The Need Is Real. The Opportunity Is Now.
Legacy Raising Foundation connects education, mentorship, athletics, wellness, family support, and strategic partnerships to help young people prepare for school, sports, college, careers, leadership, and life — starting in New Mexico and building toward national reach.
Young People Across America Need More Support.
Across the United States, millions of young people face barriers that limit their access to education, mentorship, athletic development, college preparation, and meaningful opportunity. These are not isolated problems — they are national challenges that require coordinated, community-centered responses.
Legacy Raising Foundation is being built to be part of that response — starting in New Mexico and developing a model designed to grow into additional communities, states, and eventually international partnerships.
Chronically Absent Students Nationally
In the 2022–23 school year, approximately 26% of U.S. public school students — about 13 million — were chronically absent, meaning they missed at least 10% of the school year. Chronic absenteeism is one of the strongest predictors of academic failure and dropout.
U.S. Department of Education, Chronic Absenteeism in the Nation's Schools, 2023National Four-Year Graduation Rate (2022)
The national adjusted cohort graduation rate was 87% for the 2021–22 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. That means roughly 1 in 8 students did not graduate within four years — representing hundreds of thousands of young people annually.
National Center for Education Statistics, Graduation Rates, 2022Children Living in Poverty (2023)
In 2023, approximately 16.1 million children in the United States lived in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Economic hardship is directly linked to reduced access to academic support, mentorship, athletics, and college preparation.
U.S. Census Bureau, Income and Poverty in the United States: 2023Youth with Access to a Mentor
Research from MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership estimates that only about one in three young people in the United States will have a mentor by age 19. Young people without mentors are less likely to graduate, pursue higher education, or develop strong leadership and life skills.
MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, The Mentoring Effect, 2014Youth Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines
According to the CDC, fewer than 1 in 4 high school students meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Structured athletics and wellness programs play a critical role in physical health, mental wellness, discipline, and academic engagement.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Youth Physical Activity Guidelines, 2023New Mexico Is Our Home and Our Starting Point.
New Mexico is where Legacy Raising Foundation was founded, where our initial partnerships are being developed, and where our first programs will launch. The state's young people are not defined by its challenges — they carry extraordinary talent, culture, resilience, and potential.
At the same time, verified data show that New Mexico youth face some of the most significant barriers to educational achievement, economic opportunity, and long-term success of any state in the nation. That is why we are starting here — and why the work matters.
2025 Four-Year Graduation Rate
New Mexico's graduation rate reached 80.63% for the Class of 2025. That represents meaningful progress, but it also means nearly one in five students did not graduate within four years.
New Mexico Public Education Department, Class of 2025 Graduation DataStudents Chronically Absent
In the 2023–24 school year, 29.77% of New Mexico students were chronically absent, meaning they missed at least 10% of the school year. The rate has improved from 40.73% in 2021–22, but nearly three in ten students remained chronically absent.
New Mexico Children's Cabinet, Chronic AbsenteeismRecent Graduates Requiring College Remediation
Among recent New Mexico high school graduates entering a state public college in summer or fall 2024, 41.1% required remediation — demonstrating the importance of tutoring, SAT and ACT preparation, and stronger college-readiness pathways.
New Mexico Higher Education Department, Fall 2024 College Remediation DataNew Mexico Children Living in Poverty
In 2023, 25% of New Mexico children lived in families with incomes below the federal poverty level. New Mexico was tied for the highest child-poverty rate among the states reported in the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book.
Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2025 KIDS COUNT Data BookStudents Leaving School Before Graduation
In the 2024–25 school year, almost 5,500 New Mexico students in grades 7 through 12 dropped out. Every number represents a young person whose future can still be strengthened through reconnection, consistent support, and meaningful pathways.
New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee, Reconnecting Disconnected Youth Action Plan, 2026Data are presented to explain the needs our programs are being designed to address. Legacy Raising Foundation does not claim responsibility for statewide conditions or promise to solve them alone.
