Foundation board members and staff, fellow foundations, and grantees marked the organization’s silver anniversary with a luncheon and conversation on Nov. 18 at the Thornburg campus.

“We are so proud of what our grantees have accomplished on behalf of New Mexico, especially in the 11 years since we began targeting our work to drive systems change,” said Garrett Thornburg, the foundation’s Chairman and Founder. “It’s exciting to look forward and imagine what we might achieve together in the next 25 years.”

Since 2013, the foundation’s leaders updated their traditional grant-making model to a strategic philanthropy approach, using evidence to identify, understand — and allocate funds to solve — some of New Mexico’s most pressing problems. Since then, Thornburg’s grant giving has helped fuel significant non-partisan wins in New Mexico. Some examples include: 

•  Education
  • Early-Childhood Education: From 2013 to 2018, Thornburg awarded more than 5 million in grants to New Mexico nonprofits advocating for state support of critical early-childhood programs. Big wins included the creation of the Early Childhood Education and Care Department, the funding of an early-childhood trust fund, and the founding of The Early Childhood Funders Group, a coalition of foundations working together to advocate for comprehensive solutions for New Mexico’s youngest residents. These advancements have positioned New Mexico nationally as a model for adoption of early-childhood policy. 
  • NM Teacher Residency Program: After three years of active grantmaking and partnership with state government, the state Teacher Residency Program now prepares more than 400 teacher residents, which is 1/3 of all licensed teachers.
• Regenerative Agriculture: 
  • Conservation Stewardship: Aided New Mexico in leading the country in enrolled acreage with the USDA NRCS Conservation Stewardship Program, with more than 1 million acres enrolled. From 2019 to 2020, acreage went from 233,000 acres to 1,014,000 acres, resulting from the program expanding to include leased federal lands.
  • Passage of the bipartisan Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund is the first ever dedicated source of recurring funding for conservation in NM and has led to over $400 million in state appropriations. This funding is creating jobs and building critical infrastructure in local communities, protecting us from natural disasters, safeguarding our water supplies, preserving agricultural heritage, and growing the outdoor-recreation economy.
  • 1 in 6 New Mexico producers is trained in regenerative agriculture practices , over 7,000 technical assistance opportunities have been offered, and at least 11 significant federal and state agricultural reform policies have been passed. 
• Water Policy: 
  • Provided technical and organizational support to the Governor’s Water Policy & Infrastructure Task Force , a diverse and broadly representative group that produced 17 consensus recommendations for government action to build water resilience. Of these 17 recommendations, 13 have been acted upon by the Legislature and/or the Executive. 
• Good Government: 
  • Supported non-profit efforts to advocate for the creation of New Mexico’s first Independent Ethics Commission. The NM State Ethics Commission helps advance transparency and accountability in state government.
  • NM Redistricting Act was passed, creating an advisory redistricting commission and establishing rigorous criteria for establishing voting boundaries. (passed 2021)
  • Supported our partners’ work in advancing legislative modernization efforts , such as the addition of new professional legislative staff.
  • The 2020 Census: New Mexico is considered one of the most difficult-to-count states in the nation. So between 2018 and 2020, Thornburg helped lead a coalition of foundations in doling out more than $1.2 million in grants to support an accurate count. Along with state funding, this investment resulted in a 2.8 percent increase in New Mexico’s count — and a $220 million increase in federal funding to the state. A U.S. Census Bureau report deemed New Mexico’s overall count the most accurate in the country. 
• Pursuing Federal Funds Pilot: 
  • Partnered with Anchorum Health Foundation and Santa Fe Community Foundation to launch the Pursuing Federal Funds pilot. Together, we made 23 grants totaling $330,000 and leveraging $35 million in federal funding for agriculture-, water-, and health-related projects. 

“We want to be like dropping a rock into a pond,” said Allan Oliver, Thornburg’s Executive Director. “We want our impact to ripple beyond our fellow foundations, beyond our grantees, beyond the systems they help change, all the way to the people of New Mexico.

