TOMORROW: Heinrich to Announce $7 Million from Infrastructure Law to Purchase 20 Electric School Buses for Albuquerque Public Schools, Harvest Honey with Albuquerque Sign Language Academy & Highlight How Investments He Secured are Expanding Jobs Training for New Mexicans Living with Disabilities
ALBUQUERQUE — On Tuesday, August 13, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) will host a press conference with Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) to announce $7 million from the Infrastructure Law to purchase 20 new electric school buses. Heinrich will also learn how federal funding he secured for the Albuquerque Sign Language Academy (ASLA) is bolstering educational and career opportunities for deaf, hard of hearing, and students with individual and developmental disabilities.
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Albuquerque Public Schools Electric School Bus Ride Along & Press Conference
WHEN: Press check-in at 1:00 p.m. MT
WHAT: Heinrich will be joined by APS Superintendent Gabriella Duran-Blakey and members of Mom's Clean Airforce — an organization dedicated to protecting children from air pollution and climate change — for a press conference to announce $7 million in Infrastructure Law funding to help APS purchase 20 new electric school buses and related infrastructure from the EPA Clean School Bus Program, which Heinrich helped establish.
Press is invited to join for a subsequent electric school bus ride along.
WHO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich
APS Superintendent Gabriella Duran-Blakey
Moms Clean Air Force N.M. Coordinator Giovanna Rossi
WHERE: Albuquerque. Location provided upon RSVP.
RSVP here.
Albuquerque Sign Language Academy Workforce Development Briefing, Honey Harvesting, & Media Availability
WHEN: Press check-in at 2:15 p.m. MT
WHAT: Heinrich will meet with Albuquerque Sign Language Academy (ASLA) to witness how a $300,000 Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) grant he secured to develop the Adult Workforce Training Program Hub will bolster educational and career opportunities for deaf, hard of hearing, and students with individual and developmental disabilities.
ASLA serves students from kindergarten through 12th grade, and they have identified a challenge with deaf students losing out on most of their support services when they turn 22. To help address that, ASLA provides their former students with comprehensive workforce development programming, including for careers in conservation, agriculture, retail, and more.
Heinrich will harvest honey with the Honey Badger Conservation Crew — ASLA students dedicated to youth conservation and outdoor education — at lavender fields where there are several beehives. Heinrich will also be briefed on ASLA's plans to use his funding to refurbish a trolly into a coffee bar where the students can work.
WHO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich
ASLA Executive Director Rafe Martinez
The Honey Badger Conservation Crew
WHERE: Albuquerque. Location provided upon RSVP.
RSVP here.