El Paso, Texas, is home to a unique educator externship program, where a select group of teachers participate in a one-week paid externship with regional businesses. The program, run by the Council on Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development (CREEED), aims to provide educators with real-world training and experiences to take back to the classroom.

Real-World Experience

Eric Garcia, a teacher of principles of applied engineering at Coronado High School, was among those selected for the program this year. He toured El Paso Electric’s Montana Power Plant, gaining insights into system operations, power generation, and distribution design. Garcia expressed his excitement about the program, stating, ‘I’m trying to open up my eyes so I can open up the students’ eyes as well.’

CREEED’s Choose to Excel Director, Nadia Tellez, explained that the externship allows teachers to take their experiences from the field and embed them into their teaching. The program partners with regional businesses, including El Paso Electric, to provide educators with a unique learning experience.

Participating teachers also receive a $750 stipend and create a lesson plan based on what they learned during the externship. The goal is to provide students with examples of what they learned in the field and how it directly relates to what they’re learning in the classroom.

Original reporting: El Paso News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.