PY21-New-Mexico-Service-Site-Descriptions

FoodCorps New Mexico Service Site Descriptions   Below you will find detailed descriptions of all of the service sites located across New Mexico Each description includes details about the community where the service site is based, the overall work and mission of the organization, and what an incoming service member can expect to on a day-to-day basis We hope this document will help you to best determine where you are most interested in serving! Please note that this is a list of FoodCorps service sites in the 2020-2021 year and is likely to change for the 2021-2022 service term Some of the sites listed here may no longer host service members next year, and new sites may come on board SouthWest Organizing Project (SWOP)  Albuquerque, NM    Community Description The SouthWest Organizing Project (SWOP) is located in Albuquerque, NM The communities in which they  work are very diverse, with lots of poverty, and many tight knit extended families with multiple family  households There are many young people dealing with a lot of issues Albuquerque is a very urban  community with lots of refugee and international families The International District, located in southeast  Albuquerque hosts our Project Feed the Hood community garden, which is about to start its 11th growing  season.  Organization Description Project Feed the Hood is the food justice and education initiative of Southwest Organizing Project They  work to empower communities to work for racial and gender equality and social and economic justice.  FoodCorps is key to our increased capacity at our school programming Our work with Foodcorps is based  on our goals of providing food access and leadership development opportunities for youth and their  families.     Service Activities Description SWOP’s FoodCorps members will assist with Whittier Elementary's after-school programming, garden club  and nutrition education This member will also assist with work and workshops at SWOP's International  District community garden.    Skills, Interest, Knowledge Preferences   Restorative justice background, established farmer training and community organizing skills Having their  own transportation would be ideal It would be helpful if an applicant could speak Spanish, Swahili,  Vietnamese, and/or Arabic.      Albuquerque Public Schools Wellness Dept - APS  School Gardens  Albuquerque, NM    Community Description Two thirds of our students are Hispanic and nearly two out of 10 students are English Language Learners.  We also serve many students in need: two thirds of our students qualify for the federal school lunch  program and more than 70 of our schools have been identified as high poverty Title I schools that qualify  for federal funding APS has selected two new schools Hawthorn Elementary and Rudolfo Anaya  Elementary for the service member to serve at in 2020-2021.   Some factors used for consideration:  ● Required by FoodCorps: At least 50% of the student population are eligible for the free breakfast  and lunch program In many schools, 100% of the school population is eligible.  ● Title I Schools - must be identified at 40% or higher economically disadvantaged.  ● Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) schools  ● Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) schools  Organization Description Albuquerque Public Schools is among the top 40 largest school district in the nation and the largest in New  Mexico, serving nearly 84,000 students in 143 schools scattered across nearly 1,200 square miles Our  students live in the city of Albuquerque and the towns of Corrales and Los Ranchos; the counties of  Bernalillo and Sandoval; and the pueblos of Isleta and Laguna Another 7,100 students attend  APS-authorized charter schools.    Two-thirds of our students are Hispanic and 16.6 percent are English Learners We also serve many  students in need: nearly two-thirds qualify for the federal school meals program Another 17 percent of  students have disabilities The district continues to experience a surge in monolingual immigrants and an  increasing concentration of refugee families With this concentration of poverty comes exceptional  challenges in providing all students with an education that prepares them for college and career.  The Superintendent established top Five Priorities for all grades throughout the district:  • Early Learning - Essential and the foundation for school readiness in developing literacy, numeracy skills,  and social and emotional skills.  • College and Career Readiness - Students obtaining the academic and technical knowledge necessary for a  career beyond the classroom.  • The Whole Child - Ensuring every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.  • Attendance - Preventing and reducing chronic absenteeism.  • Family and Parent Engagement - Promoting positive and enduring change for children, families and  community.    Many APS students miss or struggle in school because there are other things going on in their lives  including hunger, unemployment, poverty, illness, trauma, or lack of transportation The Whole Child  approach includes policies, practices, and relationships that ensure each child, in each school, in each  community, is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.  