their degrees and enter the workforce. The Hunt commitment will allow us to do just that.”
CREEED advances its goal by investing in proven, scalable educational initiatives. For example, CREEED helps teachers become certified to teach Advanced Placement and dual-credit courses, which has contributed to an increase in the number of students who leave high school already having accrued substantial college credits. CREEED also supports efforts to help more 8th graders take and pass Algebra, setting them up for success in high school, and it has worked with local teacher certification programs to give student teachers more on-the-ground experience.
“Woody Hunt’s leadership, both in our community and statewide, is unparalleled. He consistently ensures that El Paso has a voice at the table when state leaders make critical decisions about education, including his service on the UT-Systems Board of Regents as well as chairing the Community College Finance Commission. His level of philanthropy is extraordinary, and we are incredibly fortunate to have someone so deeply dedicated to our region’s success. Mr. Hunt’s commitment to education and to shaping the future of El Paso through his tireless efforts is truly commendable,” said Dr. William Serrata, president of El Paso Community College.
To learn more about CREEED’s work to address critical educational challenges and create pathways for student success in El Paso and the surrounding region, visit CREEED.org. To learn more about the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation and its investments in the Borderplex region, visit www.huntfamilyfoundation.com
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About the Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation
The Woody and Gayle Hunt Family Foundation is one of the Borderplex’s private family foundations focused on creating a globally competitive region. Since 1987, it has made grants and commitments of over $147.9 million to institutions working to transform education, improve healthcare, advance regional economic and cultural development, and create a greater quality of life for all Borderplex residents. Almost 89% of the Foundation’s total giving has supported organizations and initiatives in the Borderplex region.
About CREEED
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 students. CREEED supports organizations, initiatives, and policies across four focus areas: Students & Schools; Educators; College & Career; and Parent & Community Engagement.