LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Team XL welcomed education leaders from the local Del Rio community on July 18, 2023, for a tour of Laughlin Air Force Base’s mission and educational spaces.
Leaders from the San Felipe Del Rio Consolidated Independent School District (SFDR-CISD) toured Laughlin to discuss how local high school students can pursue future careers in the Air Force or the government civilian workforce.
During their visit, educators saw firsthand how Laughlin and SFDR-CISD work together to improve care for military families and the school.
“[The tour] helped me understand how vital the partnership is from the early stages of education,” said Maryvel Flores, San Felipe Middle School principal.
Educators also spoke to students who were taking part in a program known as “Grow Your Own.”
The Grow Your Own program brings high school students onto Laughlin to work with the 47th Maintenance Directorate, offering valuable real-life experience and training that can help them moving forward in their personal and professional lives.
“The Grow Your Own program is about providing opportunities,” said Col. Kevin Davidson, 47th Flying Training Wing commander. “We want to provide these opportunities for the local community for both those coming into the military and those coming into our civilian workforce.”
The tour highlighted future plans for Robert Bobby Barrera Elementary School, Laughlin’s on-base elementary school.
Laughlin is looking to make improvements to the school by building a brick-and-mortar structure to replace the current temporary units. This, along with the expected increase of students in the next decade, display the importance of planning for the future of students.
“I can now understand how the growth of Laughlin has provided an opportunity for a local school to be built on the base itself,” said Jesus Soto, Del Rio Middle School's 7th-grade principal. “We need to prepare for the projected growth of the military families expected to arrive over the next 5-10 years.”
With a better understanding of Laughlin’s mission, the Grow Your Own program, and the future growth of RBB, Laughlin and SFDR-CISD look forward to continuing to work together to provide excellent education to the children of military families.