CNM Student Outreach Team Provides Services at Local K-12 Schools and Organizations Increasing Relationships and Building Community

As part of CNM’s ongoing outreach efforts, CNM’s Student Recruitment and Outreach Team is excited to announce their Community School and Organization Partnership efforts. Since the Outreach team was launched in 2023, they have expanded the services with 20, K-12 schools in Albuquerque and more than 40 community organizations to share the educational opportunities available at CNM and build strong community relationships.

“The purpose of these partnerships is to build connections with students of all ages and highlight the multitude of resources CNM offers so that when the time comes for them to think about college, CNM is their first choice” says Emily Catuccio, a CNM Outreach Specialist.

Over the last two years, the Outreach team has joined the councils of several elementary, middle, and high schools in Albuquerque and solidified over 40 partnerships with community organizations like Youth Development Inc., Haven House, Fostering Connections, HACIA: Toward the University, and the McKinney-Vento program. Additionally, they have doubled their community event presence, attending over 100 events in 2024.

Along with traditional event tabling and attendance, Emily and the rest of the Outreach Team help their assigned community schools develop the community councils’ vision and plan on how to meet student needs.

“Our role as a community partner is to support the school and their efforts to improve student wellbeing in any way we can,” Emily explains. “As for our community organizations, we’re a resource to the folks they’re serving and help potential learners understand the options available to them at CNM.”

This past February, the Outreach Team hosted their first ever Community Partner Conversations event for all their current community school and organization partners. This half-day event gave the partners the chance to gain a more in-depth understanding of CNM’s support services and resources. Attendees could also participate in specific breakout sessions about CNM’s Adult Basic Education program, the Formerly Incarcerated Reintegration Students' Success Team (F.I.R.S.T.) program, and the THRIVE program.

The event was met with great success, and the Outreach Team hopes the event will continue to grow over time.

Looking ahead, the Outreach Team is excited to continue their support to prospective and current learners and continuing to share CNM with the community.

To learn more about the services offered by the outreach team, please contact Brenda Mendez de Andrade at [email protected].