The Semilla Project

New Mexico youth, show us your vision for the future! 🎨

Youth ages 16–24 are invited to enter the Get Out the Vote Sticker Art Contest and create an original design showing your hope for the future and how you envision change.

🏆 Prizes for the winners
🚫 No AI submissions
📅 Deadline: October 2, 2026
📲 Scan the QR code on the flyer to enter the art contest and submit your artwork!

NextGen Week 10 💚
This week was all about learning what it takes to care for the outdoor spaces our communities enjoy every day!
Participants got an inside look at the many areas involved in managing Albuquerque’s parks and open spaces. From park maintenance and water management to urban forestry, greenhouses, the Bosque, trail building, and community gardens, the cohort explored the behind the scenes work that keeps these spaces healthy and accessible.
Throughout the week, participants learned how planning, conservation and hands on management all work together to support our environment and communities! ⛰️

Learning from our plant relatives!🌱

The Semilla Project guided an herbalism activity at Las Padillas Sanctuary with students from Mountain View and North Star Elementary, making sugar scrubs with calendula, rose, and lavender while learning about their different benefits for the skin.

A fun day of hands-on learning, plant knowledge, and community connection!

Farmington is showing up, speaking up, and building community! ✨

Our NextGen Farmington Cohort hosted its very first Farmington Community Dialogue, bringing people together to share their concerns, hopes, and goals for the future of Farmington. The room was filled with meaningful conversations, new ideas, and community voices ready to be heard.

Our cohort also joined the Community Resource Fair at San Juan College, where they met new people, shared resources, and continued building connections across the community.

This is what NextGen is all about: listening, connecting, learning, and turning conversations into community action.
We’re so proud of our Farmington cohort for stepping up and creating spaces where community comes together.

We’re proud of our Executive Director, Eli Cuna, for serving as a keynote speaker at the 2026 New Mexico Outdoor Learning Summit.

Eli shared a powerful message about creating pathways for young people that go beyond access to the outdoors. It’s about belonging, leadership, opportunity, and community power. Our young people should be able to build their futures in their own communities, care for the places they call home, and have the power to shape what happens next.

That is the seed. That is the work. And that is the future we are growing together.

NextGen Week Nine! 💚
This week was all about communication, community and putting leadership skills into practice! Participants practiced outreach, created itineraries and prepared to connect with potential host organizations. Participants also had the opportunity to share their knowledge with younger community members through hands on herbalism activities! They practiced facilitating activities, explored the uses of different herbs and helped 3rd graders create their own sugar scrubs using natural ingredients. Throughout the week, participants strengthened their public speaking and facilitation skills while learning how to make information engaging and accessible for younger audiences. Week Nine was all about taking what they’ve learned and using it to educate, connect and give back! 🫡

Six weeks of learning, organizing, and building community in Farmington! 🌱

The NextGen Farmington Cohort has been putting community organizing into action. From trust building and strategic planning to community mapping, one-on-one conversations, tabling events, surveys, and planning their first community gathering, participants have spent these weeks building meaningful connections across Farmington.

Along the way, the cohort collected more than 100 community surveys, earned their CPR certifications, connected with local stakeholders, and continued listening directly to community members about their experiences and needs.

A huge thank you to San Juan College, Herencia Latina, and Enlace for their continued partnership and support of The Semilla Project in Farmington. Your collaboration has helped open doors, create opportunities for connection, and support our cohort as they build relationships within the community.

Calling all young artists in New Mexico! 🎨

The New Mexico Youth Civic Engagement Table is hosting a GOTV Sticker Art Contest, and we want to see your creativity!

Show us your vision of hope for the future and how you envision change through your art. This is your chance to get creative, share your voice, and show off your work to New Mexico!

🏆 Prizes for the winners!
📅 Submission deadline: September 25, 2026
🎨 Theme: Your vision of hope for the future and how you envision change. No AI submissions.

📲 Scan the QR code on the flyer or submit your artwork here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfdFHiuDGHt1i-cWcEGkWMd374YATE2mrmYZFiP5PpX4tzc6Q/viewform

Let your creativity and your vision for the future shine! 🌟

Welcome Jessy Quiroz to the NextGen Leadership & Organizing Cohort in Farmington! ✨

Jessy brings creativity, empathy, and a strong desire to make a difference in Farmington. She cares deeply about expanding opportunities and supporting Latino and immigrant communities while finding creative ways to bring people together.

We’re happy to have Jessy joining this journey and look forward to seeing the connections, experiences, and growth that come from her time with the cohort.