WHY TEXAS?
ELSO Inc. has expanded to Southeast Texas!
A Message from Sprinavasa Brown
Co-Founder & Executive Director
I am thrilled to share that ELSO Inc. will soon have a home in SE Texas, thanks to initial funding through REI’s Cooperative Action Fund and the National Basketball Association! This Fall we will launch our first programs in Jefferson County.
In 2021, we began to look outside of Oregon to identify new metropolitan areas where ELSO Inc. can grow with the community, develop strong ties with partners to expand our programs, while deepening our national partnerships like the one with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
It was important to us to bring ELSO Inc.’s in-person programs to a state where there are deep roots and culture for Black people in relation to the land, a strong state college land grant, and unmet needs for accessible high quality youth environmental education programming. We focused on metro areas with different geographic and demographic make-up than the Pacific Northwest.
The impacts of global climate change on Black and Brown people in Texas is striking and we want to be a part of the local communities’ resources to address climate impacts, provide living wage jobs for young adults - while bringing to life our programmatic vision: cultivating generations of Black and Brown future problem solvers and innovators for community and global impact.
The thriving STEM professional community, ethnic and racial diversity, and financial resources of SE Texas will continue to support our unique approach to STEAMED learning. Over the last year, we have met and shared ELSO’s mission with educators, community leaders, government officials, prospective partners, and interested funders who believe in and support ELSO’s mission expanding to SE Texas.
As we continue to deepen our commitment to Oregon, we are thrilled to expand our reach to support Black and Brown youth in SE Texas.