Ex-AWC south county dean joins Gadsden school dist.
SAN LUIS, Ariz. — Everardo Martinez, who formerly oversaw the Arizona Western College campus in south Yuma County, is back in San Luis as director of federal and state programs and special projects for the Gadsden Elementary School District.
Martinez’s responsibilities will include administering the federal and state funds the school district receives for education programs for students from low-income families, migrant students and students in the process of learning English.
But he also hopes to use the position to secure funding, whether from public or private sources, for programs to help the district’s academically gifted students realize their potentials.
He has already had a hand in forging a partnership with the University of Arizona to offer Engineering Camp, a program that exposes seventh- and eighth-grade students to careers in engineering.
And Martinez will begin talks with Univision for funding for advanced classes in computer and information science for students who want to explore that field.
Based on their scores on college entrance exams, numerous seventh- and eighth-grade students in the district already qualify for scholarships to attend college-level summer academic classes offered through Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth program.
In fact, the students qualifying for the scholarships exceed the number of scholarships available, said Martinez, so the task will be to look for similar programs offered for gifted students by other colleges and universities.
“The universities are interested in the gifted students that are coming from here,” he said. “We have to bring them here so that they offer programs for junior high students.”
Martinez has more than 30 years of experience in education, both in the classroom and as an administrator of academic institutions.
He oversaw AWC’s campuses in San Luis and Somerton as associate dean of south county services, before stepping down last July to become dean of student affairs and enrollment at Imperial Valley College, a position he left earlier this year. He was serving as a consultant to the Gadsden district when its governing board picked him to succeed Jean Touchet, who retired as director of federal and state programs and special projects.
The Gadsden district consists of six elementary schools, a middle school and junior high school that serves students in San Luis and neighboring Gadsden.