Heinrich To Highlight Small Business Development, Attend Annual La Cosecha Dual Language Conference In Albuquerque
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) will travel to Albuquerque on Friday, November 6, to highlight small business development and attend the La Cosecha 20th Annual Dual Language Conference.
On Friday afternoon, Senator Heinrich will tour the Villa Myriam coffee roasting facility, a family owned small business in Albuquerque. The company is owned by brothers David and Juan Certain who grow the coffee beans on their grandfather's farm in Colombia, and then roast and distribute the coffee from their facility in Albuquerque. In 2013, they opened Villa Myriam with help from the South Valley Economic Development Center, a business incubator that has been funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Commerce. The company also owns The Brew by Villa Myriam, a coffee shop in downtown Albuquerque, and has recently launched its Nitro Cold Brew coffee drink that is now being distributed at more than 200 locations throughout New Mexico. Senator Heinrich will be briefed on the business' practice of using sustainable ingredients, collaborating with local businesses, and the benefits of paying their employees a living wage.
Later in the afternoon, Senator Heinrich will meet with students participating in the annual La Cosecha Dual Language Conference Student Leadership Institute. This year's program brings together more than 200 students in 8th-12th grades and their families to engage in positive youth-driven school projects. Senator Heinrich will meet with these students to discuss how critical dual language and leadership skills are for building stronger communities.
In the evening, Senator Heinrich will deliver remarks at La Cosecha Dual Language Conference at the Albuquerque Convention Center. The annual conference brings together more than 2,400 educators, parents, researchers, and dual language supporters from across the country and around the world. Senator Heinrich included provisions to strengthen dual language programs in the Every Child Achieves Act, a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which passed the Senate in July. There are currently more than 50,000 students in New Mexico participating in programs for English learners. Senator Heinrich is also an original cosponsor of the Esther Martinez Native American Languages Preservation Act, a bill to provide grants to Native American language educational organizations to preserve disappearing Native languages in Indian Country. The bill reauthorizes the Native American Languages Program until 2020, and includes improvements to expand the program's eligibility to smaller-sized classes and allow for longer grant periods.
The information below is for planning purposes only. Media must RSVP to press@heinrich.senate.gov to attend.
Albuquerque, November 6
WHAT: Villa Myriam Coffee Roasting Facility Tour
WHEN: 2:15 p.m.
WHERE: Villa Myriam Coffee Roasting Facility, 2420 Midtown Place NE, Suite H, Albuquerque, N.M. 87107
WHAT: La Cosecha Dual Language Conference Student Leadership Institute
WHEN: 4 p.m.
WHERE: Hotel Andaluz, 125 2nd St NW, Albuquerque, N.M. 87102
WHAT: Speak At La Cosecha Dual Language Conference Parents Dinner
WHEN: 5:30 p.m.
WHERE: Albuquerque Convention Center, 401 2nd Street NW, Albuquerque, N.M. 87102
