Understanding that people know their own communities best, we build upon personal experiences to impact the greater good. We support families and community leaders to take ownership of the solutions and lead the way, connecting communities to institutions and decision-makers, who, together, can create lasting change. PCA has continued working to help equip families with the knowledge and tools needed to advocate for their young children through Communities for Education and Action and Healthy Communities initiatives. In 2014 PCA launched community-based economic advancement initiatives focused on local small business and family economic security. In 2015 PCA moved into its Community Action Campus, which is becoming a shared community space where families, neighborhoods and institutions can come together to create enduring relationships, develop collective leadership, design innovative solutions and advocate for a stronger New Mexico. The improvement and revitalization of this property in the South Valley is an investment in innovative community and economic solutions with families at the center. PCA’s Community Action Campus will contribute to the educational, economic and overall well-being of families and community.

The Partnership for Community Action was hearing from more and more families throughout Southwest Albuquerque about the lack of access to quality early learning. Historically, PCA had supported after school learning programs, and not focused on early learning. But, trying to address the “achievement gap” at the middle and high school levels and without families’ active involvement in educational reforms were not producing the necessary results. In response to community interest, PCA began the Neighborhood Collective Learning and Action Project, with the goal of improving early childhood educational outcomes in three neighborhoods in Bernalillo County. By working with families of young children, the PCA helped equip families with the knowledge and tools needed to advocate for their young children. This successful initiative grew into the Communities for Education and Action, which uses the Abriendo Puertas curriculum, and continues to expand its work with neighborhoods and supporting the development of strong parents. In 2010, the Albuquerque Partnership successfully worked with the Latino/Hispano Education Improvement Task Force coalition to pass the nation’s Hispanic Education Act.

In 2010, the Albuquerque Partnership changed its name to the Partnership for Community Action to better reflect the organization’s work with communities across central New Mexico. The Partnership continued to address critical community issues, such as securing funding for early childhood education initiatives, maintaining drivers’ licenses for all New Mexicans, and advocating for stricter consumer protection laws on mortgage modifications and foreclosure processes.

The Albuquerque Partnership moved under the fiscal sponsorship of New Mexico Advocates for Children and Families, which is now New Mexico Voices for Children. Under the guidance of this organization, the Albuquerque Partnership began to focus more on education reform, closing the achievement gap, and offering quality school choice options for students and their families. The Partnership framed the issue of education reform as a civil rights issue, and moved with urgency to implement both short- and long-term strategies to increase access to education opportunities.

In 2002, The Albuquerque Partnership became an independent non-profit organization and continued the mission to build a stronger and healthier community.

The Albuquerque Partnership successfully worked with local neighborhoods to identify nuisance liquor sale establishments that contributed to criminality, economic depression and other social ills. The Albuquerque Partnership also engaged the community to learn about and go through the process of enforcing responsible alcohol retailing, zoning ordinances, challenging land use variances and prosecuting zoning violations.

The Albuquerque Partnership coordinated with Neighborhood Associations to teach the process of monitoring alcohol vendors in their communities to ensure the safety of their neighborhoods. After years of intensive community organizing around these issues, the Albuquerque Partnership successfully led a statewide movement that resulted in the closure and ban of drive-up liquor stores – an outdated business model that heavily contributed to driving while under the influence and substance abuse in our state.

In November 1990, the Albuquerque Partnership was formed. Seventeen agencies came together to implement a five-year comprehensive plan, and engage community members in developing strategies to prevent substance abuse in the Greater Albuquerque Metropolitan area. In July 1991, the City of Albuquerque, named lead agency in the grant, was funded for multi-year funding (5 years) with a reapplication process.