News Release
THIRTY YEARS OF MAKING A MEASURABLE DIFFERENCE FOR THE CHILDREN OF NDI NEW MEXICO!
One hundred and fifty thousand children later, NDI New Mexico continues to make a measurable difference in the children of New Mexico! Our public elementary school programs in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Northern New Mexico are in full swing and growing! Statewide residencies reach from Dulce to Hobbs, and the studios at The Hiland Theater and The Dance Barns continue to attract and retain students of all ages and abilities. Summer programs provide a safe, enriching educational environment for children, and our Teaching Excellence® program provides professional training to dancers and educators who wish to adopt our highly effective teaching methodologies, preparing a new generation of NDI instructors to support our future expansion.
Thirty years of believing every child has the capacity to learn to work hard, never give up, do their best, and ultimately experience success has paid off. In late 2020, NDI New Mexico announced the findings of an academic evaluation report conducted with The University of New Mexico Prevention Research Center and designed to understand the relationship between children’s participation in NDI New Mexico’s Advanced Training programs and school-related outcomes, including school attendance, academic performance, and disciplinary behavior. The results were impressive: Students who participated in NDI New Mexico’s Advanced Training programs were more likely to be proficient in writing, math, science, and reading standardized testing compared to children who did not participate.
Even after accounting for demographic factors such as grade level, gender, and participation in the free and reduced lunch program, NDI New Mexico’s Advanced Training participants had 1.5-2.5 times higher odds of being proficient on standardized tests in those subjects. Students involved in the Advanced Training program were also less likely to be chronically absent from school compared to students who did not participate.
After adjusting for demographic factors, students participating in Advanced Training programs had about 1.5-2 times the odds of having 10 or fewer absences during an academic year.
We know from 18 years of rigorous evaluation that our programs support children’s well-being and academic success by helping them become more confident, more engaged in learning, and more likely to make healthy choices.
Dancing is a natural part of being a child, and it’s crucial for parents to know that their children are learning and growing in a safe and supportive setting. NDI New Mexico’s programs have always strived to achieve this goal, and we’re committed to maintaining a safe and nurturing environment for the next 30 years, and beyond.
Not only do our programs offer numerous benefits for children, including physical development, mental and emotional well-being, and social skills, but also cultural awareness, and artistic expression. A natural outcome of our programs is the development of a strong work ethic. NDI provides opportunities for personal growth and development that have a lasting impact on how young people move through the world and that is a difference worth celebrating!