“If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain.”

This was the case when the Academy Leaders Coalition of the Rio Grande Valley had planned on touring the Port of Brownsville, but couldn’t because of COVID. Undaunted by the virus, the Academy leaders were determined to learn more about the Port and the types of jobs available to Valley workers. Through the efforts of RGV LEAD, in conjunction with Eduardo A. Campirano, Port Director & CEO (Pictured right), the Academy Leaders were able to tour the Port virtually. In addition, they were able to ask Mr. Campirano questions regarding employability at the Port of Brownsville so that they could take the information back to their districts and share it with students.

The Academies of the Rio Grande Valley, which comprise school districts and high school campuses, originally utilized a career academy model founded on Ford Next Generation Learning (Ford NGL) strategies. The academy model promotes experiential learning and proactive business and civic engagement in schools. RGV LEAD introduced Ford NGL to the Valley in 2014, and eight school districts began implementing academies in 2015-2016. In December 2016, Ford NGL national leadership honored the Academies of the Rio Grande Valley as an official Ford NGL Designated Region. Current participants are Academy leaders from five school districts. RGV LEAD manages the network and provides ongoing coordination, support, and training for the participants.

The Academy Leaders are looking forward to the next virtual tour. They will “go to the mountain!”

Pictured below: Academies of the Rio Grande Valley on a virtual tour of the Port of Brownsville

Established in 1936, the Port of Brownsville is the only deep-water seaport directly on the U.S./Mexico border. The port is connected to the Gulf of Mexico by a 17-mile-long ship channel and is located at the southernmost tip of Texas. With approximately 40,000 acres, the Port of Brownsville is also the largest land-owning public port authority in the nation. It is ranked No. 3 in foreign trade zones in the United States for exports. Did you know? The Port of Brownsville has provided 51,000 jobs to local residents and people from around the globe. Some of the jobs include Welders, law enforcement personnel, CAD operators, cargo facilities inspectors, mobile harbor crane operators, wastewater utility operators, engineers, renewable energy workers, and more! Visit the Port of Brownsville webpage to discover how you can help your students learn more about job opportunities in our own backyard!

Sources: Mr. Campirano, FB, and
Port of Brownsville webpage.

Pictured left: Port of Brownsville

Pictured below: Employees transporting
cargo and wind turbine blade on a blade
transport frame