Our Students Are Diamonds

Arches is open to students who are 14 to 24 years of age. We exist primarily to serve students who live in underserved areas of Albuquerque. Students must be able to keep calendar appointments and speak fluent English.

Each student’s Arches journey is unique to them. For some, the journey may last a few months. For others, it will be years. We are committed to supporting our students until they have built the professional network they need and are confidently on the career path they’ve chosen.

In terms of money, thanks to our partnering organizations, participation is free. However, there is an investment required of each student in terms of effort, commitment, and time. The result is well worth the effort!

No! Part of the Arches process helps you understand your strengths, options, and interests. Knowing those things is key to having a fulfilling career direction; so we encourage you to apply even if you're not sure what life after high school will look like.

Arches uses a diverse set of experiences to expose our students to as many different industries as possible. From game day with New Mexico United to fitting pipe with TLC, we hope to give our students a wide variety of experiences to broaden their understanding of the wide world of career options available to them.

The amount of time required is dependent upon you and your goals. We expect that students will have sports, other work, and outside activities and we do our best to work within those commitments. Most students can expect a one-hour meeting every 4 to 6 weeks with their guide and a professional as well as prep time for such meetings. Events are typically 3 held during school hours and run as a field trip lasting 2 to 3 hours every 1 to 2 months.

The goal of Arches is to create connections between Albuquerque’s strong, motivated students and the organizations that need them to grow what they’ve built. We believe these connections will create the inspiration, pathways, and opportunities our students, organizations, and businesses need to thrive well into the future.

The sky is the limit! We are completely student-driven, so you determine your path. The more time you are willing to spend on your Arches journey, the more career options you’ll get to explore!