COSTEP

Key Functions & Focus Areas:•Economic Development: Works to advance the region's economy, leveraging its unique cultural heritage, young workforce, and strategic location.•Strategic Planning: Collaborates with local governments and stakeholders to develop plans for sustainable growth.•Education & Workforce: Offers financial literacy programs and funds scholarships to build a skilled local talent pool.•International Promotion: Connects with international partners to attract investment and put Rio South Texas on the global stage.•Key Industries Promoted: Focuses on trade, transportation, manufacturing, education, health, tourism, and business services.

The Council for South Texas Economic Progress (COSTEP) was founded in 1972 to coordinate and sponsor a broad and many faceted program to foster economic progress in South Texas. For over 45 years, COSTEP has served the community by helping hundreds of thousands of students and their families by providing free financial literacy education programs and help fund millions of dollars in scholarships; altogether helping individuals achieve the dream of a higher education. In May 2019, COSTEP adopted a new mission “to ensure residents acquire skills and knowledge and have access to economic opportunities to enable them to pursue meaningful careers and live prosperous lives in Rio South Texas”.COSTEP also developed a new strategic framework to fulfill its mission, which involves work related to three interlinked objectives:1.Education & workforce2.Economic development3.AdvocacyThe new strategic framework provides a platform for continued coordination and collaboration towards a common end-goal, not only for COSTEP and its nonprofit partners but also for a broader base of regional stakeholders. It offers the opportunity to connect initiatives, breakdown silos, and improve outcomes for regional stakeholders who participate.