The FoodCorps program will help us connect students to healthy food and to school gardens to learn  through experience about the cultivation of food According to the Centers for Disease Control, healthy  students are better learners! Poor nutrition, lack of physical activity and an overall unhealthy lifestyle can  lead to poor academic achievement in children Studies have shown that healthy children get better  grades, attend school more often and behave better in class.    Service Activities Description Hands-On Learning: The service member will plan and implement learning lessons appropriate to  students’ ages and grade levels They will utilize FoodCorps information and resources including trainings,  lesson plans and support from the Program Manager and other service members The service member,  after delivering lessons, will reflect on what worked and what did not work and, if necessary, modify lesson  plans Whenever possible they will promote diversity within the lessons.    Healthy School Meals – The Coordinated School Health Department meets monthly with the Executive  Director of the Food and Nutrition Services Department (FNSD) The Site Supervisor will introduce the  service member to FNSD leadership, area managers and the school cafeteria managers to build a positive  working relationship with the school food staff The service member will work directly with the school  cafeteria manager to offer food-tasting opportunities and messaging about healthy eating.    School-wide Culture of Health – The service member will provide an “Introduction to FoodCorps”  presentation for school staff at the beginning of the school year They will participate in the school  health/wellness/garden committees, if such teams exist Some schools hold family events in the evenings  and the service member will be encouraged to participate to provide healthy eating information, food  tasting or other related activities.    Skills, Interests, Knowledge Preferences Experience teaching elementary age or middle school students with the ability to plan, implement and  modify lesson plans Having your own transportation is required It would be helpful for applicants to  speak Spanish.         Bernalillo Public Schools  Bernalillo and Algodones, NM    Community Description Bernalillo Public Schools (BPS) serves a diverse New Mexico community that is rich with history and  culture Several early Pueblo and Spanish colonial sites, some dating back almost a thousand years, are  nearby The Rio Grande River winds through the heart of the school district and the Sandia Mountains rise  to the east Our district consists of a population of 2990 students who learn in a safe, secure and  stimulating environment Bernalillo Public Schools serves the communities of Algodones, Bernalillo,  Placitas, Pena Blanca, Sile and the Native American Pueblos including Cochiti, Santo Domingo, San Felipe,  Santa Ana, Sandia, Zia and Jemez The District has approximately 1,375 Native American children (320  BHS, 193 Algodones Elementary, 219 Cochiti Elementary/Middle School, 139 Bernalillo Middle School, 95  Bernalillo Elementary School, 315 Santo Domingo Elementary/Middle School, 87 Carroll Elementary, 7  Placitas Elementary School) Pre K-12th grade according to our last count for the 2015-2016 school year.  Organization Description Bernalillo Public Schools is made up of (10) schools One high school, three middle schools and six  elementary schools The total enrollment for the district is 2990 The elementary, which includes Preschool  is 1690, middle school is 520 and high school is 780 We have Bilingual programs with Spanish and Keres  classes and special education programs With the surrounding Tribal communities, it is important that we  bring the culture into our schools One way of doing that would be to provide programs such as FoodCorps  into the district and our schools.    Service Activities Description The service members will serve students at Bernalillo Middle School(6-8) and Algodones Elementary (Pre-K  - 4th) We would want the service members to provide lessons on healthy eating, start a garden, work with  the communities that surround the school Possibly cook meals with the students The district works  closely with the surrounding communities and we have Impact Aid meetings monthly and would like for  the service members to give updates on how they are working within the schools and ask how the  communities can help in the schools that would be to bring in the community to work with the children  and bring in their traditions and culture so all students can learn, not just our Native American students.    Skills, Interests, Knowledge Preferences ● Knowledge of the students represented by the district (Hispanic, Native American) ● Have worked with farming or gardening ● Works well with students ● Helpful if speaks Spanish and/or Keres ● Having own transportation is helpful La Plazita Institute  Albuquerque, NM    Community Description LPI service members serve Albuquerque's most vulnerable youths and their families Most of our  participants are of Hispanic/Latino, Chicano, and Native American heritage, are previously incarcerated  and/or gang involved, and come from families with multi-generational legacies of poverty, gang  involvement, trauma, physical and substance abuse, and addiction.  