Teach For America Rio Grande Valley

✨ In honor of Juneteenth, join us in honoring the incredible achievements of Black changemakers who have made their mark in education and extended their impact beyond the classroom.

Meet Alicia Williams (Houston '16), who saw a need for student mental health support and turned her vision into reality with Abloom. “Standing in that classroom, I saw firsthand the silent crisis of student mental health. Now, with Abloom, I’m on a mission to revolutionize student mental health support, ensuring every student has the tools to thrive.”

Meet Megumi Cramer and Dairany Blanco-Flores, two incredible educators who exemplify the profound impact of embracing one's immigrant heritage in the classroom.

Megumi, a former undocumented student and multilingual speaker, draws from her own journey to fuel her dedication to education. Her belief in the transformative power of learning drives her advocacy for students from underrepresented backgrounds, showing them that their voices and stories hold immense power.

Dairany's motivation stems from a desire to provide the representation she lacked in her own schooling experience. As an educator, she strives to ensure diverse voices and experiences are reflected in the classroom, empowering her students throughout their learning journey.

To all immigrant students and educators, Megumi and Dairany offer words of encouragement: embrace your journey with pride and confidence. Your resilience,
determination, and unique experiences enrich our community, shaping a more inclusive and impactful future. 🌟

Teach For America’s National Board Certification Fellowship kicked off this week, and we're thrilled to announce that Jose de Jesus Pesina, a dedicated 2013 Rio Grande Valley Corps member now teaching in Port Isabel, Texas, has been accepted into the program! Congratulations, Jose! 🌟

We are so excited to welcome these new educators into the Valley alongside PSJA ISD.💜

First day with our corps members at our school sites! We are thrilled to welcome these equity-minded leaders who are ready to make an impact in our schools.💜

RSVP by Monday for our Community Welcome Dinner!

We can guarantee it’s a time you don’t want to miss! We will be connecting as a community around the importance of an excellent education and the power of a collective effort. You will have the chance to meet our new corps members and hear from TFA RGV staff and alumni, and talented students!

Complimentary RSVP to save your seat at bit.ly/tfa-welcome-dinner.

Kicking off Pre-Service with our new corps members!

is here! 🌈✨ Which LGBTQIA+ Icon inspires you? 🌟These leaders paved the way for our future champions of progress. From groundbreaking mathematicians to trailblazing scientists to influential literary voices, these historical figures made meaningful contributions to the arts and sciences. Let us know in the comments which icon inspires you the most! 👇

Here's to the another school year in the books! Your hard work and dedication have truly shaped our future. Thank you, teachers. 🎉🍎

Thank you to our annual sponsors for making our work possible!💜 Together, we can ensure every student in the Valley has access to an equitable education, setting them on a path to economic mobility and lifelong success.

As the school year wraps up, and and of course with this weather, it sure feels like summer! If you’ve been looking for an opportunity to connect with those in the education community that are championing excellent education for all Valley students – now is the time! Join us for our annual Community Welcome Dinner on June 18th for a time of friends, good food, and welcoming our new corps members to TFA!

Complimentary RSVP by June 10th at bit.ly/tfa-welcome-dinner.

Join TFA RGV alumni, current corps members, and incoming corps members for a series of summer events focused on community building for the new corps. While attendees are responsible for their own costs, we hope you can join us for these exciting activities!

RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSen5zfvjaFhp12S1Zg86a1AgSMeAb61zg0mMJlo-WzMqItQig/viewform

Thank you, Frost Bank, for your ongoing support of Teach For America RGV. Together, we can ensure that every student in the Valley receives an excellent education.💜

Today is the 2024 Corps Kickoff!🎉 We're welcoming our new corps members as they embark on their transformative journey with TFA.💜

You’re invited to join us as we welcome our new teachers to the Valley! Our annual Community Welcome Dinner is a time for both educators and community education champions to connect. Want to join us? RSVP by June 10th at bit.ly/tfa-welcome-dinner.

TODAY! Enjoy an Instagram takeover from Navile Torres (Delaware '14).

"Hi everyone! I’m Navile Torres, an Assistant Principal of Instruction, educator, community member, TFA Board Member, mom, and a proud 2014 TFA alumna. I was raised in Delaware but went to college in Texas, where I currently work. I was happy to teach in the state I grew up in because I felt like I could be a role model to young people who looked like me. I also learned a lot as an elementary school teacher there. Those experiences only fueled my drive to be a better teacher. When I moved back to Texas to teach, I taught in one of the best schools in Texas, and now I am proud to say I am an Assistant Principal of Instruction in that same school. My educational experience has shaped who I am and why I value education the way I do. Now, I hope to impact the teachers that work with me and help them become the best educators for their students, just as I was helped. Join me as I take you through a day in my life, juggling multiple roles and making an impact in education."