” Garrett Thornburg is the Chairman of Santa-Fe based Thornburg Investment Management, a $46 billion investment management firm that builds wealth for clients worldwide. He created Thornburg Foundation in 1999 and has continued to invest his personal wealth to help grow the organization’s assets to $180 million, making it one of the largest foundations in New Mexico.

“Garrett builds things to last,” Oliver said. “He encourages us to be courageous and strategic in our work and do all we can to make sure nonprofits have the time, the capacity, the knowledge, and the partnerships to help advocate for good, smart non-partisan policies that benefit all New Mexicans.

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About Thornburg Foundation Founded in 1999, Thornburg Foundation is a family foundation that works to catalyze high-impact outcomes, using evidence to understand and solve systemic problems, engage stakeholders to drive policy reform, and create meaningful and lasting change. Grant giving is focused on five state-wide policy areas: K-12 Education, Water, Land and Agriculture, Good Governance, and Pursuing Federal Funds. Thornburg also continues to invest in its local community through its homelessness and community-funding portfolios. 

The post Thornburg Foundation Celebrates 25 Years of Impact in New Mexico appeared first on Thornburg Foundation.

Read the article here.

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Join us for an incredible early childhood speaker series featuring national and local New Mexico experts focused on equity and social justice in early childhood teacher preparation.  This series is for higher education faculty and anyone anyone interested in bringing equity to their work with young children and families.  This free virtual series runs from September 2022 through May 2023.  Registration is open now!

9/9/22
Equity in the Crib • Lisa Wilson, Zero to Three, and Rebecca Riley, Early Childhood Consultant/Facilitator • REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT
Hosted by Central New Mexico Community College (CNM)

10/14/22
Advancing Equity with Families • Tekla Johnson, Director First Born and IIFP and Zhandra Levesque, Senior Project Director, Education Development Center • REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT
Hosted by Santa Fe Community College (SFCC)

11/11/22
Special Education and Representation in Early Childhood • Dr. Monique Matute-Chavarria, NMSU; Dr. Nathaniel Bryan, Miami University, Dr. Pricella Morris, UNLV • REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT
Hosted by New Mexico State University (NMSU)

1/13/23
Native Language and Equity in Teacher Education • Dr. Rebecca Blum Martinez, Emerita Professor of Bilingual Education, UNM and Dr. Iheoma U. Iruka, Director Equity Research Action Coalition, UNC • REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT
Hosted by Western New Mexico University (WNMU)

2/10/23
Social Justice and Equity in Early Childhood Preparation/New Mexico Tribal Languages • Trisha Moquino, Director, Keres Children’s Learning Center and Dr. Chris Sims, Associate Professor, Dept. of Language, Literacy & Sociocultural Studies • REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT
Hosted by Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI)

3/10/23
The Archeology of Self and Systems: Critically Reflective Practice in Early Childhood Teacher Education • Dr. Meir Muller, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Education University of South Carolina • REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT
Hosted by Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU)

4/14/23
14 Priorities to Dismantle Systemic Racism • Dr. Shantel Meek, Professor of Practice and Founding Director, Children’s Equity Project, ASU • REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT
Hosted by University of New Mexico Taos Campus (UNM Taos)

5/12/23
Elevating Equity: Tools for Teachers Working with Young Children aged 0-5 • Dr. Angela Searcy, Simple Solutions Educational Services • REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT
Hosted by University of New Mexico Valencia Campus (UNM Valencia)

Speaker Bios

Lisa Wilson: As the Director of Equity & Outreach, Lisa Wilson oversees the development and implementation of equitable practices within the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching and Learning (NC ECDTL). Working closely with the Center Director and Consortium Leadership Team, she ensures DTL implements a lens of equitable practices within all aspects of its work, coordinates regularly with the Office of Head Start (OHS), and operationalizes center-wide equity, CLRP, and co-creation efforts, including consortium partners’ work, to efficiently manage the annual workplan. Lisa has a Master’s in Education with an emphasis in Multicultural Curriculum and Instruction. She is currently completing her dissertation for a Doctor of Education (EdD) in Curriculum and Instruction.