Organization Description   La Plazita Institute, Inc is a non-profit grassroots organization in Albuquerque, NM La Plazita engages New  Mexico's youth, elders and communities in a comprehensive, holistic and cultural approach Designed  around the philosophy of La Cultura Cura or culture heals, La Plazita's programs engages New Mexico's  youth, elders and communities to draw from their own roots and histories to express core traditional  values of respect, honor, love, and family.    Since 2004, LPI has provided cultural healing services to Albuquerque's most vulnerable youth, adult  populations and their families Most of our participants are of Hispanic/Latino, Chicano, and Native  American heritage, are previously incarcerated and/or gang involved, and come from families with  multi-generational legacies of poverty, gang involvement, and substance abuse addiction.    There is an enormous need for this work as our population tends to fall through the cracks of conventional  social service institutes We provide whole family, culturally appropriate support to facilitate healing and  development of core identify and self-esteem LPI is a cultural hub for urban Native American families who  attend weekly Inipi ceremonies, language, arts, and crafts programs.    La Plazita has made huge strides in establishing a significant footprint in the South Valley and throughout  the state of New Mexico in reducing violence, addiction, incarceration and recidivism amongst the most  overrepresented youth and adults in detention and those considered high-risk populations within the  community.    The seeds, successes and sustainability achieved in strengthening the social, physical and cultural capital  of the South Valley, can be attributed to the expertise and diligence of La Plazita staff, community  leadership, volunteers and students, as well as funding support provided by many public and private  donors and community partners committed to LPI's mission and vision In addition, collective impact,  coalition building, systemic and social change are central to the efforts La Plazita Institute is engaged in.    Organizational Goals:  Improve the health and well-being of Latino/Chicano, Native American youth and adult inmates through  traditional cultural services, and facilitate healing, core identity and self-efficacy.    Reduce incarceration, recidivism risk and adjudication of Latino/Chicano and Native American youth and  adult inmates through innovative, drug-free income generating activities that promote entrepreneurship,  art and educational development of high risk area youth and inmates by increasing the exposure of these  individuals and families to LPI activities.    Increase the organizational capacity of La Plazita to sustain its healing services while retaining its  community-based and indigenous healing philosophy.    Reduce race-based and ethnic disparities of Latino/Chicano and Native American inmates through  engagement in critical prevention work and systemic policy efforts collaboratively with local, state and  national stakeholders Such strategies include reducing the school to prison pipeline through development  and implementation of culturally appropriate strategies and best practices to reform the juvenile justice  system and address key barriers for Chicano/Hispanic and Native youth and families.    Service Activities Description Native American Community Academy-Members will apply the FoodCorps Curriculum to teach K-12  students how to make healthier food choices and will also impact and create a school wide culture of  health by providing important support in teaching healthy food workshops, classes and school garden  activities.    Bernalillo County Youth Detention Center School-Native American Community Academy-Members will  apply the FoodCorps Curriculum to teach K-12 students how to make healthier food choices and will also  impact and create a school wide culture of health by provided important support in teaching healthy food  workshops, classes and school garden activities.    Skills, Interests, Knowledge Preferences Works well within a school environment and Bernalillo County Detention Center Works well with youth  who are currently adjudicated Able to work with outdoor gardening area, and travel for special events  concerning La Plazita Institute Helpful if applicant has their own transportation and can speak Spanish.                     La Semilla Food Center  Anthony, NM    Community Description The Paso del Norte (PdN) region is a culturally diverse area rich in tradition, with a population reflecting  Mexican, Indigenous, and European backgrounds The region includes Doña Ana County, the city of Las  Cruces- the urban heart of southern New Mexico, and the state's second largest city with 101,324 residents-  and crosses the Texas state line to include El Paso, Texas, delineated by the U.S.-Mexico border and Ciudad  Juarez 40 miles to the south.    Las Cruces and El Paso both feature vibrant opportunities for dining, entertainment, theater, farmers' and  crafts markets, community events, etc Service members at La Semilla have access to two universities, New  Mexico State University (NMSU) and University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), as well as two community  colleges, El Paso Community College (EPCC) and Dona Ana Community College (DACC) for opportunities in  continuing education, graduate school, and ample programs and events open to the community.    Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy hiking, biking, rock climbing and camping on vast public lands throughout  the region including the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, White Sands National  Monument, Dona Ana Mountains, Franklin Mountains State Park, Hueco Tanks State Park, Gila Wilderness  Area and many others.    Organization Description La Semilla's mission is to create a fair, sustainable, healthy local food system in the Paso del Norte region  of southern New Mexico and El Paso, Texas We are a social change organization focused on root causes of  inequity in the food system and our work happens through programming and policy work We work  through food access, education, and community based economic development, focusing on getting food  and farm-based resources and capital to communities that have historically been divested of those  resources Our programming includes a 14 acre community farm, a mobile farmers market bus, community  cooking and gardening education, school based edible education, food and farm business development  and policy advocacy.    La Semilla works diligently at identifying young leaders in our community and offering mentorship and  leadership development to help their roles grow within our organization and community In addition to  their role within our Edible Education Program, FoodCorps service members have opportunities to  participate in and learn about all of La Semilla's programs that interest them or align with their career  aspirations These opportunities include healthy food policy, direct food marketing, program  development, community health, small-scale diversified vegetable farming, and developing their own farm  or food business through La Semilla's workshops, among others.    FoodCorps service members have been integral to developing our Edible Education Program in local  schools Our Edible Education Program is currently staffed by former FoodCorps service members who  have grown our program based on the experience and training the were afforded during FoodCorps and  placement at La Semilla La Semilla tremendously values the commitment individuals make to our  community through FoodCorps service, and the training opportunities it provides service members both  through national and state professional development Several FoodCorps service members have  completed their terms and been offered full time employment at La Semilla Currently, a total of former  FoodCorps service members are employees of La Semilla, representing 1/3 of our current staff.  Service Activities Description In the current 2019-2020 school year, La Semilla's Edible Education Program is serving 30 schools who are  actively participating in school garden, classroom cooking, and nutrition education Because we serve a  large, rural region spanning from Hatch, New Mexico, to El Paso Texas, which encompasses four major  school districts, we typically like to see who our service members are before we make final determinations  of schools where they will be serving in order to reduce commute times and ensure service members feel  that they are serving at schools in their own communities Currently, we have one service member serving  at one school in the Gadsden Independent School District (GISD), North Valley Elementary and one school  in Las Cruces Public Schools (LCPS), Valley View Elementary Our second service member lives in Juarez,  MX and is serving at two schools in El Paso Independent School District (EPISD), Rusk Elementary and  Cooley Elementary.    All of the schools in our program have functioning school gardens and will have access to Edible Education  program activities such as classroom cooking through our farm box program, professional development  training for teachers and on-site technical garden assistance We place service members at schools in order  to strengthen relationships, improve teacher's skills and confidence in growing and teaching in the school  garden, and reinvigorate Edible Education programming as a whole at these schools Programming at  some schools lose momentum when there are key teacher and administration changes and Food Corps  service members bring enthusiasm and support to schools that has proven to be very successful in  maintaining teacher participation and buy-in.    FoodCorps Service Members placed at schools support hands-on learning by co-teaching in 2-4  classrooms per school In these classrooms FoodCorps service members will connect teachers with La  Semilla, FoodCorps, and other Farm to School resources, design and co-teach lessons, guide school teams  on garden planning and provide necessary supplies to ensure the school garden is successful Through  hands-on activities in school gardens, classrooms, and cafeterias, FoodCorps service members serve a  healthy role models for students and teachers.    