The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions handed out its first-ever “Future Ready Leader” Innovation Award this May. The award didn’t go to a single organization, but rather to the collective work of 21 philanthropic, corporate, and state partners collaborating to expand access to meaningful student experiences in northern New Mexico. The Thornburg Foundation is a proud supporter of the Northern New Mexico Pathways to Opportunity Strategy Table, which received recognition for the launch of the Northern New Mexico Youth Fund. The Youth Fund offers an exemplary model for what “meaningful student experiences” can look like when an idea moves off the page and directly into communities.  

Launched in 2025, the Youth Fund pools resources from 21 philanthropic, corporate, and state partners to build work-based learning and career training pathways for “opportunity youth”— young people ages 16-24 who are disconnected from both school and the workforce. The LANL Foundation serves as a backbone organization, running meetings, coordinating partners, and handling grant administration, allowing funders to focus on the design of the fund.  

One of the Youth Fund’s most innovative design principles is a collaborative decision-making model that centers youth voice. In 2025, a Regional Youth Advisory Council (RYAC) made up of engaged young people from northern New Mexico worked alongside Strategy Table members to distribute $1.85 million in grants to 19 community-based organizations, tribal communities, and school districts across the region — serving more than 800 young people by June 2026. Year 2 fundraising has already cleared $3.2 million. 

The Thornburg Foundation’s education strategy treats “meaningful student experiences” as one of two pillars in its theory of change, alongside the development of a thriving educator ecosystem. The Foundation has long supported career-connected learning experiences, including systems that foster strong, evidence-based career and technical education. A systematic review from the American Institutes of Research demonstrates students who participate in career and technical education, work-based learning, and internships during high school are far more likely to graduate, often ready to join the workforce or continue on to college. 

The Youth Fund is a strong model for regional collaboration, capable of connecting a community’s needs to the programs that deliver meaningful learning experiences for its students. Several elements contribute to its success: 

• Relevant learning experiences. Work-based learning and career training connect a young person’s effort to something real: a job, a credential, or a next step. 

• Youth voice as decision-making authority. The RYAC’s role in grant selection is a stronger version of “student voice” than most strategies attempt. Rather than a perfunctory survey asking youth what they want, the RYAC has real authority in the grantmaking process. 

• Capacity-building for grantees. Youth Fund grants come with technical assistance from United Way of Northern New Mexico, such as training in data collection, analysis, and storytelling to help synthesize grantees’ impact and build funder confidence that the investment is working. 

• Rural and tribal reach. The Youth Fund’s footprint extends meaningful-experience work into geographies that are hardest to serve, including rural and tribal communities that are often underfunded. 

• A funding model built for scale. Twenty-one partners pooling capital, with Year 2 fundraising already outpacing Year 1, points toward the kind of coordinated regional funding ecosystem that turns a single grant into a sustained pathway. 

The Thornburg Foundation’s support for the Northern New Mexico Youth Fund runs parallel to other efforts fostering meaningful student experiences. A recent grant to CommunityShare will help connect New Mexico schools with skilled community educators to co-design project-based learning experiences that reflect the communities in which students reside. Another grant to the Santa Fe School for the Arts and Sciences will begin to build public schools’ capacity to offer “expeditionary learning,” an instructional model centered on delivering core content standards through deep, semester-long explorations of topics relevant to students. 

The Youth Fund’s future looks bright as it enters Year 2 of its three-year pilot. For the Strategy Table, the work continues as members grow the pooled investment fund and continue outreach to new philanthropic and corporate funders. In time, the Thornburg Foundation is confident that the lessons learned from this pilot will help drive deeper systems change, becoming a permanent fixture of New Mexico’s support for meaningful student experiences statewide. 

The post The Northern New Mexico Youth Fund Paves the Way for Meaningful Student Experiences   appeared first on Thornburg Foundation.

The post Statewide Study Identifies Significant Opportunities to Strengthen Teacher Professional Learning in New Mexico appeared first on Thornburg Foundation.

By David W. Chen Photographs by Meridith Kohut

Federal budget cuts are hitting New Mexico hard, threatening critical services and programs across the state. A recent New York Times article highlights how these reductions could impact everything from education to infrastructure, leaving local leaders scrambling to fill the gaps. Thornburg Foundation’s survey and report, released in April, “Impact of Federal Funding Freeze on NM Philanthropic Sector,” provided statistics and insights about the real impact of the budget cuts to our nonprofit partners. The report was commissioned alongside Anchorum Health Foundation and Santa Fe Community Foundation.

Read the NYT Article

The post NYT: In One of the Country’s Poorest States, Crippling Budget Cuts Loom appeared first on Thornburg Foundation.

