Thursday, May 30 at 7 p.m. on Ch. 5.1

Before children learn to talk, it may seem like not much is happening. In fact, from age 0 to 3 is the most important time for brain development. In those first few years of life, 700 new neural connections are formed every second. Young children naturally reach out for interaction. In the absence of responses, their brains don’t form as expected. That can impact their learning and social development.

What do we need to do to ensure all of New Mexico’s children get effective early brain development?

On this month’s Public Square, we talk with experts, educators and advocates, including Ellen Galinsky, founder of Mind in the Making and author of “The Seven Essential Skills Every Child Needs.”

Community leaders include Dan Haggard, deputy director of the Children Youth & Family Department’s Early Childhood Services, Brenda Kofahl, Pre-K program specialist with the Public Education Department and Heather Vaughn, early childhood manager with Albuquerque Public Schools.

Join New Mexico PBS for a PUBLIC SQUARE, where civic dialogue takes center stage. Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. PUBLIC SQUARE is hosted & produced by Megan Kamerick.

Quotes From PUBLIC SQUARE Participants:

“That’s our tagline. School success begins at birth.”
Dorothy Kerwin, early child training and development consultant

“I think this is one of disconnects we have in our society. We’re not paying attention to those infants up to three years old.”
~Pam Segel, early childhood development specialist

“When they’re coming in there is that achievement gap, and it may narrow, but it doesn’t ever close.”
~Peggy Candelaria, principal of Manzano Mesa Elementary School

“Psychosocial factors like domestic violence, poverty, just general stresses even in utero actually affect the way the brain develops.”
~Alexandra Cvijanovich, president of New Mexico Pediatric Society

“All of us can be brain builders and we’re not doing that so we have along way to go.”
~Ellen Galinsky, founder of Mind in the Making

Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Thursday, April 25 at 7 p.m. on Ch. 5.1

Each year in New Mexico, about 100 youth in foster care will hit age 18. That means they are then defined as adults and lose most of the services they rely upon daily.

The outcomes for these youth are not good. In 2011 in New Mexico, only 25 percent graduate from high school and 46 percent experienced episodes of homelessness by the age of 17. Nationally, one quarter have attempted suicide. Girls are more than twice as likely to be pregnant by age 19. The annual cost per cohort among these young adults is estimated to be $7 billion, according to the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative.

How can we ensure these young people have the support they need to succeed as adults?

On this month’s Public Square, former foster children talk about their struggles in the system and how it impacted their ability to be independent adults. Advocates talk about their work helping young people navigate the many paths out of the system to self-sufficiency.

Community leaders include State Sen. Michael Padilla, D-Albuquerque, Patrice Perrault, youth services bureau chief with Children Youth and Families Department – Protective Services, and Judge John Romero of the Children’s Court Division.

Join New Mexico PBS for a PUBLIC SQUARE, where civic dialogue takes center stage. Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. PUBLIC SQUARE is hosted & produced by Megan Kamerick.

Quotes From PUBLIC SQUARE Participants:

“I completely lost contact with friends, family, everything was taken away from me.”
~Lauren Huichan, Former foster child and youth advocate

“Biggest danger to adolescents in foster care is they have to be adults faster than they need to be adults. The biggest help for kids is to be a kid.”
~Jomo Z.M. Thomas, II, Clinical Director, Youth Development Inc.

“We need to see every relationship that child has as an opportunity, and work so hard to preserve it.”
~Liz McGrath, Co-Director, Pegasus Legal Services for Children

“We don’t think outside the box often enough. And I don’t believe the system encourages young people to be more vocal. We kind of put them in silos as though they were separate and different kids. They’re all our kids.”
~John Romero, Presiding Judge, Children’s Court Division

Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Thursday, March 28 at 7 p.m. on Ch. 5.1

Mass shootings committed by young people have filled the headlines over the last year, These tragedies have brought renewed attention to the issue of youth mental health.

The national statistics are disturbing. Half of all lifetime cases of mental and substance abuse disorders begin by age 14. About 13 percent of young people live with a serious mental illness. However, only about 20 percent of those kids get the treatment they need. Many end up in the juvenile justice system.

