Author Archives: VBR

Texas Economy Continues to Grow in April

The Texas economy added 39,600 seasonally adjusted nonfarm jobs in April, which marked 22 consecutive months of employment growth. Over the year, Texas added 332,300 jobs for an annual employment growth rate of 2.7 percent in April. Private sector employers added 37,900 positions over the month. Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in April, up slightly from 4.0 percent in March. “Texas employers continue to boost the impressive…

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New UTRGV Doctorate Program Approved

(photo UTRGV)

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has received approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to establish a new degree program for a Doctor of Philosophy degree in clinical psychology. The new PhD program will focus on producing clinical psychology scientist-practitioners with knowledge about Hispanic cultures in the Rio Grande Valley and the United States. “Providing new educational opportunities for the students of the Rio Grande Valley is…

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Mission EDC Teams Up for Educator Training

computer science professional development

More than 100 teachers and counselors in Mission will receive computer science professional development this summer thanks to a local partnership. Mission EDC, Code/Interactive and the Mission Consolidated Independent School District are joining forces with Google to offer the training to 100 teachers and 20 counselors in elementary and junior high schools. One teacher from every grade level in Mission CISD’s 14 elementary and four middle schools will receive training.…

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UTRGV medical student receives award

David Goldblatt (photo UTRGV)

David Goldblatt, a second-year medical student at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, is one of 66 students in the nation to receive the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Medical Research Fellows Award for the 2018-2019 academic year. The HHMI Medical Research Fellows Program provides students financial support for one year of full-time, mentored research training in fundamental biomedical research. Awards are given to medical, dental and veterinary students interested…

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TEEX brings low-cost OSHA training to RGV

TSTC TEEX Summit (photo TSTC)

More than 400 people from municipalities and construction companies from Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties were recently in attendance at a week-long Infrastructure and Safety Summit at Texas State Technical College. The summit, organized with the Infrastructure Training and Safety Institute (a division of TEEX), offered low-cost Occupational Safety and Health Administration training for employers. The Infrastructure Training and Safety Institute is the second largest OSHA training center in the nation…

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BCIC Offers Economic Development Grants

BCIC

Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation is seeking nonprofit and city partners to partner with to promote economic development. BCIC looks to promote the development through the BCIC Partnership Grants which focus on community development projects. Both nonprofit organizations and city departments are the focus of the grants. By design, the awards engage in the necessary community development needed to promote economic development opportunities. Through the grants, the BCIC will supplement up to $5,000…

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Does Your Nonprofit Need a Website?

Local nonprofits in need of a website may apply until May 27 to have a WordPress website created specifically for them. The charity hackaton do_action takes place June 22-23, allowing the RGV community to create websites for local nonprofit organizations. Created by CodeRGV and the McAllen Chamber of Commerce, the hackathon, providing five nonprofits with completed websites. The 24-hour event will be a platform for participants to works as teams, bringing unique…

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Facade initiative revitalize Downtown Mission

Mission Economic Development Corporation’s Downtown Facade Improvement Program

Dozens of dilapidated downtown buildings are now renovated thanks to the Mission Economic Development Corporation’s Downtown Facade Improvement Program. In partnership with locally-owned small businesses, Mission EDC has funded the refurbishment of more than 40 Conway Avenue storefronts in the past five years. Renovated storefronts include those of photo studios, barbershops, insurance agencies, boot stores and pastry shops. Still on a successful run, the program recently awarded its 41st matching grant to a small business…

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Groups Focus on Voices of Local Business

Small Business Roundtables

Local business owners are invited to share with a national non-profit their needs, challenges and views of doing business in the Rio Grande Valley. The Small Business Majority’s Small Business Roundtables take place May 7 and include an interactive discussion on those topics. The sessions focus on what business owners feel they need in order to grow and thrive in your community. Also up for discussion are what policy solutions would help…

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