Category Archives: Featured

McAllen Public Library Hosts Community Family Health Fair

McAllen Community Family Health Fair

McAllen Public Library hosts its second annual Community Family Health Fair on March 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Main Library, located at 4001 N. 23rd Street. Attendees are invited to take advantage of free health screenings, such as blood pressure checks, BMI testing, diabetes screening and hearing screening. Easter Seals will also provide children’s developmental screenings. Additionally, families and young children can enjoy inflatable slides, a…

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SBA Announces Local Small Business Week Awardees

Arely Lugo

SBA’s Lower Rio Grande Valley District recently announced the 2023 District Small Business Week awardees for five small business categories. Taking top spot as Small Business Person of the Year is Arely Lugo of Beautiful Beginnings Child Care Learning Center LLC. Lugo, a single mother of four from Brownsville, worked her way up to become the director of a local childcare learning center. Despite her success in childcare, Lugo opened…

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STC To Train The Insurance Industry Future

South Texas College is partnering with SafeGuard Insurance Agency, to offer a first-of-its-kind Property and Casualty Insurance License Preparation course. (Courtesy)

With the demand for insurance agents rising across the region, state and nation, South Texas College has partnered with SafeGuard Insurance Agency, to offer a first-of-its-kind course that will prepare students to enter the insurance industry. STC Dean for Continuing, Professional and Workforce Education Olivia de la Rosa said introducing the Property and Casualty Insurance License Preparation Course is a new venture for the college, one that she said will…

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Project Nurtures ‘Next-Gen Farmers’

In Dec. 2022, Mission CISD Pearson Elementary students see the yellow straight neck squash seeds they planted become the first harvest of the school year. (photo Mission CISD)

School children from the Mission school district have become empowered agents of change against food insecurity. They are currently harvesting crops they grew with the support of a partnership between the City of Mission Rotary Club and three departments at UTRGV. During the 2021-2022 school year, 80 students grew lettuce, oranges, papayas and zucchini in gardens at 14 elementary schools and two high schools. Leading the initiative in the Mission…

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A Mother’s Leap Leads To A Better VIDA

Esther Carreon

Palmview single mom Esther Carreon had several goals in mind when she applied to the Valley Initiative for Development in Advancement after hearing about the nonprofit organization from a friend. Already a licensed vocational nurse and a first-generation college graduate, Carreon knew she wanted to remain in the field of nursing, but she yearned to further her education in the field. She set her sights on a Bachelor of Science…

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UTRGV Receives Grant For Railway Transportation Safety

Constantine Tarawneh and UTRGV students install a bearing in the bearing testing lab at the UTRGV Engineering Building in 2020. (photo David Pike, UTRGV)

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded UTRGV’s University Transportation Center for Railway Safety a $10 million grant to focus on promoting safety in railway transportation systems. Constantine Tarawneh – senior associate dean of the UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science, director of the UTCRS, and principal investigator of the grant – said the funding comes at a critical time for rail transportation, especially in light of recent railway…

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VIDA Receives Grant To Serve 250 Latinas

VIDA, The Meadows Foundation

Valley Initiative for Development and Advancement is the recent recipient of The Meadows Foundation grant to continue enhancing employment opportunities and promoting  workforce development among Latinas in the RGV. This grant project provides VIDA the opportunity to lead a continuation of the successful outcomes and deliverables the program has been serving. VIDA will provide an additional 250 Latinas with student support services to pursue degrees and credentials in high demand…

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Rotary Club Hosts McAllen ISD Candidate Forum

School Board Candidate Forum

The McAllen Rotary Club will hosts a School Board Candidate Forum for the McAllen Independent School District Place 5 candidates on March 15. From noon to 1:30 p.m., the forum will provide an opportunity for the community to hear from the candidates who are vying for the Place 5 seat on the McAllen ISD School Board. The two candidates participating in the forum at the Salvation Army Banquet Hall are…

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STC International Partnerships Expand

STC International Concurrent Enrollment agreement with Instituto Piaget Reynosa.

South Texas College continues expanding its international partnerships with two more International Concurrent Enrollment agreements between schools in Matamoros and Reynosa. In recent signing events, St. George Prep School and Instituto Piaget Reynosa are giving their students the chance to pursue a college education while simultaneously finishing their high school diplomas. These U.S./Mexico partnerships are critical to the economic development of the region. STC officials feel it could be the…

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Geekdom, eBridge Center Launch Local Startup Bootcamp

eBridge

The eBridge Center for Business & Commercialization will host a Startup Bootcamp in partnership with Geekdom March 31 to April 2. The free, three-day program will help new early-stage entrepreneurs obtain the proper foundation they need for launching their new businesses. The program provides an opportunity to build a minimum viable product and receive mentoring from local industry experts. Participants will also receive opportunities to network with other founders. At…

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