Photo credit: NM Community Trust
Press release: Stephanie Montoya Lobaugh | stephaniem@lanlfoundation.org

ESPAÑOLA, NM — The Northern New Mexico Pathways to Opportunity Strategy Table proudly announces the inaugural round of Youth Fund grant recipients, awarding over $1.4 million to 16 regional organizations committed to expanding career pathways for underserved young people. The Northern New Mexico Youth Fund, launched earlier this year, is the first pooled fund of its kind in the region, combining philanthropic, tribal, state, and federal resources to support equity-driven Career Technical Education (CTE) and Work-Based Learning (WBL) programs for young people ages 13 to 29. These programs are designed to help underserved young people – especially Opportunity Youth, Native American youth, young parents, and others facing systemic barriers – gain the skills, confidence, and opportunities they need to succeed.

The Youth Fund is a collaborative effort spearheaded by the Northern New Mexico Pathways to Opportunity Strategy Table, a coalition of 17 local, regional, and national partners coordinated by the LANL Foundation. Contributions from 12 funding partners now total $1.6 million, including approximately $1.1 million in philanthropic investments and $500,000 from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, which are administered by the New Mexico Community Trust.  Through a participatory grantmaking process that engaged underserved youth, funders, and community leaders, the Youth Fund selected 15 CTE/WBL projects and one regional resource hub from a highly competitive pool of 35 proposals submitted by nonprofits, schools, tribal entities, and youth-serving organizations from across Northern New Mexico.

“The launch of the Northern New Mexico Youth Fund is the realization of a dream many years in the making. It’s incredible to see so many like-minded partners come together to align not just funding, but a shared vision for investing in our region’s most valuable resource – our young people – and the organizations that support them. This is more than a grant cycle; it’s the beginning of long-term, transformational work. We are excited to see the impact these grantees will have and to continue building the momentum to grow both the number of partners and the financial support for the Youth Fund in the years to come.”   – Alvin Warren, Vice President of Policy and Impact for the LANL Foundation

“At NMCT, we believe that when philanthropy centers equity and collaboration, transformative change becomes possible. The Youth Fund represents a powerful example of what it looks like when communities, funders, and young people co-create solutions. We’re proud to be part of this growing movement to invest in youth potential, cultural strengths, and long-term opportunity across Northern New Mexico.” 
– Marissa Magallanez, COO New Mexico Community Trust

In addition to the programmatic grants, United Way of Northern New Mexico has been selected to serve as the sole regional resource hub, receiving a $100,000 grant to provide technical assistance, organize shared learning opportunities, and deliver capacity-building support for all grantees. The hub will help organizations implement programs effectively, strengthen collaboration, and secure additional public funding.

“We’re beyond thrilled to receive this award—and even more energized about what’s ahead! As the Northern New Mexico Youth Fund Resource Hub, United Way of Northern New Mexico is honored to uplift and empower our incredible grantees who are leading the way in work-based learning and career technical education. Together, we’re building a movement rooted in collaboration, equity, and real opportunities for youth and young adults across our region,” said Cindy Padilla, CEO.

2024 Northern New Mexico Youth Fund Grant Recipients

• Assistance Dogs of the West – $81,660 for an expanded student trainer work-based learning program.

• College and Career Plaza – $75,000 to connect high school students to paid, hands-on learning experiences.

• Forest Stewards Guild – $60,000 for the Forest Stewards Youth Corps wildland fire and forestry career program.

• Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship – $100,000 for the New Mexico Climate Justice Leadership Development Program focused on Indigenous youth.

• Moving Arts Española – $100,000 to expand Bowie’s Backstage, a career launchpad in culinary arts, agriculture, and digital media.

• Northern Youth Project – $100,000 for peer mentorship and hands-on internships rooted in traditional agriculture and community leadership.

• Peñasco Independent Schools – $81,600 to develop a new on-site work-based learning program.

• Pojoaque Valley School District – $75,000 to expand CTE offerings in the construction trades.

• Pueblo of Santa Ana Tamaya Wellness Center – $100,000 for the Tamaya Elite Sports, Education, and Leadership Program focused on esports, digital media production, coding, and personal development.

• River Source – $90,000 to provide green career training focused on watershed restoration and climate resilience.

• Rocky Mountain Youth Corps – $100,000 for an individual placement program connecting youth to careers in land management and public service.

• Santa Fe Dreamers Project – $60,000 for a paralegal internship program that expands immigration legal services.

• Santo Domingo Pueblo – $100,000 for the Skills for Success program, focused on culturally relevant vocational training in traditional arts.

• Trees, Water & People – $85,000 to enhance land management employment skills for Native American youth.
  
