We are proud to share that Anawakalmekak has received two significant recognitions that affirm the strength of our educational model and the impact of our community.
This year, our work has been recognized through participation in the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) network and through support from the 11th Hour Project for our Nawa Knowledge Across Space & Time initiative.
Together, these distinctions recognize what you, our families, already know: Anawakalmekak is a place where culture, language, land and academic excellence grow together.
Strengthening Indigenous Language & Cross-Border Partnerships
Through the 11th Hour-supported Nawa Knowledge Across Space & Time initiative, we are deepening Nahuatl language learning in community while strengthening partnerships with educators and cultural leaders in Morelos and Guerrero, Mexico. This work expands access to Indigenous language education for our students in Los Angeles while building a transnational network of teacher training, curriculum development, and community mentorship.
At a time when many Indigenous languages face decline, this initiative ensures that Nahuatl continues to live in classrooms, homes, and across generations. It also directly supports migrant Indigenous students in Los Angeles who carry this language heritage.
This is not simply a program, it is a responsibility to steward language, identity, and knowledge for future generations.
A Learning Lab for School Transformation
Through the Anawakalmekak Learning Lands Collaborative, recognized within the CCEE Secondary School Redesign Pilot, our campus and the Chief Ya’anna Regenerative Learning Village serve as a living learning lab for school redesign across California.
Our work integrates:
The goal extends beyond our campus. This collaborative is intended to inform state policy conversations about school reform, particularly around how culturally rooted, place-based, and Indigenous-led approaches can transform the school experience for all students, especially for Indigenous and American Indian youth in urban settings.
Stewarding These Resources with Purpose
These recognitions bring opportunity and responsibility.
The CCEE and 11th Hour resources are not short-term awards. They are commitments to:
As a community, we are being entrusted to carry this work forward in ways that extend beyond our school and benefit future generations.
We thank our families, elders, educators, and partners who make this possible. These distinctions reflect the strength of our students, the wisdom of our culture bearers, and the collective vision we hold for Indigenous-centered education.
Together, we continue to grow.
