ABQ-based Native American schools network wins award - ABQ Journal

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The Albuquerque-based Native American Community Academy Inspired Schools Network was recently named a winner in the My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge Competition.

The My Brother’s Keeper is an initiative of the Obama Foundation that seeks to adopt innovative approaches, strengthen support and build ladders of opportunity for boys and young men of color, according to a news release.

“Our youth leaders continue to inspire us all and make positive changes every day in their schools and communities – we are glad to have the support of the Obama Foundation,” Kara Bobroff, founding member of NACA and Executive Director of NACA Inspired Schools Network, said.

“It has been wonderful to work with our key community partners on the Obama Challenge,” she said. “Together we will continue to celebrate and advocate for Boys and Young Men of Color.”

The NACA Inspired Schools Network supports institutions providing rigorous academics designed for college preparation and those that promote Indigenous culture, according to its website.bright spot

My Brother’s Keeper picked 19 organizations or groups across 10 states and Puerto Rico expected to expand evidence-based initiatives to reduce youth violence, increase effective mentorship programs and improve the lives of boys and young men of color, organizers said in a news release.

The winning organizations will share more than $5 million in grants, direct technical assistance and evaluation support.

“This is a well-deserved recognition for NACA Inspired Schools Network – their efforts make Albuquerque stronger and highlight what makes our city special,” Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller said in a statement.

“As a My Brother’s Keeper partner, we look forward to continuing to work with this group to break down barriers and expand opportunities for young people in our Indigenous communities,” he said.

For more information and a list of New Mexico schools in the Native American Community Academy Inspired Schools Network, visit nacainspiredschoolsnetwork.org.

Kara Bobroff, founding member of NACA and Executive Director of NACA Inspired Schools Network.

NACA Featured on United States Department of Agriculture Newsletter Website

Native American Community Academy Breaks Ground on a New School Garden

November is Native American Heritage Month and a time to celebrate Native culture and traditions. That includes highlighting traditions that connect people to land and promoting the use of local foods. A school in Albuquerque, New Mexico is using its school garden to enhance both its nutritional and cultural curriculum while intersecting with history.  The Native American Community Academy (NACA) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, sits on the grounds of the old Albuquerque Indian Boarding School, originally opened in 1881.  Today, these grounds are still home to a school, but it is a school that embraces and encourages exploration and celebration of Native culture and traditions. 

NACA, established in 2006, is a charter school that connected with more than 150 community partners to focus on the education and support of Native American children attending the Albuquerque School District.  Today, 94 percent of the school’s roughly 460 students are Native American, representing over 60 different tribes.

NACA’s Executive Director, Anpao Duta Flying Earth, explains that the current school garden started as a collaborative effort with another local organization, the La Plazita Institute.  Duta Flying Earth acknowledged that there was room for improvement in their school lunch program, and this needed to be addressed quickly.  “As a school, we have a mission to address the holistic wellness of our students, and when the rate of diabetes and heart disease in our community is atrocious, we have an obligation to tackle these issues.” The  experiences created for students, through this partnership with La Plazita, were aimed at developing a relationship with the healthy food being grown and instilling lasting change for the whole family unit through the student.

The school’s partnership with La Plazita started small and flourished quickly.  Using buses and shuttles to transport NACA students out to the La Plazita grounds, 11th and 12th graders participated in a curriculum that teaches nutrition education using crops that have a strong connection with the heritage and culture of their ancestors. 

The next step will be to launch a new school garden site nearby.  NACA is now in negotiations to lease land that was originally part of federal trust land held by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, then transferred to the local Pueblo tribal conglomerate.  “The students are working on the planning of the new layout," says Duta Flying Earth. "They are involved in the soil testing to determine if we can plant directly into the ground or if we need to build raised beds, everything.  They are really getting their hands dirty,” explains Flying Earth

As to where he would like to see their program in five years, Duta Flying Earth would love to see the new garden completely sustained by students and the community, in partnership with organizations like Food Corps and La Plazita, so the facility can be productive year round.  They would also like to establish a kitchen facility on campus that can handle processing fresh produce on-site and to move away from the pre-packaged meals that they currently receive for their school lunch program.  But for today, the program, with its unique blend of nutrition education and the celebration of Native heritage, continues to move forward.

The Office of Community Food Systems has two fact sheets that promote and encourage Farm to School activities in Indian Country, among many other resources. The fact sheets Bringing Tribal Foods and Traditions into Cafeterias, Classrooms, and Gardens and Gardens in Tribal Communities can be downloaded on the FNS website