Our Mission

Prime Time For the Kids, For the Kids is a registered non-profit organization that promotes self-esteem and self-confidence in today’s youth so they have the tools to be tomorrow’s leaders. We do this by…

• Encouraging youth to participate in social and cultural activities
• Encouraging parent involvement
• Reinforcing positive behaviors
• Providing positive means of self-expression
• Providing strong and confident role models
• Providing methods to create and maintain healthy family structures

One focus of our program is providing free activities in Albuquerque for New Mexico Youth Day, which is on the first Saturday of August. This year it will be on August 6.

New Mexico Youth Day

Diane Denish, New Mexico's lieutenant governor in 2007, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the start of the first New Mexico Youth Day celebration.

In April 2007, New Mexico enacted a bill that established the first Saturday of each August as New Mexico Youth Day. Prime Time For the Kids, For the Kids was instrumental in getting this bill passed. The holiday is intended to provide the citizens of New Mexico the opportunity to honor and acknowledge all New Mexican youth for their academic and community achievements over the past academic year. Prime Time for the Kids has sponsored free activities for families in Albuquerque on each Youth Day since 2007.

On New Mexico Youth Day, Prime Time encourages every community and neighborhood association, educational facility, youth organization, business, and house of worship to assist in the celebration of our tremendous New Mexican youth population. We need to constantly remind our young people that they are important, that they truly matter, and that they can reach their goals and dreams in life. Most important, we need to provide activities where children and adults can spend quality time together.

Diane and Keefe Ricks, at back, with the Harrison Middle School cheerleaders at the 2009 New Mexico Youth Day. The girls in the front row are holding proclamations from the city and the state recognizing New Mexico Youth Day. Prime Time is always glad to see New Mexico Youth Day get attention and recognition from anywhere. Our youth advisors, however, want to take this to the next level and get the whole country to recognize Youth Day as an official holiday.

Getting NM Youth Day Recognized

Shelby and Jonathan, center, testify before the legislative committee considering House Bill 363, sponsored by Rep. Rick Miera. The bill urges Congress to consider a national Youth Day Holiday. Jonathan told the committee he's not giving up on his dream to one day have the holiday because he feels it's important for him and his little brother. Shelby performed in the 2008 statewide Talent Search after winning the 2007 contest. She has dreams of becoming a professional singer in order to give back to the young kids in her community.

We salute them for their continued commitment to a national Youth Day.

State Rep. Rick Miera
District 11

Rep. Miera's work was critical

State Representative Rick Miera (District 11, Bernalillo County), pictured at left, is Chairman of the Education Committee, and he has long been an advocate for the youth of New Mexico. Rep. Miera was the leading proponent of the New Mexico Youth Day bill in the Statehouse. He introduced House Bill 363 during the 2007 legislative session. This was the bill that established New Mexico Youth Day as a state holiday. We will always appreciate Rep. Miera's leadership in making Youth Day an official state holiday.

On the Senate side of the Roundhouse, Senator Mary Jane M. Garcia (District 36, Dona Ana County), pictured at right, co-sponsored Senate Bill 626 in the same session. This bill was the same bill as the House bill. Each bill passed in its chamber in 2007.

In a signing ceremony in Martinez Town, Albuquerque, on April 4, 2007, Lieutenant Governor Diane D. Denish signed House Bill 363 into law, as Representative Miera looked on. Later Governor Bill Richardson signed the two bills as a whole.

Our Vision

Prime Time For the Kids, For the Kids’ vision is that the whole nation will celebrate an official Youth Day holiday, a day to celebrate the successes of our young citizens. We are proposing that the first Saturday in August of each year be known as “Youth Day,” the same way two Sundays a year are known as Mother's Day and Father's Day.

Prime Time's Youth Advisory Team is asking New Mexico's representatives in Congress to come together to introduce a bill similar to New Mexico's that would establish a youth day holiday at the national level. It would be great to say we finally have a day set aside on the calendar that we can call our own, like Father's Day and Mother's Day. This would be a great opportunity for families to come together to reconize our youth for their achievements each year.