Who We Are
The Native American Community Academy (NACA) is a tuition-free public charter school serving students in elementary, middle and high school (grades K-12th), originally located in the Southeast Heights of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Our school now expands across two locations: The main (K-8) campus is located at 1000 Indian School Road NW Albuquerque, NM 87104 and our High school (9-12th) campus located in the Education Collaborative (EC) Building on the Central New Mexico (CNM) college campus located at 940 University Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM 87106.
NACA’s student body is diverse with many cultural and ethnic backgrounds represented, including
students from more than 60 different tribes.
NACA is a small school that focuses on identity through culture & language, holistic wellness, community & family, and academic preparation. Our philosophy is grounded in both the Indigenous thought and a rigorous approach to career-preparatory education. We require excellence from our students, dedication from our teachers, and commitment from our parents.
Students of all backgrounds are welcome at NACA.
A Message From Our Executive Director
The Native American Community Academy (NACA) was
created through a powerful community vision — and that vision remains just as urgent today as it was when it began.
NACA exists because Native families, educators, leaders, and community members came together in 2004 with a shared belief: our students deserve a school that prepares them for the future while honoring who they are. In Albuquerque, Native students have long represented a significant and growing population in a large urban school system. Like many Native communities across the country, our families are raising children in cities while working to sustain identity, language, values, and community connection.
At its core, NACA was founded around one essential question:
How can public education embrace the future while sustaining our identities, culture, and traditions?
The community’s answers echoed one another, and they still guide us today. NACA was built on the belief that student success is not only academic. True success requires an education that strengthens the whole person — academically, culturally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. We believe our students thrive when they are supported in their identity, grounded in wellness, and held to high expectations.
Today, more than 20 years later, NACA continues to live out that original commitment through a school model rooted in Indigenous values and strengthened by innovation. We are proud to be a K–12 public charter school within Albuquerque Public Schools, serving students across multiple campuses and supporting families through a community-centered approach. NACA is also proud to have been recognized as the 2025 New Mexico Public Charter School of the Year, a reflection of the hard work of our students, staff, families, and partners.
NACA’s educational philosophy remains clear: when culture, wellness, and academics are integrated — students are better prepared for life.
We intentionally weave cultural identity, language revitalization, land-based learning, leadership development, family partnership, and college and career readiness into the daily experience of school. We believe this integrated approach builds confident learners who are academically prepared, secure in who they are, and equipped to lead.
NACA continues to grow and evolve, but our purpose stays the same: to provide an education that is rooted in Indigenous knowledge, responsive to urban Native realities, and designed to help every student thrive.
NACA strives to:
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Increase the number of Native students who graduate from high school and successfully transition into college, career, and community leadership;
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Prepare students for lifelong wellness while strengthening identity, resilience, and purpose;
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Support families through partnership, communication, and wraparound services;
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Build stronger communities through meaningful collaboration with organizations, professionals, and cultural leaders.
As Executive Director, I am honored to serve a school that was born from community vision and sustained through community trust. NACA is not simply a school — it is a movement rooted in hope, responsibility, and the belief that Native students deserve learning spaces that reflect their brilliance.
Thank you for being part of our journey. We invite you to walk with us as we continue building a future where our students are prepared, proud, and thriving.