The NACA Inspired Schools Network (NISN) was born from the success of the Native American Community Academy (NACA), a groundbreaking model that has helped to close achievement gaps among Albuquerque's Native American youth. NACA was the first Albuquerque public charter school designed to meet the academic, cultural, and wellness needs of Native youth. Now, NISN is training school leaders to build community-designed schools of excellence and cultural relevance in high-need Native communities across the state and region. Its mission is to transform Indigenous education by engaging communities, building networked schools of academic excellence and cultural relevance, and serving Native American students from early learning to adulthood so that they are secure in their identity, healthy, and holistically prepared as lifelong learners and leaders in their communities. NISN’s impact strategy is to be the first network of high-performing schools dedicated to Native American/Indigenous education, eventually reaching to high-need Native communities across the western United States. Through the schools in its network, NISN seeks to reimagine what Indigenous education and the school experience can be for Native students.
For more information on NACA Inspired Schools Network (NISN); http://nacaschool.org/educators/fellowship-for-charter-school-design/
The NACA Foundation is the supporting arm of Native American Community Academy (NACA), working to raise and steward funding necessary to support the infrastructure and programming of this innovative school. NACA elements include:
Academic Excellence & Cultural Relevance: Curriculum, pedagogy, and assessments satisfy Common Core standards and practices, with data-backed evaluation of outcomes. Education incorporates Indigenous languages, subjects, and teaching practices. Coursework is designed to prepare students for college.
Focus on Holistic Wellness: The NACA Wellness Wheel is used as a framework for students and staff to assess growth and set goals around Intellectual, Physical, and Social/Emotional Health and Wellbeing.
Community Transformation: NACA is a key facilitator of connections within the community; it also leads community events such as the NACA Feast day, Pow-wow and host schools interested in Indigenous Education and leadership development.
NACA educates students in grades K-2 and 6-12 (the elementary school is new as of August 2016 and will add a grade each year).
NACA is the flagship school of the NACA Inspired Schools Network (NISN), a school network dedicated to Indigenous education with schools in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and South Dakota.
1000 Indian School Rd. NW