Rebecca Riley is a citizen of the Pueblo of Acoma, mother of three children and resides with her partner in Albuquerque with their blended family of seven._­ She currently works as a facilitator and consultant with various local and statewide early childhood education groups and organizations and draws from her direct experience as a parent recipient of early childhood services through early intervention and child care, serving as Manager and Director for Tribal Home Visiting, and her Acoma traditional upbringing. Her passion and work are aimed at improving the quality of home visiting and other supportive early childhood education services with Native American families. Ms. Riley received her degree from the University of New Mexico in Community Health Education with a minor in Native American Studies. Her professional practice continues to develop through mindful, responsive, equitable and inclusive practices that are reflective of family and community voice.

Tekla Johnson, First Born® Program Director, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Certified Doula, Certified Professional Coach and is Infant Mental Health Endorsed. She has 23 years of home visiting experience and more than ten years of experience with the First Born® Home Visiting program. After working as a home visitor for 9 years, Ms. Johnson moved into a leadership role and served as the Program Manager for the Santa Fe First Born® Program during its startup phase, and first years of implementation. She has worked as a direct program manager as well as providing supervision and oversight to program managers as VP of Leadership and Innovation. Having worked at all levels of home visiting (as well as receiving home visiting services for her child through early intervention), Ms. Johnson enjoys supporting programs to implement high quality services for families, focused on joy, learning and strong relationships.

Zhandra Levesque is a national leader in maternal and child health systems and continuous quality improvement (CQI) methods. Her career demonstrates a commitment to leading large system improvements, building sustainable relationships and the promotion of evidence based strategies to optimize the health and well-being of women and children. She co-leads EDC’s Home Visiting Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network, which has achieved significant successes in strengthening home visiting processes to improve maternal and child outcomes. Nationwide, she presents on maternal and child health and CQI efforts improving the systems supporting children, women, and families. She is also a co-instructor at the Boston University School of Public Health. Levesque holds an MPH in Health Policy and Management from the Boston University School of Public Health and a BA in Political Science and Biology from Boston University. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Public Health in Leadership, Management, and Policy in Maternal and Child Health at Boston University.  She is a native of Caracas, Venezuela, and is fluent in Spanish and English.

Monique Matute-Chavarria is an assistant professor of Special Education at New Mexico State University (NMSU). Before obtaining her Ph.D. in Special Education, she worked with Nevada Early Intervention Services working with children from birth to three with disabilities. Dr. Matute-Chavarria identifies as Black mother scholar, and Afro-Latina; therefore, her research focuses on Black students and families. Her research centers on the intersections of race, family, and disability. She also researches the use of hip-hop pedagogy practices (i.e., DJing) as a tool for writing with Black students with and without disabilities.

Pricella Morris is a visiting assistant professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Prior to obtaining her Ph.D. in Special Education, she worked as an early interventionist and early childhood special education teacher. Dr. Morris identifies as a Black mother scholar that focuses on the impact of race and dis/ability specifically for young Black children and their families. Her publication and presentations have focused on racial and dis/ability identity, dismantling antiblackness in education and teacher preparation programs, and culturally responsive teaching practices. She hopes her work prepares future educators to better serve and support Black student populations and their families.

Nathaniel Bryan, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of early childhood education at Miami University. For more than a decade, Dr. Bryan’s scholarship, teaching, and service have focused on the identities and pedagogical styles of Black male teachers, and the critical literacy development and childhood play experiences of Black boys in early childhood education. Dr. Bryan is the author of Toward a BlackboyCrit Pedagogy: Black boys, male teachers, and early childhood classroom practices. He has also received prestigious awards such as the 2020 Emerging Scholar Award from the American Educational Association’s Special Interest Group––Critical Perspectives on Early Childhood Education.

