Welcome Taranjot!

Students who participated in CTE programs had a graduation rate of 95.7% in 2023 - in comparison with the overall statewide rate of 76.7%. This data proves that giving students opportunities outside of the classroom re-engages them in school. sourcenm.com/2024/07/11/nm-…

Incredible day with all our partners!

"The internships have provided invaluable real-world learning experiences for our students." - Leticia Archuleta, Health Leadership HS Innovation Zone funding from New Mexico Public Education Department helped 47 schools increase students' access to work based learning in New Mexico. vimeo.com/993712593

Do you enjoy mentoring young people? Future Focused is hiring! The X3 Intern Coach facilitates social, emotional, and work-based learning coaching for interns, employers, and other key partners while offering hands-on support for all. Find out more: futurefocusededucation.org/join-our-team/

August's spotlight is on Lisa Harmon-Martinez! While she sometimes misses the classroom, Lisa's committed to continue working toward a better way of assessing and celebrating students across New Mexico. Read more: futurefocusededucation.org/2024/06/06/sta…

Meet Aedan Youtzy, a Health Leadership High School student whose internship at Costco Optometry was provided and funded by the Innovation Zone Initiative through New Mexico Public Education Department. vimeo.com/996364557

Learn from your peers and students from around the state at our 2nd annual Educator Summit. Join the movement of schools and educators adopting capstones and developing graduate profiles to meet the new high school requirements. Register now: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAI…

Lexy Aragon, a student in Albuquerque, participated in a capstone program focused on serving unhoused individuals. “I got a chance to do something that helps the community as a whole,” Lexy says. “For me, personally, this internship was life changing.” youtu.be/lNCN1WKaSUQ?fe…

Last week, Tony was part of a panel at Next Narrative Summit in Hollywood, FL. Surrounded by other foundation leaders and changemakers, Tony shared insights from his work at Future Focused Education on the topic of building pathways to youth employment.

Read all about how Hobbs created a state-of-the-art CTE building and program that addresses the needs of their community, industry partners, and students in our latest blog: futurefocusededucation.org/2024/09/18/hob…

October’s staff spotlight is on Derek, our Assistant Director of Operations. When he learned what Future Focused was trying to accomplish with education reform, Derek knew he had to be involved. Read more about Derek here: futurefocusededucation.org/2024/06/06/sta…

We had a great time presenting with Dr. Wendy Greyeyes at the NIEA convention in Palm Springs last week. We presented on results of our Native American capstone and graduate profile study - thinking about Native frameworks and research in assessment.

Thanks to Gadsden County Schools for hosting us last week! It was great to meet folks and see what cool things you're doing for your students and community.

We’re so proud of NeXt intern, Caitlyn Billie, member of the Navajo Nation and student at Univ. of New Mexico, who presented about her internship experiences with Indian Pueblo and Visit Albuquerque at the Native American Economic Summit last Tuesday. Congrats, Caitlyn!

Our Learning By Doing Director (and all around amazing person) Lisa Harmon Martínez, finished her dissertation: "Policy Analysis of Assessments to Award Seals of Biliteracy in Spanish in the United States." We're so proud of her and happy to have her on our team! Congrats, Lisa!

Make your voice heard on the new NMPED Rulemaking! By submitting a comment in support of a definition of assessment, you can help create a more equitable, community-centered education system that resonates with students across New Mexico. Read more: futurefocusededucation.org/2024/11/14/sup…

Expand your network & share your expertise as a 2025 presenter at the EdUprising Conference! The deadline to submit proposals has been extended until December 16th! Click the link to learn about suggested areas of focus and apply today! cvent.com/c/abstracts/ba…

NAEP scores show that it's socioeconomic inequality that's the problem. And that teaching decoding is not enough to get kids to read for meaning. Need to develop habits. Don't double down on the latest testing fad. The problems are deeper. #NAEP ow.ly/MIbq50UPEjK

Youth Voice interns from across New Mexico came together in Santa Fe for three impactful days during the legislative session. These young leaders met with policymakers to advocate for issues rooted in their lived experiences. We're so proud and excited for what they accomplish!