This Saturday, we celebrated our newest alumni of Teach For America RGV at our Alumni Induction! We’re thrilled to see these leaders continue their journey toward educational equity.

Special shoutout to Yannira Salinas Tovar (RGV '22) for earning the "Keep It Rio" award for her outstanding community-building efforts within Teach For America, her school, and beyond.

Congratulations to Logan Hardy (RGV '22) for receiving the Melina Recio Teacher Leadership award, recognizing his unwavering dedication to teaching excellence and continuous self-improvement. 🎉

Interested in donating a gift card, product, or services to support our new teachers in training? Send us a message! We appreciate your support.💜

The Rural School Leadership Academy (RSLA) is accepting applications for the 2024-2025 cohort. RSLA is a fully sponsored leadership development fellowship that will run from July 2024-April 2025. This program specifically develops and connects rising rural school educators and leaders.

The final application deadline is 5/22. Learn more and apply at www.teachforamerica.org/RSLA.

Join an info session Friday, May 17th at 3pm CT. Register at https://teachforamerica.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vd-mhpjotHNSTVjoM0Ci0ucAtIe3mi8A8

Interested in learning more about Ignite? Join a live zoom session this Thursday for an overview of the program and a panel with three school leaders who currently run Ignite at their school.

Register at https://teachforamerica.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYtfu-vqzssGtTm4cWZbH6xBi_aAVbZOaFR #/registration

Big shoutout to our incredible TFA RGV Advisory Board for an amazing year of service!🙌

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our Board Chair, Gina Garcia, for her outstanding leadership over the past 8 years. 🎉 Your commitment to education and the mission of Teach For America has truly made a difference. We're immensely grateful for all you've done! 💖

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Teacher Appreciation Week events in Elsa, Harlingen, Rio Grande City, and McAllen!

And thanks to our event sponsors Con Cariño Primary Home Care, Dave Osborn Books, Rose Benavidez, South Texas College Trustee District 1, and Clark Chevrolet and Clark-Knapp Honda for helping us show our educators the appreciation they deserve!

OPPORTUNITY ALERT | The Rural School Leadership Academy (RSLA) is accepting applications for the 2024-2025 cohort. This is a fully sponsored leadership development fellowship open to TFA alums and any RGV educators. It will run from July 2024-April 2025 and is focused specifically on developing and connecting rising rural school educators and leaders. The FINAL application deadline is 5/22.

Learn more and apply at www.teachforamerica.org/RSLA

This Teacher Appreciation Week, TFA wants to show our gratitude to all the incredible educators who have tirelessly stood up for their students and communities.

Check out this list of valuable resources to support teachers' wellness, financial health, and more at https://bit.ly/3LLJmRw

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all our corps member and alumni educators who are working to transform education in the Rio Grande Valley.💜

Drop a comment below shouting out an educator you appreciate!👇

Pictured:
Yannira Salinas (RGV ‘22)
Patricia Garcia (RGV ‘22)
Erick Longoria (RGV ‘21)
Anabel Saenz (RGV '21)
Rebecca Cruz (RGV '21)
Patricia Ortiz (RGV ’22)

Be sure to RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScE3M7_-uFm1UVdKse1G_kI2iucc0qgKEsGJE484LArhqlknw/viewform?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2vuQ2Hv-TXIN3R6YZn29KmcvcFF9Jki6wFLMNR4KDzyQd52mj6KHfKeoo_aem_AWp1hcIaFk8CVr8E9-10wuLKCGMfaZy70CC2f0o_nllypUOwJkDrSwI0wXMNfroEvc7XPEx6x-tC7EBoJEChhJBp

This Teacher Appreciation Week we are coming to YOU! Join us at one of four events in towns across the RGV.

RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScE3M7_-uFm1UVdKse1G_kI2iucc0qgKEsGJE484LArhqlknw/viewform

This Teacher Appreciation Week we are coming to YOU! Join us at one of four events in towns across the RGV.

RSVP at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScE3M7_-uFm1UVdKse1G_kI2iucc0qgKEsGJE484LArhqlknw/viewform