Rural communities face unique challenges and are also disproportionately reliant on the fossil fuel economy. The Rural P-20 School model reimagines rural schools, from pre-K to post-secondary education, to provide more experiential learning opportunities and integrate with the community and local economic landscape. Using this model, the mission of Collegiate Edu-Nation (CEN) is “to empower rural school districts and communities to support and educate students/youth, beginning at home, continuing from the first day of Pre-K through postsecondary, leading to meaningful careers for lifetime success.” Started in Texas, the CEN approach is growing into New Mexico through the Corona Public Schools, Mosquero Municipal Schools, and Loving Municipal Schools, with further expansion planned. CEN is supported by a mix of public, private and philanthropic funds.
The New Mexico CEN network has identified mobile classrooms, curriculum and educators for those classrooms, and linked experiential learning as top priorities for the year to come. The Department will invest up to $400,000 to support these initiatives in overburdened energy communities and/or in furtherance of CBF goals.