So should we change how we intervene in children’s lives before problems become crises?

On this month’s Public Square, young people in New Mexico talk about their struggles with mental health issues. Advocates and public health experts discuss where we need to focus our resources. Community leaders include Yolanda Cordova, director of the Office of School and Adolescent Health in the New Mexico Department of Health and Diana McWilliams, acting CEO of the New Mexico Behavioral Health Collaborative.

Join New Mexico PBS for a PUBLIC SQUARE, where civic dialogue takes center stage. Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. PUBLIC SQUARE is hosted & produced by Megan Kamerick.

Quotes From PUBLIC SQUARE Participants:

“I wanted to kill myself. I tried in 2nd grade, I tried in 4th grade, 5th grade, and again in 6th grade. Things just got worse. Everybody was calling me the crazy girl.”
~Latishia Sanchez, Youth Advocate

“We need preventative care instead of ‘proventative’ care and I think we get proventative care with mass shootings because now we’re trying to figure it out after the horribleness has already taken place.”
~James Roach, Youth Coordinator

“What’s very clear is we all have mental illness in our families. We don’t talk about it.”
~Dr. Steve Adelsheim, Child/Adolescent Psychiatrist

“Let’s teach our kids that it’s ok to feel bad, but then talk about feeling bad and then what do you do to feel better?”
~Diana McWilliams, Acting CEO, New Mexico Behavioral Health Collaborative

Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Thursday, February 28 at 7 p.m. on Ch. 5.1

New Mexico is a poor state and the burdens of economic inequality fall especially hard on women and girls. We have the highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation and women make, on average, 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. In New Mexico they are more likely to be victims of domestic violence and sexual assault than women elsewhere. And the lack of affordable quality childcare impacts their ability to work.

On the next Public Square, we’ll hear from women who have overcome challenges to start businesses, become homeowners and find economic self-sufficiency. We’ll also hear from advocates in micro lending and asset development about programs that help women take control of their lives.

Community leaders include Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, Jenny Parks, president and CEO of the New Mexico Community Foundation, and former Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish.

Join New Mexico PBS for a PUBLIC SQUARE, where civic dialogue takes center stage. Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. PUBLIC SQUARE is hosted & produced by Megan Kamerick.

Quotes From PUBLIC SQUARE Participants:

“I have been broken into many pieces and it’s about figuring out to pull those pieces back together and finding beauty in your own cracks.”
–Dawn Maestas, business owner and domestic violence survivor

“If you give a woman the chance to earn income, she’s going to invest it in her family.”
–Susan Matteucci, executive director of Southwest Creations Collaborative

“The ability to believe in yourself starts early but it’s a very important ingredient in being able to be in charge of your own life–being the architect of your own future.”
–Diane Denish, former lieutenant governor

“If we’re talking about women’s economic empowerment, financial literacy education has got to be a huge, huge part of that.”
–Agnes Noonan, president WESST

“It becomes much easier to maybe go into a job that isn’t worthy of your skills or talent because that job will allow you to leave when your child is sick.”
–Amy Whitfield, President of YWCA New Mexico

“I kind of realized things needed to change when I found myself pinned to the floor in a restaurant with the fellow I was dating at the time with his hands around my throat.”
–Gail Jenkins, business owner and survivor

Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Thursday, January 31 at 7 p.m. on Ch. 5.1

What are the challenges facing youth and young adults in New Mexico who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered or queer?

Nationally, LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning) youth are more likely to face verbal and physical harassment at school. They are also at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, suicide attempts, and suicide. Many face discrimination in their own families and may even end up on the streets.

On the next Public Square, young people in New Mexico’s LGBTQ community share their experiences. And we talk with advocates and community leaders about what we need to do to improve the lives of LGBTQ New Mexicans. In the second half of the program State Senator Cisco McSorley and Peter Simonson, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, join the discussion.

Join New Mexico PBS for a PUBLIC SQUARE, where civic dialogue takes center stage. Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. PUBLIC SQUARE is hosted & produced by Megan Kamerick.

