Real-world, realtime
ASCEND works in partnership with counties implementing the 100% New Mexico Initiative to reduce barriers to 10 Vital Services everyone needs to Survive and Thrive. Our teams are focused on how increasing Digital Opportunities can reduce these barriers.
Community Schools are at the heart of our partners’ work in San Juan, Chaves and McKinley Counties.
Community Schools Support (Six Pillars)
This video shares how ASCEND aligns with the Six Pillars of Community Schools. We bring our programs to community partners who invite us to work with the families they support.
Digital Well-being Tour
Ferdi Serim, founder of ASCEND, notes “The universal aspects of music make concepts and methods of learning accessible to us all by how we focus our attention and intention. Right now, our challenge is to ensure that all families have the information they need to take full advantage of existing broadband options (how to access available funding and programs).
“The arts are how we connect people with these opportunities, providing them with personal experiences of the empowered learning technology can bring to families’ homes. All families must have the ability to improve their lives by taking full advantage of opportunities to learn that are promised to come as broadband is built out to previously unserved and underserved communities. The arts are how we connect people with these opportunities.”
La Tormenta de Taos
ASCEND grew from our initial digital equity work in Taos. Introduction to La Tormenta de Taos, an intergenerational community play made possible by the Taos visiting artist program supported by the Fine Arts Education Act and the NMPED Datacasting project, filmed by TrueKids1 youth digital media project.