How can someone make significant contributions of uniqueness and innovation to a community born from a millennial history where cultures, languages and diverse races have merged into a modern community?
Las Cruces, the largest city in Doña Ana County, has its origins in the pueblo revolt of 1680, when Indian refugees from that war with Spain founded Tortugas Pueblo, now a district of Las Cruces west of Interstate 10. Tiguas, Piros and Manzos survived Spanish, Mexican and American colonization as a resident of Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA. Mountain range) de los Manzos. “
Less than an hour’s drive from the US-Mexico border and the Texas state border, this community celebrates the cultural heritage of Native Americans, Mexico and the Americas while facing the challenges of a global economy emerging in the new century. This is the social background of Las Cruces Public Schools, which serve a student population serving 75.1% Hispanics in a city where Hispanics make up 60.5% of the population.
An effective and challenging bilingual educational model
Critical to the success of the 90:10 model of two-way language immersion approach is a bilingual / educated school culture where the value of Spanish and English is evident in all aspects of school life. When someone goes through the Raíces del Saber Xinachtli Community School, they know that this is an institution where both languages are used and valued with pleasure. It should also be a place where children whose mother tongue is English are just as welcome as Spanish learners, which enriches our goal of biliterarity.
Xinachtli (Sheen-ach-tlee), Cultural Responsiveness and Academic Development
Xinachtli, an Aztec word meaning “sprouting seed,” is an enrichment program supported by a curriculum that utilizes a process to enrich student learning in all content areas and promote positive personal identity (Mexican-American ) Culture that is seldom addressed, its indigenous roots. Not only do we incorporate this into the curriculum by giving children information about a Mesoamerican heritage, but we involve them in a Mesoamerican rooted process that includes self-expression, introspection, math, science, history, and literature.
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It uses Nahuatl (Aztecs) as an enriching language through the development of a Nahuatl vocabulary, simple phrases, and common words in Spanish of Nahuatl origin. Xinachtli offers a diverse view of the world and offers content relevant to the historical, linguistic, and cultural roots of the Mexican-American heritage.
Community-run community school
The leadership team at Raíces in collaboration with parents, students, faculty members, school authorities, community partners, support from Community Schools NMPED, NACA Inspired Schools Network, WW Kellogg Foundation and the entire community creates an open school environment within a US cultural context of the Mexican Border. As part of the successful partnership, we have the opportunity to expand our contribution to education across industries. Thanks to this partnership, our community is building strong collaborative leadership that goes beyond full service and great isolated programs.
The Raíces del Saber Xinachtli Community School is itself a unique, innovative idea that works to be updated as a positive, contributing entity for our community. We bring an enthusiastic effort to public education to incorporate the rich diversity that has helped transform ancient experience and new history into a modern community. We are constantly looking for people who are willing to contribute to the social and personal development of our students. We strive to make room for the descendants of the Tigua and Piro who came to this area 400 years ago, the Manzo who inhabited this land centuries before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. Raíces del Saber (Roots of Knowledge) The Xinachtli community goes beyond a curriculum that includes facts, information, and academic goals. We want to be a “living, growing” institution that contributes to a population at the crossroads of history.
Visit our website at www.raicesdelsaber.org for more information. You can contact Lucia Carmona, Raices Director of Operations and Community Engagement at 575-571-2177 or email [email protected].
Carlos Aceves is a bilingual teacher and Lucia Carmona is the Operations and Community Director at Raíces del Saber Xinachtli. You are a co-founder of the school.
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