Learning Centered in Experience

The Dorn Community Charter School is a free public K-5 charter elementary school conveniently located near downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. We believe in nurturing each student through child-centered one-on-one learning in a supportive, creative, and diverse environment.

At Dorn we combine structured teaching and hands-on activities with a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) focus. We incorporate art, storytelling, and other innovative approaches — including Martha’s Garden, our award-winning science-based community garden — to encourage and reward children’s intellectual curiosity and capitalize on learning opportunities in the urban outdoor environment.

A Focus on Attention

At Dorn Community Charter School we believe a child learns best when they can receive one-on-one attention from our teachers. Our classroom sizes typically range from between 15 to 21 students, providing a safe environment with multiple means of engagement, action and expression, and representation, where each student receives a personalized experience that best suits their unique learning style, developmental level, and personality. 

Raising Children and Consciousness

As the only elementary school in New Mexico founded and chartered by African Americans, The Dorn Community Charter School believes equality, social justice, and racial justice must be core aspects of a child’s learning experience. We have been a leader in raising consciousness and promoting social and racial justice in the Albuquerque and New Mexico area for decades. Our teachers, staff, and leadership reflect the diversity of New Mexico, and they have all had extensive anti-racism training through ARTI, The Anti-Racism Training Institute of the Southwest, a pioneering program initiated decades ago by Dorn’s parent organization the United South Broadway Corporation. And we are proud to have one of the most diverse K-5 student bodies in Albuquerque, with the broad spectrum of New Mexico's races and cultures represented and supported.

Part of, and Partnered with, the Neighborhood

The Dorn Community Charter School does not just support the community, we grew out of it. The school was founded by the United South Broadway Corporation, a community development organization that has been building equity, strengthening neighborhoods, and advocating for social justice in Albuquerque and New Mexico for decades. Our deep roots are reflected in the strong relationships we have nurtured with the local families, businesses, and institutions including The Hispanic Cultural Center, and the South Broadway Cultural Center and Public Library. Through these trusted partnerships we are able to strengthen the social fabric and provide more varied, creative, and holistic learning experiences for our students. Our deep community roots also run through Martha’s Garden, our flagship South Broadway experiential community garden, which provides a way for New Mexico’s great Native American, Hispanic, Asian, and other local culinary and healing traditions to be taught and passed on to future generations.