Our Staff Members

Administrative Staff

“KCLC is a place that makes me feel at home. KCLC makes me proud and happy to be apart of their team. I support KCLC’s mission because it gives hope to our children and community to learn the Keres language.”

“I love working at KCLC because children have the opportunity to realize their whole salves inclusive of language and culture. It makes me so happy to hear our emerging bilinguals (Keres/English) and to be a witness to their joyfulness. So much hope.”

“I love that KCLC does education the way that works for children and the community honoring the whole child, the language and community the child comes from, not in isolation, but in an intergenerational community setting.”

“I love that KCLC supports our families in the effort to maintain our Keres language with a holistic approach. It makes me proud and happy to hear all staff, volunteers, and students making a joint effort to speak our language daily.  I’m hopeful that we continue to reclaim our education for our children’s future. I support the mission of KCLC because it allows our children to be their whole self and not hide who they are as Cochiti Pueblo children. The iiwas are able to let their inner Pueblo child shine.”

“KCLC is a place where Cochiti kids can learn our language first hand and can get the education they need to succeed in the two worlds we as Indigenous people live in. I’m happy to see that parents and their kids are wanting to learn our language when not in the home and this makes me hopeful for the future of Cochiti people and our traditions.”

“KCLC’s environment is surrounded by goal-oriented staff and children. I work with passionate people who come in every day and strive to be the best version of themselves so that I can support the work that is done at KCLC. KCLC creates inner warmth, and you see the future shining brighter. I support the mission in many ways, not only as a staff member but also as a parent raising children in Keres. KCLC helps keep the language intact and nourishes the spiritual side of my life as an Indigenous person.”

I value KCLC’s commitment to providing our students with an age-appropriate, culturally responsive education that honors and reflects their Indigenous identity and heritage. I strongly support KCLC’s mission and am proud to be part of a team that is dedicated to the growth and success of our school. It is encouraging to see the collective effort to create a supportive, nurturing, and inclusive learning environment where children are empowered to learn, speak, and maintain their Indigenous language and cultural traditions.

Classroom Staff

Infant/Toddler

“I love that KCLC is a safe place for students and adults to speak and learn Keres. Hearing all the iiwas respond in Keres gives me hope for the revival of the language here in Cochiti. I support KCLC mission because I want our youth to learn about our way of life while supporting their academic journey.”

“KCLC gives me hope when I hear the children talking in Keres. I love that KCLC allows and encourages our Cochiti children to be Cochiti children without having to choose between or alter in excelling at all academics, here at KCLC they can do both. I feel like the Montessori method fits into our way of life, we want our children to be confident, independent and their own person and that’s what KCLC and the Montessori method helps our children with.”

“KCLC gives me hope when I hear the children talking in Keres. I love that KCLC allows and encourages our Cochiti children to be Cochiti children without having to choose between or alter in excelling at all academics, here at KCLC they can do both. I feel like the Montessori method fits into our way of life, we want our children to be confident, independent and their own person and that’s what KCLC and the Montessori method helps our children with.”

“I like that KCLC integrates Keres language into academic daily learning for the iiwas and staff. I am pleased with how much I have learned at KCLC, particularly having that safe space to speak Keres. I feel confident at KCLC knowing that all staff can gain from one another. I see KCLC’s mission used daily as I fully support the mission of KCLC. Learning the language and culture is a top priority for KCLC.”

Elementary

“I really enjoy the environment at KCLC, especially speaking in Keres with the Iiwas. It is a completely different experience than I expected, especially since I am new to Montessori education. I am so happy to be surrounded by amazing staff who care deeply about our Keres language and care about educating and continuing our way of life for our young people and our community. I am so proud of the Iiwas whose first language may not have been Keres, but English and hearing them say phrases and sentences is such a beautiful and hopeful feeling. I feel the mission closely aligns with how we live as Pueblo people. This mission reminds us to understand who we are, why we are here, and what our purpose is. This connects us as language learners, educators, and members of our community.”

Adolescent

“I like the Keres language support. What makes me proud is seeing how the students use the language. As staff and students, I have the hope that we will all strive to learn the language and become more proficient, and that one day we will all be fluent. I support KCLC’s mission by continuing to speak the language. Another reason why I support KCLC is its teaching method using the Montessori method. When I sit in class and observe the students work with each other in an open classroom environment, I am amazed at how young they understand the day-to-day tasks they are given.”

“My favorite thing about KCLC is the community. Everyone here is committed to living the mission and values of the school. The children are grounded in their cultural identities, supportive of one another, and joyous in their learning. I am grateful to learn from them every day! Dr. Montessori believed that education was the key pathway to freedom and justice. It is an honor to be a Montessorian working in service to Indigenous language revitalization and educational self-determination.”

Programming Staff

“I like working at KCLC because I get to work with children, learn more about the language, and relearn our traditions.”

“I enjoy being a part of KCLC solely because of the mission. The staff are showered with resources and training to better understand ourselves as Hahn (native) people. I’ve learned so much and hope to continue to do so. The encouragement KCLC gives us to speak, practice and learn our language is awesome. I’m also happy my young girls can attend KCLC. It’s great that we all are learning more to be confident in speaking and learning together. I’m super proud of how much they both have learned with just one school year with KCLC.”

Support Staff

“I like KCLC’s immersion approach to education, which includes daily use of our Keres language and lessons. The Keres Children’s Learning Center makes me feel confident, cheerful, and proud. Hearing our Iiwas communicate in the Keres language at various ages brings joy. I support KCLC’s mission as it is the most vital place to revitalize our Keres language.”

“I like the warm, and supportive environment. The staff are genuinely good-hearted with strong positive intents for the young ones. The children are growing in a place that nurtures their highest expression.”