Article on Llano Grande in The Monitor

The Llano Grande Center was feThe Llano Grande Center was featured in a story in The Monitor – South Texas’ largest daily newspaper – about the Center’s upcoming national appearance on NBC’s “Today” Show.

The article – which can be read online HERE – highlight’s Llano Grande Associate Director Delia Perez and her role in working with young people to develop leadership and provide new opportunities.

The national story produced by NBC is scheduled to appear on Thursday, during the “Today” Show, sometime between 7-10 a.m. Central. More information on that story can be found HERE.

More News

LG Featured On NBC’s “Today” Show

The Llano Grande Center and Associate Director Delia Perez were featured in a nationally aired segment on NBC’s “Today” Show this morning.

The newsstory is part of several pieces produced by NBC News for a series entitled “A Woman’s Nation” which focuses on the changing role of women in the workplace and at home.

Thursday’s segment on the Llano Grande Center – reported on by “Today” Show correspondent Jenna Bush-Hager – focused on Perez’s story as a young woman who helped to create a movement here in Edcouch-Elsa that sends more and more students to high school, including Ivy League universities.

The story shows how Delia, salutatorian of Edcouch-Elsa High School class of 1993, went to Yale University and returned home after graduating from college to inspire other young women to do the same.

The story can currently be seen on NBC’s website HERE or by visiting:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/33247001/vp/33429071#33429071

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Llano Grande Students Begin Gardening

Following up on work that began last year, students in this year’s Llano Grande class have been developing a research project around the idea of health and nutrition.

Under this project, the young leaders are exploring the food they are served in school, what access they have to food at home, and what implications exist for their health, their quality of life and the way they view the world.

As part of that research, Llano Grande students are also engaging in the creation of a garden, where they will experiment with growing their own food, participating in the “slow food” movement and learning what alternatives exist for their consumption. As students learn about healthy options, community sustainability and the social issues around food, they hope to continue sharing their learning with their community.

This video represents the beginning of that garden project. It was filmed at the Mercado Gardens, a project hosted by the Delta Region Revitalization Corporation in Edcouch, TX. You can view it below, or by clicking HERE.

More News

Llano Hosting College Party

A Llano Grande Center student group is giving high school students the chance to get real insight into what they’ll be facing in college.

The EEHS College Party, coordinated by the Financial Aid and College Education Specialists (FACES) group, is bringing together alumni from universities across the country to talk to students about their own college experience. The event is intended to provide high school students a perspective on college that goes beyond SAT scores and dorm life, focusing on some of the real-world challenges and opportunities that come with higher education.

During the event, high school students will be able to go from classroom to classroom to listen to alumni from more than 20 universities, including Ivy League schools. During the presentations, the students will also be able to ask questions about anything from college life to financial management.

Parents of high school students are also invited to the event to hear from other parents who have sent their children away to college, as well as to ask questions about what to expect.

The event is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. on Thursday, December 17, at Edcouch-Elsa High School. Please feel free to call our office at (956) 262-4474 if you have any questions

More News.

FACES Meetings Moved To Tuesdays

In order to accommodate the changing schedules of students and staff, the weekly meeting of the Financial Aid and College Education Specialists (FACES) group is being rescheduled from Thursday afternoons to Tuesday afternoons.

The meetings will still begin at 4:30 p.m. and take place at the Llano Grande House, located on Monte Cristo Rd.

The staff felt this move would help better accommodate the schedule of students who weren’t able to make the meetings on Thursday afternoons due to other extra-curricular activities or because of work.

“There is a lot of important work that our FACES groups is working on, and we felt it was important to make sure that we could meet with them,” said Llano Grande Center Associate Director Delia Perez. “We feel this new schedule will help bring more students into the meetings.”

FACES is a student-led initiative, supported financially by the State Farm Youth Advisory Board, that does community outreach on the college application process and financial aid. Along with setting up events and college recruitment meetings, the group is also available to meet with parents and students one-on-one to offer guidance and advice on college services.

It is still possible for students to join FACES and help spread the word about college. For more information about FACES, please come by the Llano Grande office at Edcouch-Elsa High School in Room A-1, or can contact us by calling (956) 262-4474.

More News

LG Helping Coordinate Natl. Youth Assembly

The Llano Grande Center is working with coordinators of the National Rural Assembly to produce a national youth assembly that will focus on issues affecting rural America and young people in particular.

The National Rural Youth Assembly, happening April 22-25, 2010 in Santa Fe, NM, is being opened to any young people ages 18-25 who are interested in rural issues and invested in making an impact in their local communities.

The assembly will engage young people on the key policy areas of the Rural Assembly including the quality of education, stewardship of our natural resources, investment in our communities, and the health of rural people. Youth will represent the diversity of rural America in geographies, races, cultures, genders, incomes and sexual orientations.

The National Rural Assembly will select 50 young people from around the country to participate in the Youth Assembly and will cover participants’ costs.

The application packet and more information can be downloaded HERE . Nominations are due Feb. 26, 2010. Interested participants can also visit http://www.ruralstrategies.org/national-rural-youth-assembly for more information.

