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On June 17, the JOVENES group addressed the Edcouch-Elsa School Board to invite the community and administrative leadership to help their cause to organize a community center. JOVENES is a program funded through State Farms Youth Advisory Board school-based service-learning program to help students learn civic responsibility and develop meaningful leadership and workplace skills.
Students at Edcouch-Elsa have been meeting to organize the community to turn one building into a place where they can go to read, jump online and learn from each other. And a place open on weekends and late on weekdays -- a community center.
The JOVENES group are juniors and seniors that were chosen to be part of a grass roots effort funded by State Farm Insurance to lead a community enrichment program organized by youth to help foster the future leaders of tomorrow.
The team was chosen by teachers and administrators. A total of ten students met for the first time to take on the challenge. An ipad was given to each team-member to help manage and create ideas for the project. All the group had to do next was come up with an idea and bring it to life.
After a visit to the McAllen Library the Jovenes students realized their own community lacks a place where they can access the internet for long periods of time.
The State Farm Insurance Youth Advisory Board funds almost 500 million in grants each year and JOVENES is one of the many groups throughout the country being funded.
Eric Tamez, president of the JOVENES group addressed his community for the first time at a regular school board meeting to present the group’s idea on what they want to do for the community. He and the JOVENES team brought shirts to the school board with their group logo.
“Our plan is to build a community center here so we have a place where our youth can hang out, be communal, but also learn,” said Tamez. “We want to build a library and a cafe where my peers and the community can go and be together instead of being at home lazy or on the streets.”
Edcouch-Elsa JOVENES Youth Leaders also updated the school board members, superintendent, administrators, parents and community on vital college and career readiness information and events needed within the Edcouch-Elsa community. The students work peer-to-peer on creating advocacy for college readiness at home, school and community.
“By creating information packets on college and career readiness in English and Spanish, we are able to address all students and parents in our community,” says Eric Tamez, Senior, Edcouch-Elsa High School.
Jovenes is an initiative of the Texas Valley Communities Foundation.
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