Iheoma U. Iruka, Ph.D., is a Research Professor in the Department of Public Policy, a Fellow at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG), and the Founding Director of the Equity Research Action Coalition at FPG at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Iruka is leading projects and initiatives focused on ensuring that minoritized children and children from low-income households, especially Black children, are thriving through the intersection of anti-bias, anti-racist, culturally grounded research, program, and policy. Some focus areas include family engagement and support, quality rating and improvement systems, and early care and education system and programs. She has a B.A. in Psychology from Temple University, an M.A. in Psychology from Boston University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in applied developmental psychology from the University of Miami, FL. She is a wife and a mother of two young children. She ensures they love and appreciate their Nigerian, Bahamian, and Black American heritage, culture, and roots. A focus on Black joy and excellence is always present.

Rebecca Blum Martinez is Emerita Professor of Bilingual Education in the Department Language Literacy and Sociocultural Studies at the University of New Mexico, where she specialized in bilingualism, second language learning and language maintenance and revitalization in language minority communities—particularly Spanish-speaking and American Indian populations. Her research and scholarly interests have long centered on the study of language development in bilinguals and second language development across varied learning contexts. Dr. Blum Martinez also served as the director of Latin American Program in Education that serves as a liaison between the UNM College of Education and Latin American educational institutions. Her recent publications include a co-authored chapter entitled, “A watershed moment in the education of American Indian students: A judicial strategy to mandate the State of New Mexico to meet the unique cultural and linguistic needs of American Indian students in New Mexico public schools; and a co-edited volume, The Shoulders We Stand On: A History of Bilingual Education in New Mexico. She continues to advocate for bilingual and second language learners as chair of the NM Coalition for the Majority, board member of NABE, and national advisor to the non-profit EL Education organization.

Christine Sims, Ph.D.: The focus of my work is in the areas of Indigenous bilingual education and language revitalization. I obtained my doctoral degree from UC-Berkeley with a specific focus on indigenous language revitalization. I am a faculty member of the Bilingual Program in the Department of Language, Literacy & Sociocultural Studies (LLSS), in the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) and serve as a faculty member in the Educational Linguistics Program at the University of New Mexico (UNM). I direct the American Indian Language Policy Research & Teacher Training Center which I founded in 2008 in the UNM COEHS. We prepare Indigenous language speakers to teach in community and school-based language initiatives providing technical assistance to tribes in language program planning and related areas of program implementation.  I am an enrolled tribal member of Acoma Pueblo.

Trisha Moquino is a member of the Cochiti, Kewa, and Ohkay Ohwingeh Tribal Nations. She is a wife, mama, auntie, niece, daughter, community member and holds a BA from Stanford University in American Studies and an MA from the University of New Mexico in Bilingual and Elementary Education. She is the Co-Founder/Education Director and Elementary Keres Speaking Guide at Keres Children’s Learning Center (KCLC), an Indigenous Language Immersion Montessori school, located in Cochiti Pueblo, NM. One of the blessings she is grateful for is being able to work with children from her tribe in their Indigenous language of Keres every day. Her Montessori Teaching credentials include: American Montessori Society-Elementary I and United Montessori Association  & Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)-Early Childhood (3-6 years) and recently completed AMI’s orientation course for birth-3 years . For the last 5 years, she has been working with her KCLC colleagues and partners to develop the Indigenous Montessori Institute- an anti-racist teacher training program grounded in our Philosophy of Indigenous Education.

Rabbi Dr. Muller serves as an associate professor in the College of Education at the University of South Carolina. His research interests include anti-racist pedagogical frameworks, socio-political consciousness in children and educators, Jewish early childhood education, countering antisemitism in higher education, and constructivist pedagogy.   Dr. Muller has served as lead author of South Carolina’s early childhood state standards and as part of a team of educators who developed curricula that prepares European teachers to address bias, prejudice, and anti-Semitism. Dr. Muller is the co-founder of the Cutler Jewish Day School where he spent 30 years heading the school.

Dr. Shantel Meek is a Professor of Practice and the Founding Director of the Children’s Equity Project, a multi-university initiative that aims to close opportunity gaps between children from historically marginalized communities and their peers. Dr. Meek previously served in the Obama Administration as a Senior Policy Advisor for Early Childhood Development at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and as a Senior Policy Advisor for Education in the Domestic Policy Council at the White House.