More News

FACES Holds Workshop For Parents

Members of the Financial Aid and College Education Specialists (FACES) held a financial aid workshop this past week as part of the Edcouch-Elsa ISD Parent Conference.

The FACES seminar allowed the group to meet with youth and their families to offer assistance and guidance on becoming prepared for the college application process, applying to college, and finding financial aid. Parents who attended were able to ask questions of the group, and explored topics ranging from “what age should my child begin preparing for college” to “how do I motivate my child to apply to college?”

FACES is a Llano Grande student-led initiative funded by the State Farm Insurance Company and the State Farm Youth Advisory Board, which promotes youth leadership through service learning. The goal of FACES is to provide local families with access to expert answers and assistance on the college and financial aid application process.

Video of FACES Parent Workshop can be seen HERE:

More News

LG Students Visit Texas Schools

Year after year, the Llano Grande college trip represents an opportunity for students to explore their future and become excited about what is possible. This year was no different as a group of Edcouch-Elsa High School juniors joined Llano Grande on a visit to universities around Texas.

Pete Martinez, J.R. Rocha and Rey Ruiz were immersed in the college experience as they spent several days this past January on campuses, spending the night in dorms and sitting in on college classes. The three Llano Grande students visited schools around the Central Texas area, including the University of Texas – San Antonio (UTSA), Texas State University (TSU), the University of Texas (UT), Southwestern University, and St. Edward’s University.

The students were selected for the trip based on their interest in applying to college and the amount of preparation they’ve completed towards getting into college. The three juniors have already taken at least one of the standardized tests required as part of their application to college, and are already beginning to fill out entrance applications. Fundraising for the trip also began early in the year, with the students selling concessions at football games.

The Llano Grande Center has annually led a college visit with interested high school students as a way to expose them to the possibilities available to them after graduating from high school. One of Llano Grande’s founding philosophies is rooted in the college trip: that students should be encouraged to pursue dreams at the best universities in the country, and then bring their learning and experience back home.

Photos of the trip can be seen HERE:

More News

Llano Hosting “A Community Platica”

The Llano Grande Center, in collaboration with State Farm Insurance, is hosting “A Community Platica,” an event aimed at bringing together local people to talk about ways of making the Delta Area stronger.

The Platica, being held from 1-5 p.m. on December 11 at Edcouch-Elsa High School, is free and open to the public to attend. In particular, the Llano Grande Center is asking alumni from Edcouch-Elsa, La Villa and Monte Alto to be a part of the conversation.

The purpose of the Community Platica is to bring together local alumni, community members, educators, parents and youth to explore issues affecting our community and to create an action plan for improving conditions for the benefit of all Delta Area residents. Our goals for this event include:

o Open and mindful conversations;
o Strengthened relationships and partnerships;
o Identified action steps for strengthening the community; and
o A plan for ongoing engagement and communication.

Over the past 20 years, the Llano Grande Center has worked with the community to create opportunities for young people to become engaged citizens and powerful leaders. We’ve used strategies such as youth-adult partnerships, service-learning and collective leadership in our efforts and we’d like to invite you to join us chart a path forward.

We believe local experiences and expertise are extremely valuable and will enrich this Community Platica and its outcome. To RSVP for this event or if you have questions, contact Delia Pérez at 956-262-4474.

More News

Platica Yields Positive Results

In early December, approximately 50 community members convened to have a Community Platica. This event, hosted by Llano Grande and sponsored by State Farm Insurance Company, highlighted the importance of collective leadership and service-learning in making meaningful community change.

The Community Platica brought together local alumni, community members, educators, parents and youth to explore issues affecting our community and to create an action plan for improving conditions for the benefit of all Delta Area residents. Participants included residents of Monte Alto, La Villa, Edcouch, and Elsa—even alumni that traveled from out of town to attend.

Conversations were gracious and solutions-oriented. Demonstrating a deep pride and love for our communities, participants highlighted local people and relationships as central assets for achieving community change.

Four issues emerged as important priorities for action:

1. To build community and increase participation in change efforts through the creation of alumni associations, parent-teacher organizations, and collaboration between civic and business sectors.

2. To implement a communication strategy to inform stakeholders of community news by identifying fact seekers to write stories and disseminate information through print, radio and/or social media.

3. To establish a nonprofit youth recreation center to nurture our children’s creativity, athleticism and learning—with the support of local municipalities and volunteers.

4. To engage the community for better understanding of the issues affecting Edcouch-Elsa High School and to build partnerships with relevant stakeholders to address those issues.

Excited about the process of engagement, the prospect for action and meaningful conversation, participants called for future Platicas to be held. Look out for the next Platica in late February/early March or participate in one of the action teams in the interim by contacting the Llano Grande Center.

Whether you live here or not, if you care about this community you can contribute to these efforts. As Salvador Cardenas, who traveled from San Antonio said, “Even though I don’t live here right now, these towns are part of my upbringing and part of my identity. I still care about what happens here and want to help make a difference.”

More News