We are excited about FoodCorps Service Member's role in supporting Healthy School Meals at each of their  school sites Both GISD and LCPS are participating in Farm to School programming through NM PED to  strengthen local sourcing in both school districts La Semilla plays an active role in the education and  promotion of these efforts in the school cafeterias where we offer programming as well as provide lessons  and materials district wide In addition to the progress around procurement being made at both school  districts, each district has exciting improvement in other arenas This year, GISD increased the number of  salad bars to ensure there was one in every school district wide, and a Food Corps service member piloted  a Garden to Cafeteria program at one school in Las Cruces and is creating a protocol that can be used at  future sites This progress means there is a new, more active role for FoodCorps Service Members in  participating in, and promoting healthy school meals and locally-sourced produce in cafeterias Formerly,  this has been one of our weakest areas as a FoodCorps service site and we are excited by these new  opportunities.    Finally, FoodCorps Service Members will work with school teams to promote a Schoolwide Culture of  Health where the healthy choice is the easy choice for teachers, students and staff In September 2020, La  Semila's FoodCorps Service Members will meet with schools to complete the FoodCorps Healthy School  Progress Report to set goals and guide their service plan at the school Food Corps will continue to meet  with their team of teachers throughout the year to check in on goals and make recommendations to more  easily enact a schoolwide culture of health La Semilla is excited to work in conjunction with school  districts to identify gaps in awareness about healthy school programs and resources available to schools,  teachers, and students and to be developing new resources promoting all of the healthy living and  wellness initiatives available at individual schools and throughout districts and our communities.  FoodCorps Service Members will be primarily working to implement efforts at the school-level, and their  perspective and experience provides valuable information to La Semilla staff working to implement larger  district-wide improvements.    Skills, Interests, Knowledge Preferences La Semilla Food Center works in partnership with many great organizations in our region, however, La  Semilla's unique programming offers a whole systems approach to creating a more fair, self-reliant food  system For this reason, we are able to offer resources and opportunities to FoodCorps service members  with a wide range of interests including farming, small business development, youth education from K-12,  policy, and others Therefore, we view FoodCorps service as an opportunity to provide valuable training,  travel, connection and expertise to individuals in our community who might not otherwise have access to  this type of unique experience We prefer candidates who express an interest in gardening, working with  youth, nutrition, food justice, cooking, etc however prior experience in these are not required We seek  candidates who are able to communicate in Spanish, and have grown up in this area or have demonstrated  a commitment to the community We hope that a year of service with FoodCorps at La Semilla Food Center  will open doors to individuals in our community and give them resources to further pursue their interests.  Having own transportation is required.     Santa Fe Indian School (SFIS)  Santa Fe, NM    Community Description The academic program at SFIS includes the high school program and the middle school program The high  school program and the middle school program both provide a strong academic preparation for future  endeavors with support from other initiatives to enrich student educational experiences Academic goals  focus on graduating students who are college and career ready, while maintaining Native American  cultural values, building strong partnerships with both students and their parents, providing safe learning  environments for students and staff, improving communication among stakeholders, and maintaining  academic accreditation as one measure of the school’s commitment to scholastic achievement.    Organization Description Santa Fe Indian School Mission: The Ideal Graduate  Santa Fe Indian School Graduates will understand the issues facing tribes in the Southwest and will be  committed to maintaining Native American cultural values They will participate in the culture of their  communities, and will have the skills to pursue the education or careers that will benefit them, their  families and their people These skills will include:  -Creative problem solving, using the analysis of complex problems, the synthesis of collected data, and the  communication of clear solutions;  -Critical, confident, independent and interdependent lifelong learning;  -Working productivity with all types of people and making good choices.    A FoodCorps member will bring value to our organization’s mission and broader work by enabling us to  further integrate the Food Services department with academic programming, extend student learning  regarding gardening and agricultural life ways, provide more consistent attention to nutrition and healthy  eating and support our school's Farm to School movement.    