July 2026: Events, Updates, and Resources in the ABC Network

Have a resource, event, or something inspiring you want to share with the network?

Use this form to tell us more so we can include it in next month's newsletter.

---

Announcements & Updates

ABC Network Community Schools' End-of-Year Transformation Stories

An example of an ABC End-of-Year Community School Transformation Story from Van Buren Middle School

At the end of every school year, we work with Community School Coordinators to develop End-of-Year Transformation Story posters for each school in the ABC network. These posters offer a snapshot of the work and progress happening across Bernalillo County's community schools - capturing how each school is putting its theory of action into practice to improve conditions for student learning through strategic community partnerships and collaborative practices with stakeholders.

We invite you to browse the posters and learn more about the incredible work our community schools are doing by visiting the SharePoint link below, and keep an eye out for an update to our website as we work on creating easier access to these stories through their own page.

ABC End-of-Year Community School Transformation Stories

---

^🎉 Congratulations, NMPED Community School Grantees! ^🎉

This past spring, many of our community school coordinators submitted NMPED Community School grant applications for the upcoming fiscal year. We're incredibly proud of the high-quality work they put forward to represent their sites - and as always, they delivered. We'd also like to extend a special shoutout to administrators covering coordinator vacancies and to brand new community schools applying for the grant for the very first time!

We are pleased to share that the following schools were awarded their full amount requested, for a total sum of $1.21 million across all ABC-APS grantees:

• Alameda Elementary

• Alamosa Elementary

• Apache Elementary

• Carlos Rey Elementary

• Chamiza Elementary

• Edward Gonzales Elementary

• Garfield Middle

• Inez Elementary

• Kirtland Elementary

• La Mesa Elementary

• Lyndon B. Johnson Middle

• Lew Wallace Elementary

• Longfellow Elementary

• Los Ranchos Elementary

• Marie Hughes Elementary

• Matheson Park Elementary

• Mountain View Elementary

• Navajo Elementary

• Polk Middle

• Rudolfo Anaya Elementary

• Tres Volcanes Elementary

• Valle Vista Elementary

• Whittier Elementary

• Zuni Elementary

Key: Implementation Year 1 Implementation Year 2 Implementation Year 3 Renewal Planning

---

What We've Been Up To

BernCo Community Conversation to Inform Planning of New South Valley Park

In an ongoing series of community conversations to plan the design of a new park in the South Valley, Polk Middle School hosted BernCo's Department of Community School Innovation and Strategic Partnerships and Department of Parks and Recreation and Open Spaces. A total of 26 community members were in attendance to continue evaluating potential park sites and identifying priorities for future park amenities and programming.

So far, major themes that have emerged include residents' preferences for plenty of trees and shade structures, community-gathering amenities like food truck spaces, recreation features like playgrounds and walking paths, and community-centered programming.

As design progresses, these priorities should guide park development to create a welcoming space that serves residents of all ages and reflects the unique character of the South Valley community.

---

BernCo Hosts 3rd Annual 100% BernCo Thrives Summit

Ten surviving and thriving services

This year's BernCo Thrives Summit brought together over 150 community members to keep pushing forward on the ten surviving and thriving services (see graphic) for residents across the county.

At the Summit, attendees worked on action plans for the 100% Impact Teams, which center around the ten services, and left with renewed energy and excitement to continue this essential work.

We want to extend gratitude and kudos to our teammate and 100% Bernalillo project lead, Cynthia Grajeda-James, for planning another great Summit - and to the rest of our team and partners who helped make it a truly worthy investment of attendees' time!

If you would like to learn more about the 100% initiative or get involved, visit the website here.

---

Events for Community School Coordinators & Practitioners

July 27-31 8:30-4:00pm

2026 ABC Coordinator Institute July 27-29: CNM Workforce Training Center (5600 Eagle Rock Ave NE) July 30-31: APS M-Building (912 Oak St SE) We can't wait for the 2026 Institute with coordinators where we will focus on strategies developed by Marshall Ganz (Harvard Kennedy School, former community organizer with the United Farm Workers) for building community action around issues that matter in community schools. Coordinators will receive a full agenda and other logistical details by email in advance.

---

Upcoming Community Events If available, flyers are included and downloadable.
Saturday August 1 10am-12pm	South Valley Back to School Bash Open to all students and families in the Rio Grande High School feeder pattern - come and enjoy community, stock up on school supplies, and get access to various resources!
Saturday August 8 10am-1pm	100% BernCo Mobile Community Health Event Van Buren Middle School (700 Louisiana Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108) Free services for all, including: Blood pressure & Blood Sugar Screening BMI & Cholesterol Check Health Education and Resources Sports Physicals Vision & Dental Screenings Immunizations Mobile Community Health Event - Eng. & Span Download • 6.15MB

---

Opportunities & Resources for Students & Families

If available, flyers are included and downloadable.

BernCo Summer Lunch Program

Free meals will be served on-site during the summer months for children and teens ages 1 -18 at over 40 site locations in the unincorporated areas of Bernalillo County. No registration required. Click here to view a complete list of sites.

CABQ Summer Lunch Program Program

Free meals for children and teens ages 1-18 within Albuquerque city limits. Visit CABQ's website above for a complete list of sites and menus.

---

Events, Updates, and Resources with ABC in June 2026

Have a resource, event, or something inspiring you want to share with the network?

Use this form to tell us more so we can include it in next month's newsletter.

---

What We've Been Up To

Jess, Alondra, Halecia, Rios, and Silvina after an excellent workshop on collaborative meetings!

Sharing lessons and best practices from the field!

