University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
EN-10: Community Partnerships

UTRGV School of Medicine Population Health & Biostatistics department has an ongoing partnership with RGV safety net clinics such as Nuestra Clinica del Valle, Rio Grande State Center, Brownsville Community Health Center, Hope Family Health Center, Su Clinica Harlingen, UTRGV’s School of Medicine AHEC Clinics, and El Milagro Clinic. The department´s efforts to provide support and solutions to its partners during the pandemic inspired and mobilized other departments which resulted in the initiative Covid Minds at Work. Through this initiative, the UTRGV Theater department crafted and donated PPE to the Hope Family Health Center in McAllen.

https://www.utrgv.edu/newsroom/2020/05/20-utrgv-serving-rgv-safety-net-clinics-during-covid-19-pandemic.htm

The County of Hidalgo (home to UTRGV) is among the poorest counties in the United States. To address this, a grant was awarded to Hidalgo county judge Richard F. Cortez by the national service program AmeriCorps/VISTA to develop a youth leadership academy. The aim of this academy is to teach the next generation of leaders about the complexities of poverty. To develop the curriculum of the academy, judge Cortez is forming an advisory board in which UTRGV functions as a key partner.

https://texasborderbusiness.com/americorps-vista-approves-grant-to-hidalgo-county-judge-richard-f-cortez-for-the-creation-of-a-youth-leadership-academy/

Working under UTRGV´s Division of Research and New Program Development, the Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Advancement (SARA) aims to improve agricultural sustainability and advance rural communities through multidisciplinary approaches that involve environmental, economic, and social aspects of sustainability, while engaging UTRGV faculty and students in research, education, and experiential learning. As a federally designated Hispanic Serving Agricultural University this center is key for both UTRGV and its community. Its partnerships are essential to generate meaningful, and culturally relevant knowledge and change. SARA´s community partners include, Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley, Hill Tops Gardens (tropical healing garden in the RGV), HOPE for Small Farm Sustainability, La Semilla Food Center, PPC Farms (family-owned and operated farm), Proyecto Desarrollo Humano (non-profit assisting colonias), Rio Farms Inc (non-profit research and demonstrational operation), Texas/Mexico Border Coalition (CBO TMBC), Texas Small Farmers and Ranchers (CBO TSFR), Veterans Business Outreach Center (VBOC).

https://www.utrgv.edu/sara/partners/index.htm

UTRGV has earned the elective, evidence-based designation, which recognizes the university’s efforts to engage with community partners, build on community assets and address a wide array of community challenges. When it comes to improving the social and economic mobility of students, there are few institutions in the nation that make more of an impact than UT Rio Grande Valley.

UTRGV’s community partnerships work toward the sustainability developmental goal of quality education, reducing inequalities, sustainable communities, and partnerships for the goal by addressing sustainability challenges in the community through formal partnerships with school districts, government agencies, and non-profit organizations.