By Annie Lowrey, Staff Writer at The Atlantic | Jan. 28, 2026 On a chilly day before Christmas, Teresa Rivas helped a tween boy pick out a new winter coat. “Get the bigger one, the one with the waterproof layer, mijo,” she said, before helping him pull it onto his string-bean frame. Rivas provides guidance…

New landmark study shows integrated supports for students in CIS schools improve standardized test scores, raise graduation rates and earnings in adulthood

Congratulations Team! The Board of Directors of Communities In Schools of New Mexico (CISNM) proudly honors the strong, intelligent, and dedicated women of CISNM. These 25 remarkable women work tirelessly to support students in Santa Fe’s high-poverty public schools, ensuring they have the resources and guidance needed to stay in school and succeed. Each of…

Welcome new Ortiz Middle School Student Success Facilitator, Crystal! Crystal is a dedicated social worker and advocate. She is grounded in the values of community, service and resilience. Raised in a small community in northern New Mexico, Crystal’s personal experiences inspired her lifelong commitment to giving back. She earned her Masters in Social Work from…

We are so pleased to announce our innovative caregiver support program – the CIS of New Mexico Family Institute! Thanks to the generous support of a long-standing champion of our work, we were able to pilot this caregiver support program in 3 schools last school year – including Nava Elementary, where Blanca (pictured above) is…

June 2025 There is the plot of our Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program. Small teams of colleagues travel the state to provide trainings for school and program staff, youth and community members. They collaborate with each site, make plans, gather materials. After the trainings, they collect data, debrief and prepare for the next trip. Too,…

We know that hungry kids can’t focus on learning.  This is why our school food distribution program is one of our cornerstone supports. Our partnership with the Food Depot made it possible for our team to distribute 78,678 meals’ worth of healthy groceries through school food distributions last school year. Food Security is a critical cornerstone of childhood health and wellbeing.  This is why we are…

‘Feeling intense pressure’: Groups gather to discuss federal cuts’ impacts on kids and families By Esteban Candelaria ecandelaria@sfnewmexican.com A time of adversity is often the best time to pull together. In the face of proposed sweeping federal funding cuts to programs affecting thousands of New Mexico’s children and families, dozens of community members, advocates and…

Flor has been very busy with events! CIS celebrated Día del Niño by honoring our students’ rights—like the right to a good education—and their role in caring for the planet. They planted sunflower seeds as a symbol of growth and received small gifts and candies to make the day extra special! CIS wrapped up the…

CCommunities In Schools of New Mexico will host the All In For Kids Town Hall, an informative panel discussion and Q&A session, at Christ Church Santa Fe, on Monday June 2nd from 5:30pm to 7:00pm.  CIS of New Mexico Executive Director Michelle Katz will be joined by panelists who represent key youth and family serving…