UTEP Teacher Prep

🎉 On May 27, 2026, UTEP’s College of Education proudly welcomed the next generation of educators during the 2026 Miner Teacher Residency Orientation with two of our partner districts, Clint ISD and Socorro ISD. In just a few weeks, our residents will begin their year-long residency experience in classrooms across the region.

🏫 UTEP and our district partners came together to prepare 51 teacher candidates and 51 host teachers for the exciting year ahead. Residents will serve across multiple campuses throughout Clint and Socorro ISD, gaining valuable hands-on experience while supporting our community’s students.

✨ We wish all of our future educators a successful, rewarding, and inspiring start to the school year!

🎉 UTEP’s College of Education proudly celebrated the launch of the 2026–2027 Miner Teacher Residency during our biannual Match Day Ceremony held on May 22, 2026.

✅ About 120 UTEP teacher candidates were recognized as they prepare to begin their year-long residency this fall within eight exceptional partner school districts: Canutillo ISD, Clint ISD, El Paso ISD, Fabens ISD, Socorro ISD, Ysleta ISD and our newest district partners, Dallas ISD and Klein ISD.

🎒 This milestone would not be possible without the strong collaboration and dedication of our district, campus, and community partners who continue to invest in the preparation and success of future educators.

👨‍🏫 We were especially honored to welcome graduating residents Apollo Perono and Josiah Frayre, who shared heartfelt reflections and encouraging words with the incoming cohort. Their experiences and advice provided valuable inspiration as our future residents begin this exciting chapter.

🏫 A special thank you to RAIZ Federal Credit Union for sponsoring this event and for their ongoing support of aspiring teachers and the College of Education. ✨

🎓✨ Celebrating Our Future Educators! ✨🎓
On May 8, 2026, the UTEP College of Education Teacher Preparation Team proudly celebrated our amazing graduates and future teachers! 🎉

🎖️ Honor cords were presented to students recognized for their outstanding academic achievement, while our distinguished Charles Butt Scholars and Miner Teacher Residency Paraprofessionals received their well-deserved stoles.

👏 To our graduates — congratulations on this incredible milestone! Your dedication, resilience, and passion for education continue to inspire us. We are excited to see the positive difference you will make in classrooms, schools, and communities for years to come. 🌟

📚✨ The future is brighter because of educators like you. Congratulations, Class of 2026! 🎉

🧑‍🏫 Pinning Ceremony | Spring 2026

On May 7, 2026, the UTEP College of Education welcomed over 100 teacher candidates into the Educator Preparation Program. These students are now officially on the path to becoming Texas-certified teachers.

Welcome to the front lines of the future, educators — your journey to inspire, lead, and make a lasting difference begins now!

On April 29, 2026, UTEP’s College of Education proudly hosted the second El Paso K-12 AI Learning Incubator Workshop sponsored by the Hopper Dean Center of Excellence for K–12 Computer Science Education, El Paso Computes/City of El Paso, and the El Paso Community Foundation! 🎉

District leaders from across El Paso - including Canutillo ISD, Clint ISD, El Paso ISD, Socorro ISD, Tornillo ISD, and Ysleta ISD - came together at UTEP to collaborate on the future of AI in K-16+ education in our region.

A very special thank you to our presenters: Dr. Ivan Gris (City of El Paso/Boost Human), Catherine Tabor (CSTA), and UTEP College of Education faculty Cynthia Acosta, Rashan Isaac, Dr. Asing Cashman, and Dr. Robyn Pinilla.

The K-12 AI Learning Incubator is focused on building a shared vision for responsible, innovative AI integration in schools and teacher preparation, grounded in collaboration, data, and student-centered outcomes.
We’re excited to continue this work with our district partners as we move toward impactful AI strategies across the region! 🚀

🎉 UTEP Edge Team Champion Spotlight 🎉

The College of Education’s Miner Teacher Residency Site Coordinator Team has been recognized as an Edge Champion for bringing The University of Texas at El Paso Edge to life in powerful ways.

Serving up to 200 residents each year across seven school districts and two charter schools, the team transforms teacher preparation into a full-year, high-impact experience that blends internship and capstone learning. Through co-teaching, structured fieldwork, and intentional coaching, residents build real-world skills while engaging in meaningful community partnerships.

By fostering confidence, critical thinking, communication, leadership, and social responsibility, the team prepares future educators to thrive in diverse classrooms from day one. Their equity-centered approach and strong district partnerships are shaping the next generation of purpose-driven teachers.

👏 Join us in celebrating this incredible team for exemplifying innovation, mentorship, and the true spirit of the UTEP Edge!

On April 20, 2026, UTEP’s College of Education was proud to host Socorro ISD high school juniors and seniors interested in pursuing careers in education at our Aspiring Miner Teacher Tour. This engaging event featured interactive, hands-on activities led by the dedicated faculty and staff of UTEP’s teacher preparation program. We were delighted to connect with these prospective students and look forward to welcoming them back as future Miner teachers. 🎒📚
This opportunity is proudly supported by the El Paso Community Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education Hawkins Program.

On April 13, 2026, UTEP’s College of Education was proud to host Ysleta ISD high school juniors and seniors interested in pursuing careers in education at our Aspiring Miner Teacher Tour. This engaging event featured interactive, hands-on activities led by the dedicated faculty and staff of UTEP’s teacher preparation program. We were delighted to connect with these prospective students and look forward to welcoming them back as future Miner teachers. 🎒📚

This opportunity is proudly supported by the El Paso Community Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education Hawkins Program.

Today, March 25, 2026, UTEP’s College of Education proudly launched the Region-Wide K-12 AI Learning Incubator Kick-Off Workshop sponsored by the Hopper Dean Center of Excellence for K–12 Computer Science Education, El Paso Computes, the City of El Paso and the El Paso Community Foundation! 🎉

District leaders from across the region - including Canutillo ISD, Clint ISD, El Paso ISD, Socorro ISD, Tornillo ISD, and Ysleta ISD - came together at UTEP to collaborate on the future of AI in K-16 education.

A highlight of the morning was our cross-sector panel on workforce AI needs, moderated by Dean Clifton Tanabe, featuring:
• Jonathan (JJ) Childress, Director of TechSpark Texas, Microsoft
• Dr. Xavier de la Torre, Superintendent, Ysleta ISD
• Dr. Ivan Gris, Deputy Chief Technology Officer, City of El Paso
• Dr. Salamah I. Salamah, Associate Vice President of Research for Computing and AI, UTEP
• Max Villaronga, President & CEO, Raiz Credit Union

This initiative is building a shared vision for responsible, innovative AI integration in schools grounded in collaboration, data, and student-centered outcomes.

We’re excited to continue this work with our district partners as we move toward impactful AI strategies across the region! 🚀

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