Quotes From PUBLIC SQUARE Participants:

[My parents] said “Pack your bags and go. If you want to live like this you can’t be here at all.”
–Jessica Muellers, transgendered youth activist

“Coming out process was a big period of self-hatred and I even contemplated taking my own life at one point because I felt there must have been a demon in me, there must have been something wrong with me.”
–Quela, UNM, LGBTQ Resource Center

“Because I was in a leadership role in other parts of the school they saw I was straight and I was standing up for my friends, so we started hearing a lot less of “That’s so gay.” It has a big, big effect.”
–Ashley Allers

Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Thursday, December 27 at 7 p.m. on Ch. 5.1

How can New Mexico combat child abuse? The state had more than 6,500 victims of child abuse and neglect last year and almost half of those victims were 5 years old or younger. The child injury death rate in the state is 1.5 times higher than the national average. In most cases, biological parents caused those deaths.

Yet, experts say child abuse is totally preventable. In this month’s Public Square, we talk with doctors, advocates, home visitors and law enforcement about what it would take to make that a reality.

Community leaders include State Senator Mary Jane Garcia, Yolanda A. Berumen-Deines, secretary of the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department, and Jared Rounsville, protective services director for Children, Youth and Families Department.

Join New Mexico PBS for a PUBLIC SQUARE, where civic dialogue takes center stage. Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. PUBLIC SQUARE is hosted & produced by Megan Kamerick.

Quotes From PUBLIC SQUARE Participants:

“If there was anything else in our health system so glaring we would have a cure, but we don’t for child abuse.”
–Angie Vachio, Child and family advocate

“In this state we spend $135 million after the event and $3 million on prevention. That should be turned around.”
–Dr. Susan Miller, Director, New Mexico Child Abuse Prevention Program

“This is about giving children who don’t have a voice opportunity, and then we all benefit. We all live in a better place if our children are better off.”
–Kim Straus, Brindle Foundation

Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Thursday, October 25 at 7 p.m. on Ch. 5.1

Some 45,000 students in New Mexico schools have disabilities or special needs. One in ten students at Albuquerque Public Schools receives special education services.

They lag behind their peers in graduation rates and in reading and math proficiencies. Many families struggle to make sure their children receive the education they need to be successful and lead independent lives.

In this episode, parents and teachers meet with NM Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino, Representative Jim Smith, and Suzanne Starr, principal of Shining Stars School in Rio Rancho. In a candid and thoughtful conversation, they explore solutions to improving the outcomes for special needs students.

Join New Mexico PBS for a PUBLIC SQUARE, where civic dialogue takes center stage. Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. PUBLIC SQUARE is hosted & produced by Megan Kamerick.

Quotes From PUBLIC SQUARE Participants:

“We focus so much on the disability we forget that these children also have an identity.”
– Ronalda Tome

“It was a tremendous shock to us that the school didn’t plan to educate our son.”
– Stephanie Varoz

“It was quite a surprise, as a parent, that not everybody shared my views. This child had incredible potential to be an incredible adult, and yet was sort of marginalized down to her disability.” — Katie Stone

“I recognize she has all these problems, but you know what? When we raise the bar, she meets it every time.” — Caroline Enos

Guests Include:
Community Panel:
• Dr. Veronica C. Garcia, Secretary of Education, Emeritus
• Pete Ciurczak, Dean of Students, Robert F. Kennedy Charter School
• Caroline Starita Enos, Mother of Two
• Paula Garcia, Special Education Teacher, M.A.
• Kevin Kirby, Social Studies Teacher, Bernalillo Middle School
• Sandra Moore, Mother of Twice Exceptional Student
• Katie Stone, Parent & Advocate
• Stephanie Varoz, Parent Advocate
• Ronalda Warito-Tome, Training Specialist & Advocate, EPICS (Education for Parents of Indian Children with Special Needs)

Leadership Panel:
• Suzanne Harper, Principal, Shining Stars Preschool
• Sen. Gerald Ortiz y Pino, Title: State Senator
• Rep. Jim Smith, Teacher & State Representative

Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Thursday, September 27  at  7 p.m. on Ch.  5.1

Families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population in New Mexico. The state is struggling to emerge from the recession that began four years ago with the financial meltdown and housing crisis. That is having a direct impact on its youngest citizens.