Bryan Garcia speaking on APS Goals & Guardrails in a joint workshop

Deanna Creighton at the Homework Diner workshop

ABC & APS Workshops at the 2026 National Community Schools and Family Engagement (CSxFE) Conference

The 2026 CSxFE Conference in Long Beach was a wonderful time of learning with and from other community school practitioners from across the country! ABC was proud to represent the work of community schools in Bernalillo County in three separate workshops that collectively drew over 160 attendees. Workshops highlighted Homework Diner, Lead and Learn, and the collaborative meeting practices our coordinators are employing to deepen community and drive impact with stakeholders at their sites. A big thanks to our friends and partners for working with us to make these workshops such a success!

• Bryan Garcia, Community Schools Development Specialist (APS)

• Robert Donovan, Community Schools Resource Teacher (APS)

• Alondra Dominguez, Community School Coordinator (Mark Armijo Academy)

• Elizabeth Gomez, Community School Impact Coordinator (Hodgin Elementary School)

• Halecia Wimpy, Community School Impact Coordinator (Del Norte High School)

• Jess Ward, Community School Impact Coordinator (Rio Grande High School)

• Rios Fernandez, Community School Impact Coordinator (Helen Cordero Primary School)

• Dr. Sonya Romero-Autrey, Community School Resource Teacher (APS) and Elementary Vice President for the Albuquerque Teachers Federation

• Catherine Bornhorst, CEO, Born Ingenuity

  
  

If you are interested in resources from our sessions, please visit our CSxFE resource page. (Please note an account is needed for access, which you can create for free with just an email!)

NM House Speaker Javier Martinez welcomes participants to the Housing Summit

BernCo County Manager Cindy Chavez with opening remarks for the Housing Summit

Housing Summit participants engage in input activities

BernCo Hosts 2026 100% New Mexico Housing Summit

On May 14-15, Bernalillo County convened advocates, organizations, and government leaders for the 100% Housing & Homelessness Summit, where Housing Action Teams from across New Mexico joined together in focused working sessions to inform a coordinated statewide plan. Eleven New Mexico counties were present. Through guided discussions and data-sharing, participants examined the scope and drivers of homelessness in their communities, reflected on what has and hasn’t worked locally, and identified practical solutions and policy opportunities.

Together, the Housing Teams developed preliminary strategies and recommendations, including how state leadership, the legislature, and cross-county collaboration can support effective, community-informed approaches to reducing homelessness and increasing housing stability.

The team at ABC is so proud of our colleagues, Deanna Creighton and Cynthia Grajeda-James, for leading this effort and representing Bernalillo County with excellence in this ever-important work. We also want to recognize Gloria Schneller and Sue DeVore, the administrative masters powering BernCo's Community Schools Innovation and Strategic Partnerships Department behind the scenes! This successful convening would not have happened without them.

2026 Lead & Learn Fellows Share Their Learnings on Community School Instruction at May Showcase

Teachers from community schools who participated in this year's Lead and Learn fellowship shared their learning journeys with colleagues and the public on May 14 at the Lead and Learn Showcase. Through visual storytelling, fellows shared their process on designing and executing community-connected learning experiences for their students. Innovative examples of project-based learning and profound reflections on what it means to be a teacher in a community school were on display and left attendees with renewed excitement for this evolving chapter of developing deeper supports for community school educators.

Congratulations to the fellows, as well as to the brilliant team who developed and led the fellows through this learning journey - Lindsay Wilwol (ABC), Robert Donovan (APS), Dr. Sonya Romero-Autrey (APS), and Catherine Bornhorst (Born Ingenuity)!

---

Events for Community School Coordinators & Practitioners
Thursday June 11 8:45-9:45am	ABC Community School Partnership Board Meeting ABC Offices (2400 Wellesley Dr NE 87107) The June Board meeting will include a showcase of all complete ABC Network community schools' End-of-Year Transformation Story posters for Board members to learn more about the great work that took place in SY25-26 in the community schools in their districts. Click here to access the live YouTube stream.
Thursday June 11 11am-12pm	100% BernCo Community School Impact Team Meeting Virtual via Google Meet: meet.google.com/rjx-fmfj-fjj This CS Impact Team (CSIT) meeting will be a debrief of the June 9 BernCo Thrive Summit and a review of the action plan for the upcoming year. Please note there is no meeting in July. The CSIT will regroup in August to begin working towards the action plans created during the Summit.

Dates to Remember for Community School Coordinators
Item	Date
Final deadline to complete all ABC tools	June 5, 2026 This small buffer between June 5 and the end of coordinator contracts gives the ABC-APS team to review and contact coordinators if necessary.
Save the Date! 2026 ABC Coordinator Institute	July 27-31, 2026 We can't wait for the 2026 Institute with coordinators where we will focus on strategies developed by Marshall Ganz (Harvard Kennedy School) for building community action around issues that matter in community schools. Coordinators will receive locations, a full agenda, and other planning details by email in advance.

Community Events If available, flyers are included and downloadable.

Tuesday June 9 8:30am-3pm

2026 BernCo Thrive Summit Berna Facio Professional Development Center Community members, service providers, advocates, and all 100% BernCo Impact Team members are highly encouraged to attend the BernCo Thrive Summit, which will include facilitators to guide Impact Teams in creating action plans with short & long term goals related to their impact area. Registration remains open until June 8th. Click here to register.

Opportunities & Resources for Students & Families

If available, flyers are included and downloadable.

BernCo Summer Lunch Program Begins Monday, June 1

Free meals will be served on-site during the summer months for children and teens ages 1 -18 at over 40 site locations in the unincorporated areas of Bernalillo County. No registration required. Click here to view a complete list of sites.

Summer Lunch 2026 Flyer.

Download • 3.94MB

Summer Lunch 2026 Flyer - Spanish.

Download • 3.95MB