Twirl, A Play and Discovery Place 

Accessible early education helps close the achievement gap for kids from low-income and disadvantaged communities, yet in Taos, NM, 53 percent of the area’s children lack access to pre-school. Created in 2007, Twirl, A Play and Discovery Place now provides 25,000 children and their families with a free community hub that exposes children to high-quality learning tools and fosters early childhood development through community events and classes for infant to 5-year-olds. A member of the Paso a Paso network, Twirl supports a continuum of early childhood services in Taos and has also been the pioneer in bringing STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) programs to the children of Taos. Programming includes The Paseo outdoor art festival every September in Taos, where Twirl engages with 500 kids in 8 elementary schools to create an art installation; a partnership with the Science Center and Children’s Museum in Albuquerque for hands-on science learning into Taos schools; and camps during the summer and working holidays that provide exploration of robotics, inventing and other STEM concepts, including girls-only camps.

Learn more about Twirl here.