South Valley Prep
Grants Awarded
South Valley Prep’s Green Grounds Initiative is an 18-month outdoor educational program to provide equitable nature-based education, enhance student well-being, and instill environmental literacy among 6th–8th graders. The program’s structured outdoor activities facilitate students’ emotional and academic development, while cultivating environmental stewardship, and equipping teachers to integrate outdoor learning into core curricula. Partnerships with local organizations like Nature Niños and Los Jardines Institute will offer cultural, place-based programming and leadership opportunities for students. They will participate in activities ranging from nature journaling to environmental justice lessons, fostering the idea of nature as a learning arena. South Valley Prep will provide professional development for teachers, enhancing sustainable outdoor instruction and culturally relevant education.
South Valley Preparatory School (SVP) is a public charter middle school serving grades 6–8 in Albuquerque’s South Valley, a culturally vibrant region rooted in resilience, community pride, and strong family ties. SVP was founded to provide a small, safe, and caring school environment where students feel seen, supported, and challenged. With an enrollment of approximately 122 students—nearly all of whom identify as youth of color and qualify as economically disadvantaged—SVP is proud to serve a diverse student body rich in linguistic, cultural, and intergenerational knowledge.
Our mission is to nurture the academic, emotional, and civic development of our students through meaningful relationships, culturally relevant teaching, and hands-on learning. SVP integrates social-emotional learning (SEL), family engagement, and community partnerships into every aspect of our school day.
In 2022, SVP launched an outdoor learning initiative in collaboration with Nature Niños, which has brought weekly outdoor education into our curriculum through nature journaling, reflection, and stewardship. Now, we’re expanding our outdoor spaces—including revitalizing our school garden and installing a campus tree canopy—to turn our grounds into a living classroom. This application represents the next chapter in our vision: to support outdoor equity not through isolated field trips, but through daily access to nature right where our students learn, grow, and thrive.