• YouthWorks – $100,000 for paid, hands-on job training in construction, culinary, and other fields focused on Opportunity Youth.
  
  
  
  The Northern New Mexico Youth Fund is supported by a diverse group of contributors, including the Anchorum Health Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions, The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, The Davis New Mexico Scholarship, The New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, The LANL Foundation, The Taos Community Foundation, The Thornburg Foundation, TRIAD National Security, United Way of North Central New Mexico, and The W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
  
  
  
  Press Release/Contact:
  
  Stephanie Montoya Lobaugh
  Communications Director
  stephaniem@lanlfoundation.org
  (505) 500-5730
  

The post Northern New Mexico Pathways to Opportunity Strategy Table Announces Youth Fund Grant Recipients appeared first on Thornburg Foundation.

By Margaret O’Hara mohara@sfnewmexican.com
 Jun 7, 2025 Updated Jun 9, 2025

Bob Wolf, a volunteer at The Food Depot, prepares bags of groceries during a food distribution effort last week. Jill Dixon, the group’s executive director, said recent cuts and changes to federal food programs left a $200,000 gap in the nonprofit’s planning budget.

Read the full article on the Santa Fe New Mexican

The post Foundations likely to see increased requests from New Mexico nonprofits after federal cuts appeared first on Thornburg Foundation.

Santa Fe, NM — A newly published report, “Impact of Federal Funding Changes on New Mexico’s Philanthropic Sector,” commissioned by the Thornburg Foundation, Santa Fe Community Foundation, and Anchorum Health Foundation, examines the effects of recent suspensions in federal funding on New Mexico’s nonprofit sector. Prepared by The Grant Plant Inc., the nonpartisan report highlights how these changes are impacting the state’s communities, particularly those most reliant on federal support, and explores ways philanthropy and policymakers can help organizations adapt. 

Impact of Federal Funding Changes on New Mexico’s Philanthropic Sector

[Download the Report]

The Grant Plant’s research shows that 37% of nonprofits in New Mexico rely on government grants—tying the state for the 6th highest rate in the nation. Given New Mexico’s disproportionately high per capita federal grant awards and the critical role nonprofits play in supporting rural, tribal, and immigrant communities, the state confronts a significant challenge in replacing this funding.

Included in the report is a 2025 survey of grantees across the three commissioning foundations. Over 200 respondents revealed a striking trend: 20% of organizations depend on federal grants for at least half of their funding, with youth and family services, housing, and environmental groups among the most reliant sectors. An additional pressing concern for all recipients is the disbursement of already obligated funds – in New Mexico, just 54% of committed federal funding for active awards has been paid out, leaving 46% in limbo.

Changes in federal funding are creating uncertainty for New Mexico’s nonprofits, making philanthropy’s role increasingly important. However, the research estimates that private foundations nationwide would need to increase giving by 282% to fully replace government grant funding for nonprofits.

“This report makes clear what many in New Mexico’s nonprofit sector already know—federal funding isn’t just a line item, it’s a critical investment into our communities,” said Allan Oliver, Thornburg Foundation President. “Shifts in federal funding will impact New Mexicans by affecting education programs, homelessness prevention, water infrastructure projects, food and farming programs and direct services to our communities. A coordinated, targeted approach by philanthropy, non-profits, and government is the best way to meet the moment.”

Christopher Goett, MSW, President & CEO of the Santa Fe Community Foundation, echoed the importance of the research, “In the face of shifting federal support, no single effort will meet the scale or complexity of what our communities are up against. This report is a call to work together across sectors, with urgency and compassion, to ensure New Mexicans and the nonprofits that serve them remain supported, resilient, and hopeful.”

The three foundations sponsored the report to examine the full impact of the federal funding freeze, assess nonprofit adaptations, and explore responses from philanthropy and policymakers. The data-driven research aims to inform decisions, guide investments, and target support for essential statewide services.

“It is more important than ever that we come together to support the nonprofits that serve our communities,” said Jerry Jones, President and CEO of Anchorum Health Foundation. “This report is a call to action for all of us—policymakers, funders, and local leaders. We must work collaboratively to ensure these vital organizations have the resources they need to continue serving New Mexicans.”

