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What We've Been Up To |
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.
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 EventsIf 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 & FamiliesIf 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. |