Native American Community Academy

What Native American Community Academy does

Native American Community Academy (NACA) is a tuition-free public charter school founded in 2006 and located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It serves approximately 480 students in grades K-12, with 94% of its student body identifying as Native American and drawn from more than 60 tribal nations. The school's core product is a culturally integrated curriculum that weaves Indigenous knowledge and instruction in five Native languages into a standards-aligned K-12 program. The school has expanded its grade range over time, adding elementary grades to what was originally a middle and high school model, and operates dual-credit pipelines with the Institute of American Indian Arts, the University of New Mexico, and Central New Mexico Community College. It also hosts an on-campus health center operated by First Nations Community HealthSource.

NACA's revenue model is structured like a typical public charter school: per-pupil allocations from the State of New Mexico, federal Title I and Indian Education funding, and philanthropic grants. Key funders include the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (which seeded the NACA Leader Fellowship in 2010) and the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. The organization employs roughly 45 staff and also operates the NACA Inspired Schools Network (NISN), an incubator intended to replicate the NACA model at other charter schools nationwide, providing an additional philanthropic and grant-funded revenue layer beyond the single Albuquerque campus. The "customers" are students and their families (no tuition), while the economic counterparties are state and federal education agencies and a small set of foundation and tribal donors.

Operationally, NACA's technology footprint is light: the school uses Edlio for its website and basic communications. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, no proprietary data assets, and no productized software offering; the primary intellectual property is its curriculum, fellowship curriculum, and the NISN replication playbook. The organization's strategic emphasis is on cultural fidelity, educator pipeline development through the fellowship, and national model replication through NISN rather than technology leverage.

Name

Native American Community Academy

Legal name

Native American Community Academy

Website

https://nacaschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NACA is a tuition-free K-12 public charter school in Albuquerque, NM, serving roughly 480 students from 60+ tribal nations through a culturally integrated curriculum. It also operates NISN, a national charter-school incubator, and the NACA Leader Fellowship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charter School Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Indigenous/Culturally Focused & Community-Based Schools (EDAJACAM)

Keywords

• Charter school education
• Native American education
• Culturally responsive curriculum
• Indigenous language instruction
• K-12 public education

Headquarters

HQ city

Albuquerque

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Public Funding: As a tuition-free public charter school, NACA receives per-pupil funding from the state of New Mexico through the Public Education Department. Additional revenue comes from federal Title I and other educational grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Native American Community Academy is a tuition-free public charter school serving approximately 480 K-12 students in Albuquerque, New Mexico, delivering core academic instruction, Indigenous language programs (Navajo, Lakota, Keres, Tiwa, Zuni), a holistic personal wellness curriculum, college/career engagement with mandatory junior internships, out-of-school-time enrichment, exceptional student services, land-based learning, athletics, and Indigenous arts instruction. The school operates elementary, middle, and high school campuses and is the only charter school incubator in the United States dedicated solely to Native American education.