###

Founded in 1999, Thornburg Foundation is a family foundation based in Santa Fe that seeks to advance systems change that serves the public good. The Foundation uses an evidence-based strategic approach to make grants to nonprofits focused on K-12 Education, Water, Land and Agriculture, Good Government, and Homelessness. For more information on Thornburg Foundation’s policy funding, visit thornburgfoundation.org

Anchorum Health Foundation is dedicated to improving the conditions that have the greatest influence on the health and people in our region. We are committing our resources to strengthening community-based partners tackling critical local issues. For more information, visit anchorum.org

Since 1981, the Santa Fe Community Foundation has been dedicated to inspiring philanthropic generosity, strengthening nonprofits, and fostering positive change to build a more vibrant, healthy, and resilient region. Each year, we are proud to fund and collaborate with hundreds of local nonprofits, connect thousands of generous donors to giving opportunities, and support causes that make northern New Mexico a more equitable place for all. Learn more at santafecf.org

The post New Report Details Impacts of Federal Funding Freeze on New Mexico’s Nonprofits and Philanthropic Sector appeared first on Thornburg Foundation.

The post ConnectED Report Identifies Emerging Strategies for Effective Career Pathways in Rural NM appeared first on Thornburg Foundation.

The ways in which New Mexico pays, trains and supports principals is woefully outdated, and ineffective and needs to be overhauled, says a report commissioned by the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.

Among the recommendations in the report, presented to the Legislative Education Study Committee (LESC) in mid-November, is a complete reboot of principal preparation programs across the state. 

“Addressing principal licensure programs is the first step to a comprehensive strategy to building a statewide bench of effective leaders,” the report says. “Programs across the state often fail to reflect research-based components…Some traditional programs overemphasize “sit-and-get” learning while other programs offer inconsistent quality. As a result, many school leaders feel underprepared for the role, especially to lead schools that experience the greatest challenges in teaching and learning conditions.”

Some members of the LESC endorsed the licensure overhaul recommendation, but wondered whether the state’s universities have the capacity or desire to change.

“It’s really difficult sometimes to get our universities to shift one way or the other. They’re pretty set in their ways in a lot of areas,” State Sen. Gay Kernan, a Hobbs Republican, said during the LESC meeting.

The Chamber commissioned the report from Education Research and Development, a Massachusetts based research and policy consulting company. The organization has done similar work, most notably in Illinois, where it was well received.

Chamber President and CEO Terri Cole said it made sense for the Chamber to produce the report because “as business leaders we are naturally inclined to believe and understand that leadership is essential to continuous improvement and ultimately to the success of any organization.”

The report recommends that New Mexico “redesign and relaunch” principal preparation programs to “meet the challenge of adequate and equitable educational opportunities for schools as called for by the Martinez/Yazzie court ruling.”

Those programs should be offered state grants to start new programs “in line with evidence-based best practices, including a full-time residency requirement.”

There are several other notable recommendations in the report as well, including:

• An update of compensation systems to “incentivize interest in school leadership roles and improve retention.” Currently, principals aren’t paid enough for the additional skill, responsibilities, and stress required by leadership positions, the report says. There is also no incentive in principal pay for building leaders to “maintain knowledge and skills by engaging in continuous learning opportunities to maintain their license.”
• Better access for all principals to ongoing professional development. “The most common opportunities tend to be “one-shot” conferences and workshops that do not reflect best practices of sustained development over time with an emphasis on practicing new skills and receiving coaching,” the report says.
• Establishment by the state legislature of a statewide intensive mentoring program for all first-year principals.
• Increased state capacity to support school leaders. The report recommends that the New Mexico Public Education Department create an Office of School and District Leadership.  The report suggests that PED “could benefit from an external organization that advocates for a comprehensive, sustained, and rigorous focus on school leadership and aims to hold the State accountable to that mission.”
• The state’s philanthropies should “invest in an advocacy organization to hold all of state government – including executive agencies, the Legislature, and higher education institutions – accountable for deploying high-standards school leader programming that improves school and student performance.”

Los Lunas Schools Superintendent Arsenio Romero attended the LESC hearing and said he supported the report’s findings. Romero is also a New Mexico State University regent.

“Investing and developing our school leaders is crucial to the success and outcomes of our students,” Romero said. “By investing in the development of local school leaders not only do you get a better leader, you get a better school.”

Romero said he strongly believes in mentorship programs as a way to develop strong leaders. “Connection is key. Relationships are gold.  It is the fastest way to growth, success, and getting the outcomes we want.,” he said.

People need to push to see that this overhaul takes place, he said. “The idea that leaders grow when engaging in leadership training seems like common sense. And it is. Unfortunately, it is not common practice,” he said “New Mexico needs this to happen.  This will dramatically improve public education in the state.”

Read the original article here.

The post Albuquerque Chamber Report Backs Overhaul of Principal Preparation, Support appeared first on Thornburg Foundation.

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.

##

For more information about this speaker series, click here.

The post Grantee Spotlight: ECCOE Speaker Series appeared first on Thornburg Foundation.

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.

###

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.