Service Corps

The UNM Service Corps is currently a collective students predominantly from New Mexico most of who attend the University of New Mexico and Central New Mexico Community College. The UNM Service Corps acts in collaboration with a variety of community partners, neighborhood groups, local schools and non-profit organizations to address critical social and educational issues facing children and families. The students apprentice with strong community leaders in approximately 30 community-based organizations. The apprenticeship model is based on long-term relationships and partnerships with some of the strongest non-profits and community based organizations in Albuquerque working on education, economic, and health equity issues. Most Service Corps members are immersed in neighborhood projects for approximately 20 hours a week for at least one year. All Service Corps members have  semester classes, annual retreats and symposiums, to deepen their practice. Many of these professional development opportunities are led by their peers, the CEC Capacity Builders. 

Goals for the UNMSC include:

  1. Understand the interconnectedness of the social determinants of health, education and economic inequity's through an antiracism lens to undo racism
  2. Understand policy implications and actively participate in at least one civic engagement initiative
  3. Understand and value community knowledge and community participatory based research
  4. Connect academic experiences and career aspirations to community engagement
  5. Complete a long term apprenticeship with strong community leaders in innovative community based initiatives
  6. Experience critical pedagogy through place based learning, experiential education, asset mapping, and critical media literacy

Experiences for the Corps members are within these distinct focus areas

A measure of achievement, fairness, and opportunity in education. Most sites collaborate with APS or charter school faculty. Corps members design and implement curriculum based on a holistic, experiential, integrated, community-based literacy for children and families
 

Tribal Service Corps members, most of whom are Native American students serve at the Native American Community Academy, the first Native American charter school in Albuquerque. The TSC design and implement activities in the after-school program to promote the school’s emphasis on cultural identity development, health and well-being, academic preparedness, leadership and community-service. The TSC program is now co-owned with Native American Studies as we continue to connect academic aspirations with community engagement.

Refers to the study and causes of differences in the quality of health and healthcare across different populations. 

Justice that works to reintegrate youth who have had encounters with the justice system.

Justice that addresses issues such as the wealth gap, unemployment, home ownership, or debt.

Justice that people work on to ensure that our country safeguards the promise to provide opportunity and safety to arriving immigrants, and to ensure that immigrants are treated fairly, equally, and with dignity.

Justice that develops, implements, and enforces environmental laws, regulations, and policies for a safe and healthy environment for all people.