WNMU Recognizes Hispanic Serving Institution Week

WNMUBannersWNMU is proud to serve as a federally designated Hispanic Serving InstitutionSilver City, NM—As the Hispanic population in the United States continues to grow, the role of higher educational institutions in educating this population becomes even more important. There is no time this is more apparent than this week, September 11-17, 2023, which is Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Week. HSIs are defined as having 25% or more undergraduate Hispanic student full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment. The percentage of FTE undergraduate Hispanic students at WNMU is 54.5%.

The HSI designation was recognized by the United States Congress in 1992, following a push by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), an organization that advocates on behalf of Hispanic students. “In 1992, HACU led the effort to convince Congress to formally recognize campuses with high Hispanic enrollment as federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institutions and to begin targeting federal appropriations to those campuses,” wrote Felipe de Ortego y Gasca in 2015. Ortego was Scholar in Residence at WNMU at the time.

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Social Work and Counseling Programs Team Up at WNMU

WNMUSocWkWNMU is working with the NM Expanding Opportunities Program to increase the number of school-based mental health professionalsSocial Work and Counseling Programs Team Up at WNMU to Work with the NM Expanding Opportunities Project

Two Western New Mexico University master’s degree programs, the Master of Arts in Counseling and the Master of Social Work, have teamed with the New Mexico Expanding Opportunities Project (EOP) to support graduate students who plan to provide mental health care in the state’s school system. Sponsored by the NM Department of Education’s Safe and Healthy Schools Bureau, the EOP “aims to recruit and retain school-based mental health (SBMH) professionals to serve the needs of students across New Mexico, focusing on rural and frontier communities with a high percentage of at-risk and vulnerable student populations,” according to the program’s website. The program is funded with a grant from the United States Department of Education.

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WNMU Programs Named Among the Best in the Nation

WNMUCollegeEduWNMU College of Education has received an A+ rating for preparing aspiring teachers at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in the most effective methods for teaching reading. The programs are two of only 48 in the U.S. to earn this highest distinction from the National Council on Teacher Quality.Western New Mexico University Programs Named Among the Best in the Nation for Exemplary Preparation of Future Elementary Teachers in the Science of Reading

Silver City, New Mexico—The undergraduate and graduate teacher preparation programs at Western New Mexico University have been recognized by the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) as among the best in the nation in preparing future elementary teachers to teach children to read, earning an A+ distinction.

The programs are among just 48 nationwide and are the only programs in New Mexico highlighted by NCTQ for going above and beyond the standards set by literacy experts for coverage of the most effective methods of reading instruction—often called the “science of reading.”

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Silver Consolidated Schools Shares State of Our Facilities and Finances with Community

Silver City, NM - September 5, 2023 - Did you know that Silver Consolidated Schools is one of the lowest taxing school districts in the state? Silver Consolidated Schools is announcing its plans to engage with the community and provide a clear picture of our school facilities and financial situation. As we gear up for the forthcoming Facilities Master Plan, we are eager to involve our community in understanding our goals and priorities.

Superintendent William Hawkins will lead these sessions, focusing on key aspects such as the needs of schools like Jose Barrios Elementary, Cliff Schools, and the Ben Altamirano Sports Complex. This is a crucial step in paving the way for the development of the next 5-year Facilities Master Plan, set to kick off this Spring. The Facilities Master Plan process is vital because it helps us identify areas of greatest need, for enhancement, manage resources effectively, and establish a long-term roadmap for improving our school facilities.

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Mimbres Press Authors Share their Works

M. John Fayhee and Arturo Magaña Amaya will read from their works recently published with the Mimbres Press. Fayhee, one-time editor of the Mountain Gazette, will read from his latest book A Long Tangent.  Poet and human rights activist Amaya will share from Nostalgias de Noviembre.  The event will take place Sept. 6 at 6:30 pm at Light Hall on the campus of Western New Mexico University. This event is free and open to the public. Book signings will follow.

Fayhee’s book is the result of his resolve to hike every day for a solid year with his dog Casey. There were two rules: First, each hike had to be at least 60 minutes (though most were longer) and each had to take place out in the forest. “The overwhelming majority took place in my backyard — New Mexico’s famed Gila National Forest, which is home to the world’s first legally designated wilderness area,” he says. In the end, Fayhee and Casey logged an estimated 1,200 trail miles.

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Local youth brings art to Gila National Forest

Grant County Youth Mural program creates tile mural art at Aldo Leopold Vista and C.P. Anderson Overlook


MIMBRES, NM, August 28, 2023 –Grant County New Mexico’s Youth Mural program is creating and installing tile murals at two sites on the Gila National Forest to honor the 100th anniversary of the Gila Wilderness, which occurs next year. Last month, local youth participating in mural camp began designing, creating, and installing tile tabletops for five picnic tables at Leopold Vista Overlook.

“This project aims to celebrate wilderness at its birthplace, while helping local youth build appreciation for and connection to the Gila Wilderness in their back yard,” said Wilderness District Ranger Henry Provencio. “Engaging young people from diverse backgrounds teaches that wilderness is for everyone and ensures a future where wilderness is valued and protected for the next 100 years.”

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Quilt Show winners at Catron County Fair, Reserve NM

Three Luna NM ladies win quilt show at Catron County Fair Saturday August 26, 2023.

DesertSunsetDiane Pattison’s quilt “Desert Sunset” was judged Grand Champion quilt at the Catron County Fair

SamplerQuiltEvelyn Williams’ sampler quilt won Reserve Champion quilt.

AstronomyDianna Dankworth’s quilt “Astronomy” was People’s Choice at the Catron County Fair Saturday, August 26.

Grant County Community Foundation to Host Capacity Building Conference for Nonprofits in September

The Grant County Community Foundation is proud to announce that it is hosting a 2-day Capacity Building Conference for area nonprofits -- including their staff members, boards of directors, and volunteers -- on Thursday and Friday, September 21 and 22, 2023. The conference agenda will feature a series of 90-minute workshops including: nonprofit finance and accounting, board best practices, volunteer management, self-care for nonprofit leaders, communications and media, marketing, social media, sustainable development, a presentation by the Founder of Grantstation on developing a funding research process, and a grant-writing Q&A panel.

These last few years have stretched nonprofits to their limits and, while many are back up and running, they are still lacking critical organizational support. Earlier this year, the Grant County Community Foundation offered free workshops on grant writing and strategic planning, both of which were well attended and received excellent feedback from attendees.

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