Tag Archives: United Way of El Paso County

Fab Lab El Paso, a nonprofit makerspace located in Downtown, is launching its ‘Mobile STEM Lab’ with the support of Microsoft, United Way of El Paso County, El Paso Community Foundation, and the Hunt Family Foundation.

The Mobile STEM Fab Lab project is an idea pioneered by MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms that brings hands-on STEM learning to schools.

“Despite incredible advances in innovation, many students still lack access to the technology tools they need to compete in today’s ‘knowledge economy’,” said Jonathan Childress, Regional Community Manager for Microsoft. “To address this issue, Microsoft actively seeks to partner with community-based organizations like Fab Lab to increase technology access and software availability for individuals and communities around the world.”

Mobile STEM Fab Lab is a pop-up makerspace experience and transport for 3D printers, 3D scanners, VR/AR experiences, video production setup, laser cutter, CNC mill, STEM learning kits. The Fab Lab curriculum will incorporate workshops on 3D Printing, 2D to 3D design, Animation, VR, Robotics, Circuits, Microbiology, and Coding.

A simultaneous initiative – Electric Code -will be launched in partnership with El Paso Electric to offer free intro to computer science lessons for Grades 3 to 12 that promote awareness of potential career applications in product development, experience design, and engineering.

“El Paso Electric is focused on innovation, designing intelligent growth strategies, constructing clean energy infrastructure, and investing in solar energy expansion for all of our customers,” says El Paso Electric’s Interim Chief Executive Officer Adrian J. Rodriguez.

“To ensure this innovation continues, we must invest in initiatives that aim to develop our future talent here locally. This is why we find our partnership with Fab Lab so vital and important, exemplified through the Electric Code initiative.”

As part of Fab Lab’s official launch, the nonprofit hosted its inaugural workshop at Socorro Independent School District’s Montwood Middle School where 80 students participated in the Electric Code lesson during a two-hour coding learning module.

Schools interested in the Mobile STEM Fab Lab and Electric Code program are encouraged to visit Fab Lab’s website to learn more.

For the fifth consecutive year, Sun Metro is teaming up with non-profit organizations to provide youth with free transportation during the summer months.

The Kids on the Go! Summer Youth Transportation program will offer the free bus rides to qualifying youths from June 1 through August 31, 2019 through qualifying nonprofit organizations that provide summer programs for local children.

“Over the years with an increase in participation, Sun Metro provides transit for the youth of our community allowing them to stay active and busy with out-of-school time activities this summer,” said Sun Metro Director Jay Banasiak.

Together with United Way of El Paso County, and agencies participating in this initiative the program helps kids find constructive and educational ways to spend their time.

“Our United Way works to ensure that children have access to quality out-of-school time programs that support year-round learning, but we recognize that not all children in our community have the means to get to a summer program,” said United Way President & CEO Deborah Zuloaga. “By partnering with Sun Metro, we’re able to break transportation barriers and connect agencies and children to this helpful resource.”

Sun Metro will provide information to interested children and offer transportation to attend their favorite summer program. Select agencies are currently enrolling youth in the program.

For a complete list of participating agencies visit Sun Metro’s Programs and Annual Events section.

Youth between the ages of 6 to 18 years who are enrolled in summer programs from non-profit agencies participating in this initiative are eligible for the free passes.

Children under the age of 12 will receive a distinguished pass to allow for a companion, over the age 12, to ride with the child free of charge. Children under the age of 5 always ride for free.

For more information about Sun Metro, visit their website, Facebook page, on Twitter @SunMetro, or call (915) 212-3333.

Thanks to the participation of several local businesses, foundations and government, Project Vida‘s Microenterprise Technical Assistance Program (MTAP) has been funded to the tune of $135,000.

GECU, El Paso Electric, WestStar Bank, Hunt Family Foundation, United Way of El Paso County and the City of El Paso all contributed a to Project Vida’s MTAP – the grassroots asset-building economic development project.

Awards include El Paso Electric $10,000; GECU $10,000; WestStar Bank $5,000; Hunt Family Foundation $5,000; United Way $15,333; and the City of El Paso $90,000 from a Community Development Block Grant.

“MTAP engages marginal low- and moderate-income micro-business owners with business and financial literacy, management skill-building, and pathways to job retention and job creation,” Project Vida officials shared via a Friday morning news release.

MTAP transfers the community health worker/promotora model of outreach and trust-building to a business model of financial stability, asset-building, entry into the mainstream economy and growth toward small business status.

From 2013 to 2018, MTAP enrolled nearly 750 qualifying microenterprise owners in the program helping them retain 561 jobs and create 471 new jobs.

For more information on Project Vida or the Microenterprise Technical Assistance Program, contact Bill Schlesinger at (915) 533-7057, ext. 207, or w.schlesinger@pvida.net

For the third year in a row, United Way of El Paso County and Sun Metro have partnered to carry out the summer youth transportation program, Kids on the Go!

Kids on the Go! is an initiative meant to help increase participation in out-of-school time activities by alleviating possible transportation barriers youth might have.

Through the program, youth enrolled in a participating summer program are eligible to receive a free pass that allows them to ride Sun Metro buses for free.

Last year, nearly 700 youth used the passes a total of 5,733 times throughout the summer months.

Any 501c3 nonprofit, city and county department, and local school district are eligible to receive free bus passes for youth (ages 6-18 years old) enrolled in their summer programs.

Children 6-12 years old must have an accompanying adult who will also be provided a free pass. Passes are valid from June 1 to August 31, 2017.

Agencies interested in offering participants access to this summer transportation option can contact United Way for more information.

Parents who would like a bus pass for their child must have their child enrolled in a participating program by a participating agency which currently includes Reynolds Home, Center Against Sexual and Family Violence, Project Bravo, El Paso Center for Children, House of Hope, Salvation Army, El Paso Public Library, El Paso Parks and Recreation, City of El Paso’s Museum of Cultural Affairs Department, Project Vida, YWCA El Paso, Latinitas, and Boys & Girls Club.