What We Do

Utilizing a community stakeholder engagement process designed to develop and strengthen destination partnerships to support economic development, celebrate local culture, sustain natural and cultural assets, and enhance the well-being of residents through sustainable tourism management and marketing.

The BVA is implementing a strategy to strengthen the opportunity for the community and the park to work as partners to develop Inside Anza-Borrego in ways to better benefit from well managed tourism must also clearly reflect the need to evolve the current business promotional practices from a traditional business booster style marketing plan to a Geotourism inspired Destination Management Organization – joining the Anza-Borrego region, an acknowledged World Heritage Center Man and Biosphere Reserve, to a network of world-class UNESCO recognized sustainable destinations.

First Aid and CPR Certification Courses Coming in 2025 - 2026

The Borrego Village Association (BVA) is organizing First Aid - CPR certification courses facilitated by professional certified trainers from  Kit Fox Outfitters  starting in Fall 2025,  with additional courses being scheduled in Winter / Spring 2026. 

Soon we will be setting dates for courses in Fall 2025. . Check back here for updates. These classes are free of charge for full and part time residents of Borrego Springs. We welcome Non-residents and visitors for a donation of $40.00.

If you are interested in taking this class, or have any questions, please email to borregovillage@gmail.com your:

· Name

· mailing address

· phone number

 This program is made possible by a grant from the Borrego Valley Endowment Fund. Bvefund.org

 Borrego Springs High School Interpretation Course and Internship Program 2025 - 2026

The first year of the program was the 2019-20 school year, when fourteen Borrego Springs high school students completed a never-before-offered in the whole country, in-class, for credit interpretive guide and host certification courses through the National Association of Interpretation (NAI). The program, now in its fifth year, has been recognized by the Borrego Springs Unified School District as a component in their Career Technical Education Program - Hospitality. By the end of the 2025 school year a total of 69 students will have completed the Host and Guide Certification and Internship Programs. The course also includes Emergency First Aid and CPR certification from a qualified local instructor from American CPR Training / C.A.R.E. CPR and First Aid.

The Internship Program is for the students who successfully complete the course as High School Juniors. The internships are conducted in cooperation with the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. The students cycle through the Park’s operational units in order to learn about what is entailed in managing and operating California State Parks. They learn about job and career opportunities in the State Park system, and learn from the Park's Interpretative staff about the nature, history and cultural attributes of the Anza-Borrego Desert region. The students also have the opportunity to intern in customer service and management in local businesses and institutions. In the 2024 - 2025 six students are cycling through internships, with the Borrego Water District, Anza-Borrego Foundation, Borrego Art Institute and the Frugal Coyote Thrift Store.

The course is sponsored by the Borrego Village Association and has been made possible since

2019 by grants from the San Diego Board of Supervisors, the Borrego Springs Rotary

Foundation, Borrego Springs Education Foundation the BVEF, and private donors. The course is led by local resident, Stacy Valdez, and organized with the Borrego Springs Unified School District under the guidance of High School Principal Victoria Baay.  

Based on the success we have experienced in the past five school years, and the

continued enthusiastic interest from students and teachers, Borrego Springs High School has

approved offering the class to a new a cohort of Borrego Springs High School rising juniors

and seniors in the 2025- 2026 school year beginning August 2025.

 Visitors to the town of Borrego Springs know about Anza-Borrego Desert State Park; in fact, many stay there for the express purpose of spending time in the park. Yet, visitors typically consider their experience in Borrego Springs to be entirely separate from their experience in the park. The Borrego Village Association (BVA) would like out-of-town visitors to view their time in Borrego Springs as an extension of their Anza-Borrego experience, connecting the two localities to create a richer, fuller experience for both.  In February 2022 In 2022 the BVA engaged Tustin, California based The Acorn Group to develop a comprehensive Visitor Experience Plan. This is the first phase of developing a comprehensive Interpretive Master Plan. They are especially well qualified to take on this work for our community as in 2014 they developed the Interpretive Master Plan for Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.    Our first step was to organize a local stakeholder focus group representing the Park, key hospitality and tourism service providers, and civil society organizations, to help guide and asses Acorn’s planning goals.    In March Acorn, with help from Anza-Borrego Foundation, Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association, and students in the Borrego Springs High School Interpretation Program, we initiated a visitor survey. It was conducted as in-person intercept surveys using iPads equipped with QuickTap surveys to visitors at a total of 6 locations, running through April 24th. The survey results will help us to understand the nature of a person’s visit, reveal the information visitors would like to receive before and during a visit, and reveal “pain points” during the visitor experience as opportunities for improvement.  Our next step is to use the survey data, along with a community assets assessment, situation analysis and focus group feedback to create, by early this summer a Visitor Experience Plan with a comprehensive interpretive, informational and wayfinding media strategy. After that we will implement the recommendations that result from the plan, which can include a combination of signage and wayfinding along with web based applications and digital media.   The Acorn Group offers a range of services in interpretive and educational master planning, exhibit design, curriculum development, and evaluation.  The Acorn Group and the catalog division, Acorn Naturalists, are long established firms in the fields of education and interpretation. They are incorporated in the State of California and certified as a Small Business and Women's Business Enterprise.    The Visitor Experience Plan is funded by grants from the Under the Sun Foundation, San Diego Board of Supervisors, and private donors. 

 The BVA has raised over $700,000, from public grant making agencies and private donors to successfully implement a suite of program activities including;

• Facilitating a series of Tourism Visioning Workshops; Conducting a comprehensive Visitors Survey; Writing a Sustainable Tourism Strategic Plan; Participating in and supporting Borrego’s COVID Task Force
  
•  Creating an interactive website. BorregoExperience.com, with complimentary Facebook and Instagram social media platforms, to tell the story of and promote our place-based authenticity to a global audience of travelers.
  
• Partnering with the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) to conduct Hospitality Skills Training for local residents to become NAI Certified Interpretive Hosts. Over 50 local residents have participated in this program. 25 members of our community have achieved Certified Interpretive Host accreditation. Through NAI's Train the Trainers Program 5 members of our community have become certified by NAI as Certified Interpretive Trainers
  
• Initiated in the 2019-20 school year I partnership with the Borrego Springs Unified School District, we have organized and managed NAI Certified Interpretive Hosts and Guide certification program as a for-credit course elective for high school juniors and seniors. Borrego Springs High School. Students taking the interpretation course achieve two professional level, internationally recognized, accreditations from the National Association for Interpretation as Certified Interpretive Hosts and Certified Interpretive Guides. Students also have access to NAI’s Career Resources service. By the end of the 2023 school year 75 students will have achieved professional level accreditations as NAI Certified Hosts and Guides. Starting in 2021 students completing the course are eligible to participate in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Internship Program. This can lead to potential employment with California State Parks. 

• In winter 2022 engaged The Acorn Group to develop a comprehensive Visitor Experience Master Plan to help us better steward our destination, enhance benefits for local people from well managed tourism, and maximize the visitor experience in the Borrego Springs Region