ACOMA PUEBLO – If you are a tribally registered parent or guardian of a child under five, you are eligible for the FACE program at the Haak’u Community Academy located at the Pueblo of Acoma. The national Family and Child Education (FACE) Program locally coordinated by Gilbert Sanchez, Education Program Administrator for the Haak’u Community Academy, has been around for thirty years. In 2018, the Haak’u Community Academy began implementing the grant-funded program that fosters family literacy programming. The program is based out of the K-8 tribally-run Haak’u Community Academy School.
According to newcomer Deidre Williams, Adult Education Instructor, “My role is to facilitate the learning process by teaching parents how to engage their child in reading, writing, and critical thinking skills in school and at home.” In conjunction with preschool teacher Esteban Perez and co-teacher Marissa Pasquale, Williams facilitates PACT (Parent And Child Time) where parents or guardians enter the preschool at a set time and actively interact with their child to bolster the child’s intellectual development through both reading and play.
There are three main pieces to the FACE program: The overarching goal is to support a parenting adult to be the foremost teacher for their child. Another piece of the program is to foster the cultural values of the community being served, particularly supporting local language. For Acoma Pueblo, the teaching of the Keres language to both children and adults is a critical goal, and finally, to support the development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. According to Williams, “Haak’u’s approach is to instill the value of literacy and storytelling as a central tradition of Acoma culture.”
The FACE program is multi-faceted and extends outside the classroom walls. Homebase is one of the arms that connects to parents and guardians outside of the academy. Coordinated by Larissa Judd, the Parent Educator makes home visits to help with general education resources for new parents such as developmental screenings and lactation support ensuring that Acoma’s newest members get a solid foundation in life.
The FACE program offers rolling admissions to any tribally registered adult and child under five. Pre-school classes are held Monday through Thursday from 9 am -1:30 pm at Haak’u Community Academy. Bus transportation is provided for residents of Acoma Pueblo. There is no cost to participate and no income requirements. For more information, contact Larissa Judd, Parent Educator, at 505-934-2144 or email at l.judd@Haakuca.org.