First Presbyterian School - El Paso Giving Day

First Presbyterian School

Since 1981, First Presbyterian Church of El Paso has nurtured children’s potential through faith, creativity, and meaningful learning. That year, First Presbyterian Preschool opened under Founding Director Cece Neal with 15 students and three teachers. Embracing a Reggio Emilia-inspired philosophy, the school encouraged learning through exploration, collaboration, and artistic expression. The preschool quickly grew, earning national accreditation in 1991 and becoming known for its hands-on, inquiry-based education. By 2020, families sought to extend this unique approach into elementary education; First Presbyterian Elementary began as a half-day outdoor learning program focused on nature, science, storytelling, and creativity. Now serving K through 8th grade, the school emphasizes project-based, arts-integrated learning in small classrooms with no more than 12 students per teacher. In 2024, the preschool, elementary, middle school, and church united as one campus, furthering a shared vision of faith-centered, arts-driven, and inquiry-based learning for all.

Causes: Arts and Culture, Children and Youth, Education

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How will my donation be used?

At First Presbyterian School, we celebrate childhood and nurture each child’s curiosity, creativity, and potential through a hands-on, Reggio-inspired approach rooted in exploration, self-expression, and discovery across art, music, movement, science, and storytelling.

These experiences are not extras, they are essential parts of our curriculum. They bring learning to life, allowing children to explore ideas through real world connections that build confidence, deepen understanding, and strengthen critical thinking.

Reggio-Inspired Experiences:

Cultural celebrations: diez y seis de septiembre, Diwali, Chinese New Year, Pacific Islander Month
Field trips to places like MACC, La Nube, and visits from Insights
Overnight class trip for 7th–8th grade Sequoia class
On-campus events: Fall Festival, Art Show

Your generous donation on Giving Day 2025 supports these opportunities, ensuring our students continue to grow through rich cultural events, on-campus experiences and field trips.

We are proud to launch the First Presbyterian Scholarship Fund this Giving Day, helping make our unique education accessible to more children. A 50 percent scholarship can cost up to $450 a month. Growing this fund opens doors for more families to join our nurturing, creative community.

When you give to First Presbyterian School on Giving Day, you help provide more children with the opportunity to experience this special philosophy!