Service Activities Description Hands on Learning -Collaborate with Middle School Science classrooms to design, build and care for raised bed gardens -Collaborate with Middle School academics and Food Services to harvest and utilize fruits from mature fruit trees on campus -Help coordinate with Food Services and student groups to organize and implement student cooking activities Health School Meals -Collaborate with Student Wellness Director and Food Services team to plan and implement professional development trainings for staff regarding Farm to School initiatives, local fresh produce vendors, local agricultural products, nutrition and healthy Whole Foods -Utilize Food Services Dining hall as location for student exhibitions, tastings, etc to further integrate Food Services with Academic programming -Help expand palette of school community by introducing new fruits and vegetables, pre-Columbian Indigenous foods and more whole unprocessed foods Schoolwide Culture of Health -Support and expand existing composting activities in Food Services program -Support the development and implementation of Schoolwide events emphasizing healthy eating Skills, Interests, Knowledge Preferences -Food Gardening (in arid climates) -Southwest native plants -Exuberance for working with middle school aged students -Ability to collaborate and work well with a variety of stakeholders -Familiarity with New Mexico tribes and communities -Interest in nutrition and healthy cooking and eating -Interest in pre-Colombian Indigenous foods (optional) -Interest in Native Food Sovereignty (optional) -Having own transportation is required               South Valley Preparatory School (SVP)  Albuquerque, NM    Community Description South Valley Prep is located in the south east sector of the City of Albuquerque, it is surrounded by several  industrial businesses and is located in a culturally rich part of Albuquerque, identified as East San Jose The  area is identified as being socio-economically challenged and has a population that is of high minority.  There are three elementary schools in the area, as well as three local community centers utilized by our  SVP students and families SVP is the only Charter Middle School in the area.    Organization Description The mission of South Valley Preparatory School (SVP) is to provide a small, safe and unique family learning  community where students are prepared for high school and beyond The Charter school provides  instruction to approximately 156 students The FoodCorps mission will bring value to our organization by  providing daily curriculum to our students, 6-8th grade on curriculum instruction in the topic area of  healthy foods, cooking, hands on activities, and demonstration The entire school wide culture will be  impacted by this service member's participation in our overall program The FoodCorps member will  collaborate to build a healthy and strong cultural awareness about healthy foods, school gardening, and  assisting with current initiatives for student service learning opportunities with local partners SVP is a  school that will benefit from a full time designated member to facilitate in collaboration with students and  community the expansion of our community gardens, assist with planning and creating a sufficient site  based hoop house and collaborate with our City of Albuquerque, Senior Affairs Nutrition Program to create  a new garden for the community at large The member will be required to fulfill the majority of duties  designated as a member with local supports at the school site.    Service Activities Description The service member will primarily be working at the SVP school site, Monday-Friday during school hours.  The member will support current community service learning initiatives for all grade levels that involve the  larger community as well as the onsite expansion of the school garden There will be opportunities for the  member to work with non-profit local partners and stakeholders to educate and promote the FoodCorps  projects 1)The FoodCorps member will be hands-on providing direct activities and instruction for students  as it relates to the focus areas of service in and out of the classroom setting, this will include the SVP  Cooking Club and Gardening Club 2)The FoodCorps member will experience and contribute to the  development of our new 2019/2020 onsite cafeteria, this could include utilizing various kitchen resources  and overall nutrition education for students and families 3)The FoodCorps member will contribute daily  inside various classroom settings to the healthy food culture and consciousness at SVP Traditionally we  have catered student lunches with an all organic menu, primarily non-meat dishes and organic foods, this  healthy approach to school meals will continue with the support of the FoodCorps member Taste tests  and creating of menus for cooking club will be expected The FoodCorps member will nurture and  celebrate the values we have instilled in the current nutrition program at SVP by identifying and measuring  the success of the changes and growth patterns in our students, as well as report our regularly to the  educational community, including parents and stakeholders.    Skills, Interests, Knowledge Preferences It will be helpful for applicants to have gardening experience, watering, maintenance and harvesting.  Some knowledge and experience teaching or working directly with middle school students Strong  communication skills, including social media marketing Bilingual preferred (Spanish) and organized and  timely with efforts Having your own transportation is helpful.