Future Focused Education

10/16/2026

Our X3 Director, Rebecca Belletto, serves on the Advisory Board for Bank on NM, which helps New Mexicans access safe, affordable banking and build financial stability.

At a recent meeting, Rebecca shared Ben’s story. Ben was finishing his high school diploma, working full-time and living out of his car when he got into FFE's Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) program. Because of his monthly GBI check, he was able to put his paychecks into savings and join FFE’s NeXt Phase internship for Emerging Professionals. There, he built his resume, took financial literacy courses, and made lasting connections.

Today, Ben is a Carpenters Union apprentice with his own apartment, a reliable truck, and savings for emergencies. In his words, he’s in the best place he’s ever been.

Financial stability plus support and opportunity can change how young people see their futures. That’s the heart of Future Focused Education’s mission.

10/15/2026

We’re honored to be one of the 105 organizations that was chosen for a NewSchools Venture Fund grant. This funding is going to help us expand a statewide, community-based initiative that integrates capstone projects with Individualized Education Program (IEP) transition plans to better support students with disabilities in New Mexico. Stay tuned!

10/13/2026

Our Executive Director will be speaking alongside other community and nonprofit leaders at Feedback Labs' conference: Feedback + Albuquerque on Thursday. Will you be there? Come hear her talk about going beyond listening to coproducing with young people at 2:15pm. Link to more conference info in comments.

10/08/2026

Our Executive Director, Dr. Kim Lanoy-Sandoval, was recently featured on Mexico Voices for Children 's , chatting with other experts and advocates about the issues impacting New Mexico’s children and exploring thoughtful solutions for a brighter future. In this episode, they dive into K-12 education data from the New Mexico Children’s Roadmap.

Check it out:

NM Voices for Children is excited to launch the NM Voices Podcast! ...

10/06/2026

We’re thrilled to introduce our Community Care Collective team for this year: Andrea Maestas-Selfridge, Brayan Roybal, and Angelica Pantaleon.

Andrea & Brayan will coach our Behavioral Health Pre-Apprentices, while Angelica joins us as a Bachelor of Social Work practicum student supporting our virtual Youth Wellness Leaders group internship.

Special shoutout to Andrea and Angelica—both FFE program graduates now giving back by mentoring the next generation! We love seeing our own grow into leadership roles.

09/30/2026

Check out what we've been up to in our September newsletter! And while you're there, sign up if you're looking for some good news from young people, educators, and our partners across the state in your inbox every month.

Link to sign up in the comments! ✏️

09/28/2026

Through one of our Youth Civic Infrastructure grants, 8th grade students will explore water quality, stormwater harvesting, soil erosion, ecology, stream health and public health through field experiences and community stewardship projects. We're excited to see what happens with this partnership with River Source, Mandela International Magnet School and West Las Vegas High School.

09/25/2026

This week, Jaide Rivera, a Youth Co-Facilitator for the New Mexico Youth Behavioral Health Council (hosted by FFE), traveled to Washington DC and presented as part of a panel at the National Youth Employment Coalition (NYEC).

“I believe that whenever decisions are being made about youth and our future, young people deserve a seat at the table. If we want to create policies and programs that truly work for youth, we have to ask youth,” said Jaide.

We’re so proud of the work that Jaide is doing--advocating for youth and expanding access to mental health services across the state. Congrats, Jaide! We can't wait to see what you do next!

09/22/2026

As we continue to crunch numbers, we want to highlight that we had 638 youth participated in community-connected projects last year. Involving young people in these types of projects is a great way for them to learn the skills they need to succeed while also engaging in their communities—and they are constantly showing us that when they are supported in doing so, they become an integral part of making lasting change. Stay tuned for more numbers in our upcoming impact report!

09/17/2026

The New Mexico Farmers' Markets Association is doing amazing work with Polk Middle School this year as part of our Youth Civic Infrastructure program. Their partnership advances community food sovereignty through Semillas to Market, where students are launching a school farmers market, earning industry certifications, and exploring careers in agriculture and local food systems. We're so excited to see what these young people learn and do!