More than 16,000 children in New Mexico are homeless over the course of a year. They suffer from hunger and poor physical and emotional health. The stress and trauma of being homeless can significantly hurt their ability to learn and often has long-lasting impacts.

In this month’s Public Square, we talk with parents who have experienced homelessness, as well as shelter providers and advocates. And we’ll explore steps we can take to make sure more families can find secure housing.

Community leaders include Tim Keller and John Ryan, New Mexico State Senators, and Robin Dozier Otten, director of City of Albuquerque’s Family and Community Services Department.

Join us for Public Square where civic dialogue takes center stage Thursday September 27  at 7 pm. on New Mexico PBS 5.1 and Sunday, October 1, at 5:00 pm New Mexico PBS 9.1.

Quotes from Public Square participants:

“If we spend these dollars on programs we know work, we can end homelessness for people in our community.”
Lisa Huval
Policy Director, New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness

“We have nurses, we have teachers who are homeless. The face of homelessness hasn’t really changed. I think it’s just revealing itself in a more clear way.”
Michael Gaylor
Executive Director, Barrett Foundation

“I wake up every day and say ‘Did I really have five kids? Really? What was I thinking’”
Stephanie Paz
Former homeless mother

“Most of us are probably three to four months from homelessness.”
Diana Dorn-Jones
Executive Director, United South Broadway

Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Thursday, August 23  at  7 p.m. on Ch.  5.1

What happens when kids get involved in theatre, art, poetry, dance and music? A growing body of research indicates that these activities have profound cognitive impacts on students. They help boost their abilities in reading, memory, and math.

They also increase student engagement. Yet in policy debates, the arts are often views as a luxury rather than a necessity.

In this month’s Public Square, young people, arts professionals and legislators talk about how the participation in the arts helps keep kids engaged in education, and how to continue to offer such opportunities to New Mexico’s youth.

Community leaders include Regina Chavez, Executive Director of Creative Albuquerque, Linda M. López, New Mexico State Senator, and Bill O’Neill, New Mexico State Representative.

Quotes from Public Square participants:

“Art has to be okay for parents to be able to understand it, for communities to be able to embrace it, for it to continue to exist…the overlying reason why art doesn’t in a lot of places is because people are afraid of it.”
Carlos Contreras
Local educator, performer

“When you can show math as it pertains to music…Wow! Suddenly it’s an empowering tool.
Jonathan Wolfe, Ph.D.
Founder of Fractal Foundation

Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Thursday, July 26  at  7 p.m. on Ch.  5.1
Sunday, July 29 at  5 p.m. on Ch. 9.1

Suicide. It’s a topic many people prefer to avoid, especially youth suicide. But in New Mexico, the rate is about two times the national average. It’s the second leading cause of death for people age 15 to 24 in the state. In Native American communities, the rates are even higher.

Many say the first step to removing the stigma of suicide is to talk about it openly and that is exactly what New Mexico PBS will do.

In this month’s Public Square, we will hear from people who attempted suicide, as well as advocates in treatment and prevention.

They will explore the factors behind New Mexico’s high suicide rates and possible solutions with Catherine Torres, Secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health, Sen. Linda Lovejoy, and Roxane Spruce Bly, coordinator of Native American Suicide Prevention Clearinghouse.

Quotes from Public Square participants:

“I had to attempt suicide and be hospitalized because I couldn’t admit that I had lost total control over my life.” — Sabrina Strong,  NM Suicide Prevention Coalition, PUBLIC SQUARE participant

“I felt completely isolated…” – Audrey, PUBLIC SQUARE participant

New Mexico PBS’ community partners in this episode are Hogares, Inc. and the New Mexico Suicide Prevention Coalition.

Funding for PUBLIC SQUARE was provided in part by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.