(intro paragraph for the new project)
Partnership with Fort Bliss Child and Youth Services!!
Frontera is excited to share a new partnership: We are working with Fort Bliss Child and Youth Services (CYS). Together we will provide CYS Youth Center students exposure to environmental education, conservation efforts and animal sciences. Ft Bliss’s Garrison Commander COL Michael Hester, its CYS Coordinator Pat Smith and Frontera’s President Scott Cutler signed the MOU activating this agreement between Frontera and the CYS Department. Frontera is excited about this new program and is eager to engage with CYS youth and offer them an interactive learning experience.
(Additional Text for when the project)
This past February, Fort Bliss launched the Army Community Partnership Program, whose objective was to look at ways that Ft Bliss and public/private entities in El Paso could work together. These partnerships were envisioned as win-win situations where agencies could share equipment and expertise to create cost efficiencies and savings as well as promote ties between Fort Bliss and the El Paso community.
The Frontera Land Alliance and the Fort Bliss Child Youth Services (CYS) Department are partnering to provide the Youth Center Students exposure to environmental education, conservation efforts and animal services.
Many departments of the City of El Paso, The Frontera Land Alliance, the Franklin Mountains Wilderness Coalition and dozens of other local organizations participated in this process. The first Memoranda of Understanding was signed by Frontera! On May 10, 2017, Scott Cutler, as the representative of Frontera, Garrison Commander COL Michael Hester, and CYS Coordinator Pat Smith signed the MOU activating this agreement between Frontera and the CYS Department on Ft Bliss.
The partnership will provide students enrolled in Fort Bliss Child Youth Services exposure to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, also known as STEM. Through a STEM-focused program we will work with educators to ultimately prepare Fort Bliss CYS students to thrive in the 21st Century global economy by leveraging its extensive network of expertise, partnerships, resources and experiences. This after-school program will transform teaching and learning to hands-on field experiences, promote the implementation of students’ and teachers’ innovative ideas, research standards-based practices that align with their future objectives, and facilitate their dissemination through an effective alliance. Together we will engage students in experiences they will use to explore college and career opportunities in these fields. The partnership will allow students to experience life, physical and social sciences in a realistic setting and facilitate transition from high school to college and career.
Frontera is a perfect partner as we are able to offer student engagement and exposure to nature first hand. Outdoor recreation, education and open space conservation are linked and are key focuses for Frontera and link to Frontera’s recently updated Strategic Plan. They can truly improve the quality of life in our communities and the health of our residents. We believe not only in the protection of our natural resources, but also in the importance of providing opportunities to recreate and learn through hands-on opportunities.
Frontera strongly believes that the more time we spend exploring and moving in our natural world, the better health and quality of life we will enjoy and the more we will feel connected to nature and the land we live in. By making these connections, we not only improve and sustain the mental and physical health of our community members but we also improve and sustain the health of our region’s beautiful natural environment for future generations.
As we will not be able to offer such an opportunity alone, we will be calling on many experts and making full use of open-space natural areas to assist in introducing the students to nature and helping them see why it improves one’s quality of life. Together we will create lesson plans and curriculum to ensure students are exposed to STEM-focused curriculum outside of the classroom.
We are excited to have the opportunity to work with Fort Bliss’s young people and help them explore the wonders of our natural world while guiding them to understand the importance of nature to everyone. If you want to volunteer to lead a hike or support the mission of Frontera, please reach out to .