Product overview

NACA is a tuition-free public charter school serving approximately 480 students in grades K-12 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The school operates as a unified educational platform combining academic excellence with culturally-grounded learning. Its core portfolio includes: (1) Core Academic Curriculum with Math, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Native Literature; (2) Indigenous Language Programs offering Navajo, Lakota, Keres, Tiwa, and Zuni instruction; (3) Personal Wellness Program addressing physical, emotional, intellectual, and community wellness; (4) College and Career Engagement Program with mandatory internships for juniors and seniors; (5) Out-of-School Time Learning Program providing before/after-school enrichment; (6) Exceptional Student Services for special education and gifted learners; (7) Land-Based Healing and Learning connecting students to cultural roots; (8) NACA Inspired Schools Network Fellowship training future Native American education leaders; (9) Athletics; and (10) Indigenous Arts. All offerings are integrated around the school's mission of preparing students who are academically accomplished, secure in their identity, and holistically well.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Core Academic Curriculum Comprehensive K-12 academic instruction including Math, Science, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Native Literature, grounded in inquiry-based learning and cultural connections, designed for NACA students from elementary through high school.
• Indigenous Language Programs Language instruction in Navajo, Lakota, Keres, Tiwa, and Zuni languages from elementary through high school, designed to preserve Native American cultures and languages for enrolled students.
• Personal Wellness Program Holistic wellness education covering Physical, Emotional, Intellectual, and Community/Service dimensions through grades K-10, focused on achieving total wellness for enrolled students.
• College and Career Engagement Program Structured program for 11th and 12th graders requiring Junior Seminar with an 80-hour internship and Senior Seminar covering college applications, financial aid, and scholarships, designed for NACA high school students.
• Out-of-School Time Learning Program (OST) Free before and after-school enrichment program offering small-group clubs, large-group activities, and field trips for NACA students K-12, staffed by teachers and AmeriCorps members.
• Exceptional Student Services Special education and gifted services providing culturally supportive and holistic education for exceptional learners, including identification, support, and family engagement at NACA.
• Land-Based Healing and Learning Educational approach connecting NACA students to land, history, and culture through outdoor learning spaces, gardens, and conservation efforts.
• NACA Inspired Schools Network (NISN) Fellowship 12-month paid leadership fellowship training educators to start charter schools serving Native American students; the only charter school incubator dedicated solely to Native American education in the United States.
• NACA Athletics Athletic programs for middle and high school students, including sports physical requirements and participation requirements for the school year.
• Indigenous Arts Program Visual arts instruction from traditional Native crafts to contemporary design, taught in collaboration with the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe.
• NACA Rocks (Music Program) Alternative rock music program focusing exclusively on rock music, providing performance experience for students not typically involved in traditional band or orchestra at NACA.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Central New Mexico Community College (CNM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual credit partnership allowing NACA high school students to earn college credits. Students take dual credit classes through CNM while completing their high school requirements.
• University of New Mexico (UNM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual credit program and partnership with UNM School of Law for legal education awareness. UNM provides student teaching opportunities through their Teacher Residency program. UNM Community Engagement Center supports OST program with service corps members.
• Institute for American Indian Arts (IAIA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual credit partnership providing NACA students opportunities to earn college credits. IAIA adjunct professors teach art classes at NACA through the 'Expanding the Circle' program.
• NACA Inspired Schools Network (NISN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNACA's own network that serves as a national learning network for Native American education, using bi-monthly convenings to share knowledge and best practices while creating partnerships to strengthen educator, school district, and tribal relationships.
• Teach for AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to recruit teachers committed to serving in high-need schools, supporting NACA's staffing needs.
• Indian Pueblo Cultural CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural partnership providing students opportunities to engage with Pueblo culture and history.
• Wings of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth development organization providing running programs and athletic opportunities for Native American youth.
• Project VentureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOut-of-school time youth development program providing experiential learning and prevention services.
• First Nations Community HealthSourcecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool-Based Health Center providing medical, behavioral health, and dental services to NACA students through telehealth or clinic appointments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Indian Education Association: NIEA is the oldest and most inclusive Native education advocacy organization in the U.S., working on policy and programs affecting Native American K-12 and higher education. Comparable as an ecosystem player advancing Native educational equity alongside NACA's mission.
• American Indian College Fund: The American Indian College Fund is the nation's largest nonprofit supporting Native American student access to higher education through scholarships and tribal college support. Comparable to NACA in its mission of advancing Native American educational outcomes, though operating as a funder rather than a school.

Direct peers

• Institute of American Indian Arts: IAIA is a Native American higher education institution in Santa Fe that partners with NACA on dual credit and the 'Expanding the Circle' art program. It is comparable as a Native-led educational institution with cultural integration at the core of its mission, though serving postsecondary rather than K-12 students.
• Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute: SIPI is a federally funded tribal college in Albuquerque focused on Indigenous STEM, trades, and cultural education for Native American students. Comparable to NACA in mission, demographic focus, and Albuquerque/NM geography, though operating at the postsecondary level.
• Santa Fe Indian School: Santa Fe Indian School is a Bureau of Indian Education K-12 school in New Mexico serving Native American students with cultural integration. Closest direct peer to NACA in geographic, demographic, and K-12 mission profile, though funded by BIE rather than operating as a public charter.
• Sherman Indian High School: Sherman Indian High School is a BIE-funded residential high school in Riverside, California serving Native American students from across the U.S. Comparable to NACA in serving a pan-tribal Native American student body with cultural mission, though at the high school level only and as a residential institution.

Emerging players

• Diné College: Diné College is the first tribal college in the U.S., serving Navajo Nation students with culturally grounded higher education. Comparable to NACA in Native American student focus and cultural-integrated curriculum, though at the postsecondary level and on the Navajo Nation.
• Navajo Technical University: Navajo Technical University is a tribal university on the Navajo Nation offering career-technical and academic programs to Native American students. Comparable as a Native-serving institution partnered with NACA for dual credit and with overlapping student demographics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NACAschool
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NACASchoolABQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/Native-American-Community-Academy-272332520097
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/native-american-community-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Native American Community Academy