Southwest Educational Partners for Training

The mission of the Central New Mexico Strengthening Communities Alliance’s (CNMSCA) project, Community Voices Advancing Family Success (CVAFS), is to build capacity among individuals who will, in turn, build up capacity within their communities. CNMSCA will increase access to living-wage employment through education and job training to low-income, rural, and Pueblo communities from Pecos to Socorro.  CNMSCA understands the importance of looking at every aspect of a person’s life and making changes where necessary. That is why, through community engagement and organizing, CVAFS aims to identify the barriers to receiving educational opportunities, healthcare, pressures on families, and problems within the community.  New and existing leaders within each community will be recognized and taught the tools and support needed to strengthen and develop their leadership skills. They will then be able to develop resources on how to engage the community to impact public policy that will improve their lives.  CNMSCA will work with the targeted communities to build their own power by helping them find their voices through listening.  Our underlying organizing principle is that by teaching people how to help themselves, great change within communities is possible.