Education to Employment Partners
Education to Employment Partners (E2E), formerly Citizens for Educational Excellence (CEE), was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization in 2003 by the Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce Foundation as a way to improve high school graduation rates. The CEE name was changed to E2E in 2020 to better reflect the organization’s mission, which is to bring together people, information, and resources to increase educational and job attainment in the Coastal Bend.
Led by a 17-member board of directors, E2E provides youth programs, conducts professional development for educators, leads education forums, and establishes programs designed to increase postsecondary and career success.
Major initiatives include:
- Regional P-16 Council
- Emerging Professionals Internship Program
- Coastal Compass Education and Career Resource Center
- Recapture Your Dream for adult college completion
- Serving as the Education Designee for the City of Corpus Christi
E2E also works with national, state, and local organizations, including the Lumina Foundation, The Graduate Network, National College Attainment Network, National League of Cities, Trellis Foundation, and the City of Corpus Christi’s Education/Workforce Committee.
E2E leads the Regional P-16 Council, which encourages postsecondary and career readiness through student conferences and events; professional development for educators, including a teacher externship program; community leadership seminars; college preparatory courses; 14 guided pathways to high demand Coastal Bend careers. The Emerging Professionals Internship Program encourages high school students to prepare for in-demand Coastal Bend jobs with both the technical and essentials skills for the workplace. Efforts to increase postsecondary outcomes for rural Coastal Bend students were enhanced in 2020 through a partnership with rootEd Alliance, Inc. Dedicated advisors serve rural students on the high school campuses of Alice, Aransas Pass, and Sinton, and E2E looks to expand to other high schools in the coming years.
E2E established Coastal Compass Education and Career Resource Center at La Palmera Mall in 2013, as a free source of information and personalized assistance. Through partnerships with the City of Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend College, Corpus Christi ISD, Corpus Christi Literacy Council, Craft Training Center, Crossroads Adult Education, Del Mar College, Education Service Center Region II, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Goodwill of South Texas, Saint Leo University, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, University of the Incarnate Word, and Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend, direct assistance is provided to the public. In 2015, E2E was the recipient of a Charity League of Corpus Christi grant in the amount of $250,000, which provided for the purchase of the Coastal Compass Mobile Center. The Mobile Center provides the same services as the mall location at various locations in the community and rural areas of the Coastal Bend region. The Recapture Your Dream program helps adults, who have some college but no degree, complete their postsecondary education.
In efforts to strengthen collaboration and educational alignment, E2E was named the Education Designee for the City of Corpus Christi. E2E also leads the Mayor’s Education/Workforce Committee, and through the work of the stakeholders, an Education/Workforce Strategic Plan was adopted in 2017 with the overarching goal being 60 percent of the Corpus Christi population will have a postsecondary certificate or degree by 2030. Members meet bi-annually to review goals and strategies. In 2018, the Lumina Foundation named Corpus Christi a Talent Hub and provided E2E with a grant in the amount of $275,000 to increase educational attainment rates by meeting the needs of specific populations.
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