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El Dorado High School students took a behind the scenes tour of the El Paso Zoo giving them the opportunity for project-based learning in their International Baccalaureate biology class.

The unique experience was made possible after their teacher, Amber Berestein, won the Innovative Teaching and Training grant by the Texas IB Schools Association (TIBS). The award recognizes outstanding IB teachers and programs, and provides enriching academic experiences for students.

Berestein was one of six Texas educators to earn the $1,000 TIBS grant for her unit of study IB Biology HL Zoological Cooperative. The program is the first of its kind in El Paso. It allowed students to learn about wild animals, their habitats, conservation issues, and the ways in which they can contribute to their preservation.

“Ecology and conservation are a very important part of our curriculum,” Berestein said. “It’s one thing to talk about it in the classroom, but I wanted to bring the kids to ecology and conservation, and what better way than at the El Paso Zoo.”

Students appreciated the two-day hands-on approach to zoological preservation. Aside from seeing the exotic animals, they signed petitions to help the critically endangered Mexican Wolf, visited the medical facility, and the commissary where the animals’ diets are prepared.

“I really enjoyed the firsthand experience,” said Riley Perez, a senior at El Dorado. “I was never aware of the conservation project that the El Paso Zoo is a part of, and the role they play in conserving different species and animals.”

Another student, Kaitlyn Rodriguez, said her favorite part was touring the medical center, seeing the equipment they use on animals, and how they care for them to keep them healthy.

“This has been a really cool,” Rodriguez said “It’s relatable to what we learn in school. It’s like we get a visual of what we are learning.”

The program will help students become better ambassadors for environmental protection and conservation, Berestein said. 

“My students were impressed with the conservation programs,” she said. “They couldn’t believe how big behind the scenes is. It’s important to expose them because a lot of them haven’t been to the zoo since they were small and some of them haven’t been at all.”

The El Paso Zoo will work with Berestein to leverage the opportunity as a pilot for future high school programs with a science focus, said Zoo Director Steve Marshall.

“(Berestein) is an example of innovative teachers all over this region that think creatively and see the zoo as a powerful classroom resource,” Marshall said.

To view a gallery, courtesy SISD, click here.

In a battle between two of SISD’s – and the Borderland’s – top football teams, Pebble Hills and El Dorado, 4 quarters of football action was just enough to settle the newfound rivalry.

The game, which was a barn-burner for the second half featured a remarkable comeback by the Spartans that was cut short by the play of the Aztecs.

Our very own Andres Acosta was there, and brings you his view of the game in this ‘Story in Many Pics.’

The International Baccalaureate program at El Dorado High School is now accepting out-of-district transfers, which allows incoming freshman or sophomore students from throughout the region to apply for the world-class, rigorous curriculum that develops inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young adults.

The unique program offers students a challenging program of international education and rigorous assessment preparing them to be compassionate, lifelong learners in an ever-changing global society. It is the only program that allows students to earn dual credit for Tier 1, Ivy League and international universities.

“In IB you have the opportunity to get college credit for Ivy League schools … so it is a rare opportunity for our students,” El Dorado principal Cynthia Retana said. “It also prepares them for global learning. Students can go on to college in other countries after they go through the IB program.”

The IB program is recognized globally, which makes it an attractive option for students from military families who may move anywhere in the world. The IB program credits from El Dorado transfer to any other IB program in the world and the dual credits allow students to be ahead of the game even at universities abroad.

In addition, the El Dorado IB program is free. It allows students an exceptional opportunity to gain the awareness, perspectives and commitments necessary for global engagement and success.

“The most important thing El Dorado provided me was the IB program, which has made me more than just a student that gets good grades,” said Christian Tiscareno, a 2017 graduate of the El Dorado IB program. “It has taught me important things that have really opened up my mind and has really made me feel confident in saying that I do feel college ready.”

Freshmen and sophomores will take pre-IB courses that prepare them for success in the IB Diploma Programme courses that they take during their junior and senior year.

The program requires students to complete an 18-month log of community service commitments, an extended essay with extensive research and exploration, and completion of a Theory of Knowledge course and essay that must be presented with a variety of support materials and media.

IB students work together in a close-knit learning environment, completing community service projects and taking college trips together.

“It is an incredible program, and it’s not just academically driven, it is community-service based and research-skills based,” said Paulina Hernandez, El Dorado social studies teacher and IB program coordinator. “We also encourage our students who are in extracurricular activities to apply for IB. They don’t have to give that up to be in the program.”

To apply for the El Dorado IB program, please contact Paulina Hernandez at pherna07@sisd.net or call the school at(915) 937-3386 or click HERE.