Dr. Angela Searcy holds a B.A. degree in English and secondary education with teacher certification though the state of Illinois, a M.S. degree in early childhood development from Erikson Institute, with a specialization in Infant Studies and a Doctorate in Education with a specialization in Response to Intervention and Assessment. Her research centers around brain-based learning assessed by the CLASS assessment and its’ correlation to aggressive behaviors in preschool classrooms. Angela is currently a post-doctoral candidate in Erikson Institute’s Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Certificate program. Angela is the owner and founder of Simple Solutions Educational Services, a professional development company. An educator since 1990 Angela has experience at all levels of education including infants, toddlers, preschool, 6th grade, 8th grade and 9th grades. A credentialed developmental therapist through the state of Illinois and former neuro-developmental specialist, Angela has specialized training in neuroscience. Angela is currently a mental health/ educational consultant, an adjunct faculty member and seminar leader at Erikson Institute, and the author of Push Past It! A Positive Approach to Challenging Classroom Behaviors with Gryphon House Publishing. Her Book Elevating Equity is due for release next year.

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For more information about this speaker series, click here.

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A new external evaluation finds that Albuquerque Teacher Residents meet critical needs for New Mexico schools.

A recent external evaluation by the National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR) has verified the success of the Albuquerque Teacher Residency Partnership (ATRP) in preparing effective, diverse teachers for the realities of teaching in New Mexico classrooms, particularly in high-needs schools and subjects. The evaluation was commissioned in 2021 by the Albuquerque Teachers Federation (ATF)  and the Thornburg Foundation to assess the program’s first three years of implementation. 

NCTR’s evaluation found that ATRP residents were successfully prepared for the rigors of teaching in community-based schools, particularly when compared to typical new teachers. The evaluation also highlighted ATRP’s success in recruiting a diverse body of residents who better reflect the student body of New Mexico than the state’s current teacher workforce. Crucially, the ATRP program also addresses critical needs in Albuquerque schools, with residents overwhelmingly teaching in high-needs schools and subject areas—more so than their national peers. 

Dr. Ellen Bernstein, President of the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, stated, “This evaluation affirms the power of residencies to advance equity and social justice by combining high-quality clinical experiences and rigorous academics.” Over the past four years of ATRP, APS has hired 62 well-prepared, dedicated teachers who have committed two to three years of service to APS, with most ATRP completers indicating they intend to continue teaching in New Mexico.

Michael Weinberg, Education Policy Officer at the Thornburg Foundation, stated, “With teacher vacancy rates making national headlines and over 1,000 vacant licensed teaching positions open in New Mexico, programs like the Albuquerque Teacher Residency Partnership are more essential than ever. These evaluation results show ATRP’s efforts are effectively helping to equip diverse, well-prepared, dedicated teachers who are ready to teach in New Mexico.”

Albuquerque Teacher Residency Partnership is a collaboration between the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS), the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, and the College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of New Mexico. The Albuquerque Teacher Residency Partnership is unique for several reasons:

• Residents co-teach alongside a master teacher for a full academic year.
• Residents are typically embedded in ABC Community Schools, which New Mexico and Albuquerque Public Schools have also invested significantly in, serving a high percentage of high-needs students.
• Residents concurrently take Master’s level education courses leading to Level One Licensure.
• Residents receive a stipend during their year of student teaching, are guaranteed a teaching position in Albuquerque Public Schools upon completion, and commit to teaching for at least two years.

According to Dr. Marjori Krebs, Director of Residencies at UNM College of Education & Human Sciences, “We are gratified to see these positive results for ATRP from our external evaluation. We know from our own data that this is a positive program for all three partners, and especially our Teacher Residents. We look forward to partnering with New Mexico’s Public Education Department  and other teacher preparation programs in New Mexico to expand residencies around the state.”

The enactment of HB13 in 2022, sponsored by Representative Debbie Sariñana, expands the residency model across New Mexico and provides a minimum stipend of $35,000 for each resident. New Mexico is the first state in the nation to invest in future teachers through fully funding teacher residencies statewide. ATRP’s initial successes in teacher preparation demonstrate the strength of this residency model in helping to ensure a bright future for students and teachers in classrooms across New Mexico.

