Edinburg CISD Summer full of College Readiness
By Desiderio Romero

EDINBURG, TX- While some were enjoying their summer playing video games, swimming in the pool and watching television, over 100 students of the Edinburg school district enrolled in the ENCORE CAMP to start preparing early for a college education.

During the Summer ENCORE CAMP, students had their visions opened, widened and strengthen of what is really expected of them to go to college, through a series engaging activities that left them empowered and energized to go to college. 

 “I’m definitely going into robotics,” stated Cecilia Rodriguez 9th, grade student from Edinburg North High School, geared to find out more about careers. “I know now what engineers do; they build things to make life easier. I can do that!” she concluded.

Cecilia is one of the over 100 middle school students from Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District (CISD) who participated during the ENCORE Career Awareness & Mentoring Program (CAMP) from June 17th to 24th, in partnership with the Edinburg (CSID) Transition Starfish program.

During the four-day ENCORE CAMP, students were involved in several interactive activities that gave them a better understanding of what college readiness involves. The first three activity days were in rotating order to accommodate students at their perspective campuses of Edinburg High School, Economedes High School and Edinburg North High School.

The CAMP started with ENCORE College Readiness Day where students participated in interactive activities themed on different areas of the college readiness process. They learned the advantages of pursuing a postsecondary education, reviewed college and high school requirements, sought career paths and understood the importance of seeking a mentor.

ENCORE CSI Forensics Day allowed students to become detectives for a day using different forensic procedures to solve a murder mystery. They were in their science labs performing analyses like real field scientists, upon a simulated crime scene. Throughout the day students were executing various measurements, upon blood splatters with meter sticks, and bone thickness with vernier calibers and protractors, and hair analysis with microscopes.  They also recorded their own fingerprints and studied the types of patterns they have.

On ENCORE Robotics Day, students grouped themselves into compatible teams of six to build and design a complex computer programmed robot composed of over 100 pieces that they had to put to a timed maze race at the end of the day. While simultaneously, each team developed a business poster simulating a marketing ad to sell their robot across different markets. This day has the atmosphere of a sport arena mixed with a business convention. They were mentored by six college students enrolled in the engineering and computer science programs at University of Texas - Pan American. Students referred to their mentor for all the questions on how to build the robot and more importantly to share their experience on what goes on in college and how to prepare to get there.

The last day was an interactive ENCORE College Visit experience it provided a profound lesson to Osiris Garza, 8th grade student from Economedes he said “today taught me to start thinking of college, because getting a career with a college degree gives me a better quality of life”. The students visited the South Texas College’s Technology campus, along with their teachers, college peers and mentors. They had the opportunity to tour the state-of-the-art facilities, exposing themselves to the electronic labs, machinery labs, and stood in the classrooms to achieve the vital careers needed in our growing area. The other half of the CAMP students went to the South Texas Nursing & Allied Health Campus where they visited the medical building and in small groups saw the college medical field environment.

These ENCORE students will continue to enjoy their summer looking for other fun activities after becoming college-ready and beyond.

For more information about the ENCORE program, please contact Ernesto Villarreal at Ernesto@tvcof.org or by phone at 956.618.2828.