Technical Assistance to Other Communities

Llano Grande receives an increasing number of requests to be hired for its services.

There are countless school districts, organizations and non-profits across the country with goals and achievements similar to Llano Grande’s of empowering students for community change.

Understanding this, our approach to technical assistance is based on the idea that it would be presumptive to offer other groups formulaic scripts for creating personal and community change in their own hometowns. Instead, we see technical assistance as an opportunity to sit down with individuals and groups to share ideas about ways to inform and progress their work.

We have been able to develop certain processes and methodologies that have become effective tools in working with our students here in Edcouch-Elsa, and we are more than willing to share those tools with others. We do not assume that these tools or processes will lead to the same outcomes for other groups, though. That is why we believe it is more important to have conversations about the knowledge we have gained through the use of these processes, and engage other groups in determining processes relevant to their own community context.

The expertise we have gained since Llano Grande’s formalization revolves around place-based education and student development; college preparation and readiness; community engagement and grassroots organizing; and media creation for community change. As a commitment to furthering this work not only here, but in places across the country and the world, we have taken opportunities to meet and workshop with others to share new knowledge and social technologies.

The students and staff of the Llano Grande Center are available to meet with groups to facilitate conversations about our own practices and philosophies, especially as a way to create with others a large-scale movement for youth development and community change.