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About the Albuquerque Teacher Residency Partnership

The Albuquerque Teacher Residency Partnership is founded on a strong collaborative relationship between APS, UNM, and ATF with the shared vision of educating high-potential, aspiring teachers who are invested in making a measurable and sustainable change toward equal education.

About the Thornburg Foundation

Thornburg Foundation is a family foundation that makes grants in the areas of good government reform, K-12 education, agriculture reform, water policy, and community funding. We work to catalyze high-impact outcomes using evidence to understand and solve systemic problems, engage stakeholders to drive policy reform, and create meaningful and lasting change.

The post Third-party evaluation confirms effectiveness of Albuquerque Teacher Residency Partnership appeared first on Thornburg Foundation.

Santa Fe, NM — The Thornburg Foundation announces $115,000 in grants for New Mexico nonprofit organizations doing work in water and agriculture restoration and conservation projects. The grants are intended to help nonprofits access federal funding available to improve watershed and river health and to address the effects of wildfire, drought, and water scarcity on vulnerable communities.

Grantees include the Upper Rio Grande Watershed District, Ciudad Soil & Water Conservation District / Arid LID Coalition, Santa Clara Pueblo, Cimarron Watershed Alliance, Rio Fernando de Taos Revitalization Collaborative / Amigos Bravos, Rio Grande Agricultural Land Trust, The National Center for Frontier Communities, and New Mexico State University Foundation, Inc. These grants are made available through the Support for Pursuing Federal Grants program, and will provide resources for organizations to successfully apply for larger, longer-term federal funds.

“The American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment Act and other federal aid are creating once-in-a-generation opportunities for improving our state’s water and agricultural systems, ” said Allan Oliver, Executive Director of the Thornburg Foundation. “Based on feedback from our non-profit partners, we are making grants for grant-writing and matching, so our nonprofit partners can pursue substantial federal grants and, we hope, garner millions of dollars of new federal agriculture and water investment into our state.“

Investment in New Mexico’s water security has never been more important or more timely. The current twenty-year drought is the region’s driest in 1,200 years, and water supply is likely to decrease by 20-30% over the next few decades. Large sections of the Rio Grande – more than 50 miles between Albuquerque and Socorro – went dry this year for the first time in decades, and water levels were so low that supplies to irrigated farms have been delayed or cut off. At the same time, the forested watersheds that provide most of the state’s water are at risk. Prolonged hot and dry conditions fueled the two largest wildfires in state history, leading to damaging post-fire flooding.

These grants will help nonprofit organizations pursue federal funding to address some of the more extensive agricultural land issues facing the state, such as the loss of agricultural land. According to a recent USDA NASS study from 1997-2017, New Mexico’s pastureland & rangeland declined by 4.6 million acres (-11%), cropland lost 353,601 acres (-16%), woodland lost 28,642 acres (-1%), and irrigated land declined by 178,582 acres or -22%.

Funding for these grants has been made possible through the Support for Pursuing Federal Funds Grant Program, which launched in early 2022. Anchorum St. Vincent, Thornburg Foundation and Santa Fe Community Foundation have partnered to provide rapid response grants for nonprofits in the sectors of Food & Agriculture, Water Resources Management, and Health & Social Determinants of Health. This critical funding aids New Mexico nonprofits in securing federal funds through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for local communities that need it most.

This is the second round of funding provided for this effort. In April 2022, over $50,000 was awarded to four New Mexico food & agriculture non-profits: Three Sister’s Kitchen, One Generation, Center of Southwest Culture, and Western Landowners Alliance.

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About the Thornburg Foundation

Thornburg Foundation is a family foundation that makes grants in the areas of good government reform, K-12 education, agriculture reform, water policy, and community funding. We work to catalyze high-impact outcomes using evidence to understand and solve systemic problems, engage stakeholders to drive policy reform, and create meaningful and lasting change.

The post Thornburg Foundation Announces Additional Round of Grants for Local Food & Agriculture appeared first on Thornburg Foundation.

