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LANL Foundation  /  Research & Advocacy 

Research & Advocacy 

As part of advancing our mission, the LANL Foundation seeks to expand and enhance our approach to advocacy. We strive to be non-partisan, strategic and accountable in our advocacy and to align any advocacy work directly with our mission, vision and strategic plan. Our goal is to be a resource for non-biased information and data, quantitative and qualitative, as it relates to New Mexico communities. To fulfill this aspiration, we have started to engage in more research that draws data from local and national experts, as well as directly from the communities we serve. We ensure that the community’s perspectives and experiences inform our work and the community benefits from our efforts through sharing local information and voices as well as best practices.

Image of grandmother reading to young child.

Resilient Families: Helping Grandparents and Kin Raise Children in New Mexico

“Resilient Families: Helping Grandparents and Kin Raise Children in New Mexico” details the growth and specific needs of kinship families in the state and making recommendations for how these families can be better supported. Grandparents and kin play an increasingly important role in raising children in New Mexico. From 2017 to 2023, the number of children in kinship care (where grandparents or kin raise children) rose from 30,000 to 36,000, an increase of 20 percent. This is likely an undercount, however, since many families rely on informal arrangements. By some census estimates, as many as 55 children are being informally raised by kin for every one child being raised by kin through the state’s foster care program.
Learn MoreResilient Families: Helping Grandparents and Kin Raise Children in New Mexico
An Employer's Guide to Creating an Internship Program

The Employer’s Guide to Successful Internships

Internship programs give New Mexican employers a way to find, develop, and retain local talent. Young people in our state have deep connections to culture, family, and community. Participating in internships enables young people to envision themselves as professionals, to find work opportunities without leaving the state, to understand what is needed to succeed in the workplace, to make informed educational choices, and to find lasting purpose in both their community and their career. By investing in young New Mexicans today, employers can build their stable workforce of tomorrow.
Learn MoreThe Employer’s Guide to Successful Internships
The LANL Foundation's Research Report on the status of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in Northern New Mexico schools.

Integrating Social Emotional Learning in Northern New Mexico’s Schools

SEL nurtures our social, emotional, and cognitive development from birth to adulthood. This report is the result of extensive surveys and focus groups with hundreds of teachers and school leaders about their understanding and approach to SEL in their classrooms and schools. Our findings reveal strengths and weaknesses in how SEL is approached in our region.
Learn MoreIntegrating Social Emotional Learning in Northern New Mexico’s Schools