La Plazita Institute

Listening, sharing, and showing up together.

Last week at La Plazita Institute with Deb Haaland - where stories were heard, voices were valued, and connection led the way.

Yesterday at La Plazita Institute, we had the honor of welcoming Deb Haaland.

Moments like this matter. When leadership steps into spaces rooted in culture, community, and lived experience, it creates real opportunity for connection and impact.

Our youth, our voices, and our stories deserve to be seen at every level.

This is what it looks like when community and leadership meet face to face.

More to come

Photos by:

SayWut’s Hip Hop event this Friday 4/17/2026

We’re proud to share that Rodrigo has been selected as a W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network Fellow — joining a national cohort of leaders committed to creating real change for children, families, and communities.

This isn’t just recognition.
It’s an investment in the kind of leadership our communities need right now.

Through this 18-month fellowship, Rodrigo will connect with leaders across the country, deepen his approach to collaborative leadership, and continue advancing work that builds stronger, more equitable futures.

At La Plazita Institute, we’ve always believed that transformation happens from within the community — and Rodrigo embodies that every day.

We’re honored to walk alongside him on this journey.

Everything we do starts with community.

With creating spaces where people feel seen, supported, and connected.
Spaces that bring people together and move us forward.

Our new website is now live

another place for our community to connect, access resources, share, and continue building together.

laplazitainstitute.org

Website Development by: Viva Design Company

Today we are proud to share that Albino Garcia Jr., Founder and Executive Director of La Plazita Institute, has been named a 2026 Galaxy Gives Fellow.

The Galaxy Gives Fellowship recognizes leaders across the country who are transforming the criminal legal system by addressing the root causes of violence and creating pathways for healing.

Albino’s journey began long before La Plazita Institute was founded in 2004. From helping bring rival youth together during gang violence in California in the early 1990s to building a culturally rooted space for healing and leadership here in Albuquerque, his life’s work has always centered on one thing:

Walking with young people and helping them see their worth, their voice, and their future.

This recognition honors not only Albino’s leadership, but the thousands of young people, families, mentors, and community partners who continue this work every day.

As Albino often reminds us:

La Cultura Cura.

And for generations of youth, that healing continues.

Good morning everyone, Senate Bill 165 is on the agenda today for the Senate Floor! This proposed bill would expose even more kids to incarceration and harmful adult sentences. Our state should be investing in young people, not in failed policies and recycled punitive measures.
Below is a contact list for the State Senate, please contact your State Senator and urge them to vote NO on this harmful bill.

📞 New Mexico State Senate — Contact List (2026)
Capitol Main Switchboard (for all Senators during session):
📞 505-986-4300 — Call and ask to be connected to a specific Senator’s office.

Senator District Phone (Capitol) Email
Heather Berghmans (D) 15 505-986-4726 [email protected]
Jay C. Block (R) 12 505-986-4702 [email protected]
Pat Boone (R) 27 505-986-4393 [email protected]
Craig W. Brandt (R) 40 505-986-4703 [email protected]
Crystal Brantley (R) 35 505-986-4369 [email protected]
Pete Campos (D) 8 505-986-4267 [email protected]
Joseph Cervantes (D) 31 505-986-4861 [email protected]
Angel M. Charley (D) 30 505-986-4513 [email protected]
Katy Duhigg (D) 10 505-986-4270 [email protected]
Candy Spence Ezzell (R) 32 505-986-4381 [email protected]
Natalie Figueroa (D) 18 505-986-4266 [email protected]
David M. Gallegos (R) 41 505-986-4877 [email protected]
Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales (D) 6 505-986-4362 [email protected]
Carrie Hamblen (D) 38 505-986-4310 [email protected]
Martin Hickey (D) 20 505-986-4487 [email protected]
Leo Jaramillo (D) 5 505-986-4260 [email protected]
Steve D. Lanier (R) 2 505-986-4724 [email protected]
Linda M. López (D) 11 505-986-4482 [email protected]
Antonio Maestas (D) 26 505-986-4373 [email protected]
George K. Muñoz (D) 4 505-986-4371 [email protected]
Cindy Nava (D) 9 505-986-4365 [email protected]
Micaelita Debbie O’Malley (D) 13 505-986-4301 debbie.o'[email protected]
Michael Padilla (D) 14 505-986-4737 [email protected]
Nicholas A. Paul (R) 33 505-986-4395 [email protected]
Shannon D. Pinto (D) 3 505-986-4835 [email protected]
Harold Pope Jr. (D) 23 505-986-4380 [email protected]
Gabriel Ramos (R) 28 505-986-4391 [email protected]
Joshua A. Sanchez (R) 29 505-986-4375 [email protected]
Larry R. Scott (R) 42 505-986-4701 [email protected]
Antoinette Sedillo Lopez (D) 16 505-986-4389 [email protected]
William E. Sharer (R) 1 505-986-4877 [email protected]
Benny Shendo Jr. (D) 22 505-986-4264 [email protected]
William P. Soules (D) 37 505-986-4834 [email protected]
Elizabeth “Liz” Stefanics (D) 39 505-986-4377 [email protected]
Jeff Steinborn (D) 36 505-986-4862 [email protected]
Mimi Stewart (D) 17 505-986-4734 [email protected]
Anthony L. Thornton (R) 19 505-986-4274 [email protected]
Nicole Tobiassen (R) 21 505-986-4278 [email protected]
James G. Townsend (R) 34 505-986-4366 [email protected]
Linda M. Trujillo (D) 24 505-986-4863 [email protected]
Peter Wirth (D) 25 505-986-4727 [email protected]
Pat Woods (R) 7 505-986-4853 [email protected]
All contact info is from the official New Mexico Legislature member roster (phones, rooms, and emails).

When calling or emailing:

Identify who you are (constituent, business owner, nonprofit, etc.).

State your issue clearly (bill number or topic).

Ask for their position or assistance on your issue.

Be polite and concise.

When community comes together
culture is taught, not just told.
Learning happens in circle, through story, listening, and shared presence.

This is how knowledge moves — from elders to youth, from lived experience to collective memory.