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For more information, contact Baylee Rawson, DFA Public Information Officer, baylee.rawson1@state.nm.us

The New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration serves New Mexico through fiscal management support for state agencies, local governments, and community-based programs to achieve responsible and quality fiscal services for all New Mexicans.

The post Census Bureau Verifies Complete Count for New Mexico in 2020 Census appeared first on Thornburg Foundation.

A collective of Northern New Mexico foundations—including the Thornburg Foundation,  Thoma Foundation, and the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Foundation— provided nearly $1 million in grants to support The Golden Apple Scholars in New Mexico, a program that will help alleviate the state’s urgent teacher shortages. The Scholars program creates a new teacher pipeline in New Mexico that recruits the earliest stage of aspiring teachers, high school seniors through college sophomores. 

“Over the 30-year history of our Scholars program, we have helped 2,000 students become teachers. We are grateful to these generous foundations that deeply care about the teacher shortage crisis for their support in bringing our program to New Mexico,” said Alan Mather, President of Golden Apple. 

The Scholars program provides a robust support network with paid professional development, classroom teaching experience, job placement support, and a participation stipend. Award-winning New Mexico teachers will also mentor scholars as they go through the program. 

Across New Mexico, school districts are struggling with a multi-year teacher shortage crisis. A 2021 report from the New Mexico State University’s Southwest Outreach Academic Research Evaluation & Policy Center found over 1,000 vacant teaching positions, nearly double the number of vacancies in 2020.  

“An overwhelming body of research demonstrates the critical influence of effective educators on student achievement, especially when it comes to supporting students of color and those from low-income families,” said Allan Oliver, Executive Director of the Thornburg Foundation. “Efforts like the Scholars program are part of the long-term solution to both the current teacher shortage and successful educational outcomes for future New Mexico students.”

As a nonprofit, Golden Apple programs are sustained by investments by grants, private donors, and government support. 

“We are excited to be partnering with Golden Apple in collaboration with so many other local funders who see value in finding a long-term solution to New Mexico’s teacher shortage,” said Holly Harrison, Thoma Foundation Director. “We especially appreciate Golden Apple’s attention to the challenge of teacher retention in non-metro areas of the state, and that their model provides the support that rural teachers need to succeed and thrive.”

“The LANL Foundation recently completed a research project on teacher retention that interviewed or surveyed over 740 teachers and 565 students from 32 Northern New Mexico districts,” said Jenny Parks, President and CEO of the LANL Foundation. “From our research we know that teacher recruitment and retention is imperative for the future of excellent schools in Northern New Mexico.  Our investment in Golden Apple will help address this problem by supporting workforce development in one of the most rewarding careers ever: teaching.” 

New Mexico residents who are high school seniors, freshmen or sophomores in college, or enrolled in community college are eligible to apply now at www.goldenapple.org/scholars-new-mexico. Referrals of students from community members are also encouraged. Referrals may be made by visiting www.goldenapple.org/refer-a-scholar

Additional support for the program was made available by the W.K.Kellogg Foundation and the J.F. Maddox Foundation. 

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About Golden Apple

Golden Apple’s mission is to inspire, develop, and support teacher and school leader excellence, especially in schools-of-need. Our leading-edge preparation delivers exceptional teachers who make an impact. We help students thrive in the classroom and in life. Our vision is for every classroom to have a great teacher and to realize this, we are committed to making a material difference in resolving the teacher shortage throughout New Mexico. 

The post Northern New Mexico Foundations Give Nearly $1M to Support Teacher Recruitment  appeared first on Thornburg Foundation.

Final negotiations for the sale and transfer of The Lamplighter Inn at 2405 Cerrillos Road concluded Tuesday, May 10, setting the stage for renovation and development work to begin on the property. At the conclusion of the project, the former hotel will feature 58 units of affordable housing that will rent for $725 to $825 per month. Leases will be reserved for those earning 80 percent of the area median income (AMI) or less, and 25% of the units will be set aside for those with special needs who require supportive services to remain stably housed.