From Data to Action
Attendance Challenge
Attendance intervention, family engagement, mentoring, and school partnerships
Academic-Readiness Challenge
Tutoring, SAT and ACT preparation, journalism, technology, and college readiness
Graduation Challenge
Consistent mentoring, leadership development, dropout prevention, and reconnection pathways
Economic-Access Challenge
Free programs, scholarships, equipment assistance, and community partnerships
Health and Engagement Challenge
Athletics, strength and conditioning, mental wellness, life skills, and healthy relationships
Mentorship Gap
Positive adult mentorship, leadership development, and consistent long-term relationships
We are not presenting these numbers to define communities by their challenges. We are presenting them because responsible action begins with understanding where support is needed, measuring what we do, and holding ourselves accountable for meaningful progress.
Connected Support. Not Isolated Programs.
Many organizations address one piece of the puzzle. Legacy Raising Foundation is designed to connect the pieces. Education, mentorship, athletics and wellness, and family and community support are not separate tracks — they are four pillars of a single, integrated approach. When a young person has academic support and a mentor and healthy activities and a connected family, the outcomes are different. That is the approach we are building.
Education
Attendance, academics, SAT and ACT preparation, graduation, college and career readiness, technology, and journalism.
Mentorship and Leadership
Positive adult relationships, leadership, character, accountability, and life skills.
Athletics and Wellness
Sports, fitness, mental wellness, e-sports, sports science, and healthy-living education — part of the complete developmental journey.
Community and Family
Family engagement, school partnerships, community outreach, and resource navigation.
What We Plan to Measure
As programs launch, Legacy Raising Foundation will track meaningful outcomes across every pillar — not just participation numbers, but real indicators of growth, progress, and long-term success.
The outcomes below represent what the Foundation intends to measure as programs are established. They do not reflect results already achieved.
Student Attendance
Tracking attendance improvement among enrolled participants.
EducationAcademic Progress
Grade-level advancement and academic performance over time.
EducationSAT and ACT Preparation
Participation in test-prep programming and score improvement tracking.
EducationGraduation Readiness
On-track graduation status and credit accumulation.
EducationCollege and Career Readiness
College applications, career exploration milestones, and preparatory-academy partnerships.
EducationMentor Participation
Youth matched with and consistently engaged by mentors.
Mentorship and LeadershipProgram Retention
Sustained participation across program cycles.
Mentorship and LeadershipLeadership and Life-Skills Growth
Measurable development in character, decision-making, and leadership.
Mentorship and LeadershipFitness and Athletic Development
Physical fitness benchmarks and athletic skill progression.
Athletics and WellnessMental Wellness
Resilience, stress management, and emotional well-being indicators.
Athletics and WellnessFamily Engagement
Family participation in events, programming, and outreach.
Community and FamilyScholarships Awarded
Number and value of scholarships distributed to participants.
EducationParticipant and Family Satisfaction
Qualitative feedback from youth and families on program quality and impact.
Community and Family
We do not claim that one organization can solve every challenge facing young people. We believe meaningful progress begins by surrounding youth with consistent support, measurable opportunities, responsible partnerships, and adults who believe in their future.
Together, we can educate, empower, and elevate the next generation.
There Are Many Ways to Support This Work.
Volunteer
Give your time to support programs, events, and outreach efforts that directly serve youth and families.
Sign Up to VolunteerBecome a Mentor
Commit to a consistent mentoring relationship with a young person who needs a positive adult in their corner.
Apply to MentorConnect Your School or Academy
Partner with us to bring programs, resources, and support directly into schools, preparatory academies, and educational settings.
Explore PartnershipAthletic Partnership
Support our athletics and wellness programs through coaching, facilities, equipment, or organizational collaboration.
Connect With UsBecome a Founding Partner
Align your organization with a mission that invests in the next generation of leaders, students, and community members.
Become a Founding PartnerSponsor a Program
Fund a specific program area — education, mentorship, athletics, or community — and see exactly where your investment goes.
Sponsor a ProgramDonate Equipment or Technology
Contribute equipment, technology, or supplies that directly support youth programs and academic preparation.
Donate EquipmentDonate
Make a direct financial contribution that supports program development, operations, scholarships, and youth services.
Donate NowBring Legacy Raising to Your Community
Interested in bringing the Legacy Raising model to your city, state, or region? Let's start a conversation.
Start the ConversationEducate. Empower. Elevate.
Every contribution — of time, talent, or resources — helps us build programs and pathways that give young people a genuine chance to succeed — beginning in New Mexico and expanding into communities across the country and beyond.