In the heart of El Paso, a vibrant community of young people is navigating a complex landscape of challenges and opportunities. These young leaders are breaking barriers, but they are not doing it alone. The entire community is rallying behind them, recognizing that the future of El Paso depends on the support and empowerment of its youth.
Reyna Castillo, operations manager for the FuturGen Program at Project Vida witnesses the resilience of El Paso’s youth every day. She sees them balancing academic demands, family responsibilities, and cultural expectations, all while striving to build a better future for themselves and their community.
The challenges facing El Paso’s youth
The data paints a stark picture of the obstacles that young people in El Paso County face. One in four children live in poverty, a powerful driver of health disparities that affect educational achievement, mental health outcomes, and teen pregnancy rates. Additionally, Texas leads the nation with the highest proportion of children without health insurance, with 40% of young adults in El Paso County lacking coverage. This poses significant barriers to preventive care, mental health treatment, and sexual health services.
The mental health challenges are particularly alarming. Across Texas, 13% of Latino youth report having attempted suicide, making it the second-leading cause of death among young Texans. These statistics represent real people—our children, neighbors, classmates, and future leaders.
Young people in El Paso consistently report struggling with anxiety, depression, loneliness, stress, and burnout. They are balancing academic expectations, financial hardship, family obligations, social media pressures, and uncertainty about the future. What they need, they say, is trusted adults who will listen, safe spaces where they feel accepted, access to mental health support, and opportunities to build confidence and connection.
The gaps in access to health information and services
Significant gaps in access to accurate health information and services persist. Transportation challenges, language barriers, concerns about privacy, lack of insurance, and stigma surrounding mental and sexual health often prevent youth from getting the support they need. The consequences can be profound. El Paso County’s teen birth rate remains 14% higher than the Texas average and 69% higher than the national average underscoring the importance of ensuring young people have access to comprehensive health education and trusted resources.
Community efforts and initiatives
The good news is that effective strategies exist. When young people have access to mentorship, leadership development, health education, and positive after-school opportunities, outcomes improve. They gain confidence, build healthy relationships, develop leadership skills, and foster a stronger sense of belonging.
Through initiatives such as Project Vida’s Youth Leadership Initiative and the PATH (Pre-Apprenticeship for Health) program young people are given the tools and support they need to succeed. They become advocates, mentors, community leaders, and agents of positive change.
But organizations like Project Vida cannot meet these challenges alone. That’s why they are partnering with Healthy Futures of Texas to host the inaugural El Paso Adolescent Summit on June 25-26. This summit will convene leaders from education, healthcare, government, and business to identify and coordinate solutions.
Addressing the needs of El Paso’s youth requires a community-wide commitment. We need greater investment in affordable mental health services, youth development programs, mentoring opportunities, workforce readiness initiatives, and comprehensive health education. The future of El Paso—and Texas—will be shaped by the opportunities we create for our young people. They are doing their part: showing up, working hard, and striving for a better future despite significant obstacles.
Now, it’s time for the rest of us to do ours.