From Brooklyn to Burque: How One Educator Set Down Roots to Help Youth Thrive

by Samantha Anne Carrillo

There’s no map for how a Brooklyn science teacher ends up shaping a positive youth development program in New Mexico—but for Mike Jackson, that path began to materialize the moment he stepped into the open air of the Southwest. 

A Place to Grow 

For Jackson, now Roots Conservatory Manager at New Mexico Black Leadership Council (NMBLC), New Mexico was originally just a planned stop on a cross-country journey during remote teaching days of the pandemic. But once he arrived in Albuquerque, the connection was immediate. 

“I fell in love with Albuquerque because I love the outdoors. I love doing outdoors stuff like camping and hiking and just exploring in general,” says Jackson. “In a big city, it’s really hard to do that… Coming out here and experiencing openness, it’s hard to deny the impact on my well-being.” 

That sense of expansion wasn’t just physical. Once Jackson settled in, he soon became involved with NMBLC, where he saw an opportunity to align his education—a bachelor’s degree from St. John's University and a master’s degree from Relay Graduate School of Education—and skills as an educator with his values. “Having the opportunity to work at a nonprofit that’s focused on communities of color and to be working at a place where there are a lot of people of color, it seemed like a no-brainer,” he says. 

Centering Youth Voice and Story 

Today, Jackson manages the Roots Summer Leadership Academy (RSLA), one of NMBLC’s flagship programs for youth development. “Roots Summer Leadership Academy is essentially a three-week school focused on STEAM—science, technology, engineering, arts, and math,” he explains. “There’s a focus on having social-emotional learning be at the core of each of their classes.” 

But RSLA is not just about the curriculum. It’s about community, creativity, and student agency. The program culminates in a celebratory performance called Harambee, where students showcase the work they’ve created with their instructors. “The dance routine, the students have input on that, and the actual script, the students have input on that,” says Jackson. “All the music used in the program is meant to tell the story of their three-week journey.” 

Jackson believes that giving young people the power to tell their own stories is central to their growth. “All the content of that Harambee is content that the students create themselves,” he emphasizes. 

What’s Next for Roots 

As Jackson looks toward the future, expansion is on the horizon. “The goal is to expand RSLA to a different part of New Mexico,” Jackson says. “What we're thinking is that we will start this expansion by going south.” 

Las Cruces is the likely next location, thanks to partnerships that NMBLC Executive Director Cathryn McGill has been cultivating. “RSLA is three weeks, but this expansion will be a truncated version of it,” Jackson says. “It’ll be one week, and we’re looking to facilitate this in the fall.” 

The plan is to time the program during school fall break to ensure both students and educators are available. “Since it’ll only be a week, it’s not as demanding,” Jackson explains. “The goal is to take what we do during the summer and synthesize that into a week-long program.” 

And beyond fall? Jackson sees RSLA growing in both geographical reach and overall impact. With youth leading the way, he says the possibilities remain wide open—just like the landscape that brought him here. 

Learn more about RSLA at nmblc.org. Sign youth up (free!) for the 2025 RSLA at: bit.ly/rsla2025