The hotel was purchased for $3.2 million by Bella Luz Apartments 2022 LLLP, a partnership between The JL Gray Company and Anchorum St. Vincent, with Anchorum St. Vincent serving as the majority owner. The team is currently in talks to bring on an additional mission-aligned nonprofit organization whose model is well suited for long-term property ownership. Once selected, this nonprofit partner will hold a majority stake and will ultimately have the opportunity to become the property’s sole owner in twenty years at the end of the compliance period.

“We are pleased to see this project take this important step forward,” said Jerry Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Anchorum St. Vincent. “We are equally pleased that this was truly a community undertaking. We are working together across multiple organizations, with our elected officials, and with local and state agencies to address affordable housing—one of the most pressing issues we face as a city and as a region.”

Key operational partners on the initiative include Anchorum St. Vincent, The JL Gray Company, The Life Link, and the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness. Funding for the purchase and conversion is provided by Anchorum St. Vincent, Santa Fe County, The City of Santa Fe, New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA), Santa Fe Community Foundation, and the Thornburg Foundation.

“Hotel conversions are a cost-effective and timely way to address our region’s housing shortage,” explained Katherine Miller, Santa Fe County Manager. “This is one of many tools we are deploying to address the housing needs of our residents, and to ensure that everyone who calls Santa Fe home has a safe place to sleep.”

Mayor Alan Webber added that the Lamplighter conversion aligns with the city’s priority to develop affordable housing. “This project is another step in our ongoing commitment to provide affordable housing for Santa Fe residents,” said Webber. “Working in concert with our partners, we’re excited about helping to produce 58 living units on a fast-track basis.”

Neighbors and community members are invited to attend a virtual public meeting on Wednesday, May 25 at 5:30pm to learn more about the project. More information and a Zoom link are available at s3santafehousinginitiative.org/lamplighter/.

About S3 Housing Initiative

The S3 Santa Fe Housing Initiative is a collaborative of organizations that share an overwhelming desire to protect and provide safe, secure housing for our most vulnerable residents, as well as affordable, stable housing for all community members. This collaboration is made possible by generous contributions from Anchorum St. Vincent, Santa Fe Community Foundation, Thornburg Foundation, McCune Charitable Foundation, City of Santa Fe, and Santa Fe County. For more information, visit s3santafehousinginitiative.org/.

About The Lamplighter Initiative

The Lamplighter Initiative is a collaborative hotel renovation project to create more affordable housing for the residents of Santa Fe. It is made possible by the following partners and funders.

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Santa Fe, NM —  The Thornburg Foundation is awarding a total $50,000 in grants to four New Mexico food & agriculture non-profits: Three Sister’s Kitchen, One Generation, Center of Southwest Culture, and Western Landowners Alliance. The grants will aid these nonprofits in accessing federal funding available under programs such as the Farmers Market Promotion Program, Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program, and Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities. Each grantee’s proposal directly supports farmers and ranchers with technical assistance resources and strives to create new market opportunities for those producers across New Mexico. The combined total leverage amount of public and private funds sought is an estimated $128,000,000.

“The recent influx of federal funding is unprecedented,” said Allan Oliver, Executive Director of the Thornburg Foundation. “We want to respond in a way that ensures nonprofits in New Mexico have a viable opportunity to pursue these new funds so that they can be used to improve the lives of our fellow New Mexicans. Unfortunately, New Mexico growers make about $35,000 less annually than the average U.S. farmer. This first round of grants will directly benefit our state’s local farming and ranching communities and help build sustainable local food systems.” 

These grants are offered through the Support for Pursuing Federal Funds Grant Program, which launched earlier this spring. Anchorum St. Vincent, Thornburg Foundation and Santa Fe Community Foundation have joined together to provide rapid response grants for nonprofits in the sectors of Food & Agriculture, Water Resources Management, and Health & Social Determinants of Health. This critical funding aids New Mexico nonprofits in securing federal funds for local communities that need it most.

About Thornburg Foundation

Thornburg Foundation is a family foundation that makes grants in the areas of good government reform, early childhood education, agriculture reform, water policy, and community funding. We work to catalyze high-impact outcomes using evidence to understand and solve systemic problems, engage stakeholders to drive policy reform, and create meaningful and lasting change.

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