Rio Grande Educational Collaborative stands out from other after-school learning programs in numerous ways, with our enrichment partners being one of the key resources that set us apart. These partners include local and national organizations, as well as professionals in our community, that provide unique ways for our students to explore the world in fun and unexpected ways.
The relationships we have with enrichment partners, like Instituto Cervantes, Lemonade Day, and Born to Draw allow us to offer a much broader range of learning options than competing programs, and keep students engaged. Giving kids access to this type of enrichment is essential for boosting learning and exploration.
By leveraging the support and expertise of enrichment partners, RGEC allows children to explore and learn outside of normal classroom studies. Due to funding cuts, topics like art and natural sciences are becoming more and more rare in New Mexico schools. When it comes to activities like enhancing science and math studies with lessons in LEGO robotics, most schools don’t have the time or the money.
We have chosen to work with partners, such as the educational organizations Born to Draw and Tools for Learning, to incorporate structured learning in different areas that kids often don’t get to explore during the school day. Enrichment partners in the arts and sciences allow RGEC to integrate new learning models and subjects into our after-school curriculum. Children get to choose which enrichment activities they participate in, offering them a chance for personal growth and exploring subjects and ideas they may not see during the school day.
Many of the organizations we work with will train our staff to implement their tested curricula for our students. In some cases, these partnerships bring in subject matter experts so kids can learn directly from scientists, engineers, and other people in the community. In the past, we have collaborated with the local company CB Technologies, whose team members have taught kids about animation and media production for digital story telling. Students in our programs have been able to explore different art activities with Born to Draw, and improve math and reading skills with the help of New Mexico PBS kid-focused programming.
If you’d like to learn more about Rio Grande Educational Collaborative’s enrichment partners in the meantime, contact us today!