We are pleased to invite you to join U.S. Secretary of Education  Arne Duncan for a town hall meeting about education reform, highlighting success in the state of Colorado. The meeting will be held Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 9:15 am at the Denver School of Science and Technology-Evie Dennis Campus at Green Valley Ranch. This community conversation will include educators, parents, elected officials, business and community leaders and students. The Secretary will be joined by DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg, Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia and Commissioner Robert Hammond.

It’s a great oppotunity to be a part of a dialogue and find out what direction Colorado schools are taking to provide a well-rounded education for every student.

The program – which was established in 2006 – has long been a cornerstone of community engagement for DPS schools. Under the new strategic plan, the DPS Foundation hopes to see even more collaboration.

“Denver’s community has long shown an incredible propensity to support students and schools,” said DPS Foundation president and CEO Kristin Colon. “Our intention in reinvigorating this work is to be sure we’re fully harnessing the energy of the business community to benefit our kids and our classrooms.”

The DPS Foundation has named Nicole Capage-Brown as Manager of the School Partners Program. In this role, Capage-Brown will oversee the portfolio of existing partnerships and drive ambitious efforts to grow the program.

Capage-Brown joins the DPS Foundation with more than nine years of experience creating and managing dynamic school partnerships. Previously, Capage-Brown was the Community Relations Manager at Crescent Real Estate, where she oversaw a portfolio of more than 80 school partnerships in urban districts nationwide and helped direct more than $1.2 million of cash and in-kind support to public schools.

“Nicole offers nearly a decade of expertise in nurturing strong, dynamic school partnerships and ensuring the greatest benefit to all parties involved” said Kristin Colon, president and CEO of the Denver Public Schools Foundation. “The School Partners Program has become a deeply valued conduit through which the community can contribute to the success of DPS’ 81,000 students. We know that it will grow stronger and bring even greater value to DPS schools under Nicole’s leadership.” Read more about Capage-Brown’s appointment here.

The School Partners Program engages businesses and organizations to direct resources, time and expertise to help strengthen DPS schools. In turn, School Partners enjoy a positive connection to students and the community, a better understanding of the challenges facing the school system, and a sense of personal involvement in the schools. Learn more about the School Partners Program – including information on how to become a School Partner and a list of existing Partners - here. If you are a school looking for more information about the program, click here.

Kristin Colon, John Senkiw and DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg

Thanks to IKON’s support, thousands of DPS middle school kids are on the field, court and track after school every day across Denver. Participation in team sports builds self-esteem, encourages a healthy lifestyle, improves school attendance and grades, and teaches invaluable principles of discipline and teamwork.

IKON is also a valued supporter of the DPS Foundation’s Achieve Gala. Make sure to join us on Tuesday, April 24th to celebrate the great progress in Denver Public Schools and the impact of supporters like IKON on our students and classrooms!

Read the 2010-11 Report to the Community now!

Read the 2010-11 Report to the Community

At its core, it seems like a fairly simple concept: match the resources of the local business community (financial support, volunteer hours and in-kind services) with the needs in our schools. That’s the very purpose of the School Partners Program: to cultivate partnerships between DPS schools and the Denver community. And yet, as we all know, there’s more to it than that. Partnerships require intention, structure and follow-through to fully benefit all parties involved.

That’s why the DPS Foundation has taken on the challenge of strengthening and growing the School Partners Program. Step one: bring a School Partners expert on board to manage the initiative. And so… we’re pleased to introduce Nicole Capage-Brown - the DPS Foundation’s newest team member, and your resource for all things School Partners.

Nicole will oversee the School Partners Program, providing key services including:

• Matching local businesses/organizations with schools in need of partnership.
• Coordinating partnerships – organizing introductory meetings, site visits and establishing communications between schools and their partners.
• Strategically managing relationships - helping schools and their partners set shared expectations to ensure fulfillment.
• Coordinating events and partnership opportunities.
• Stewarding relationships to maximize the benefit for your school and the recognition for your partner.

What does this mean for you? It means that you have an internal resource to help you find, manage and maximize your partnerships within the community. Partnerships require time and cultivation in order to thrive. Nicole is here to support you as you harness the energy and resources of the community to do great things for your kids and your school.

“I’m so excited to dive into this role, and to leverage the business community more fully in supporting our schools,” says Nicole. “I know the community is eager to help support and accelerate the great things happening in DPS, and there’s no question that our schools need the help. This is a critical time to grow and expand the School Partners Program, and I look forward to working with DPS staff and leadership to make that goal a reality.”

Click here for answers to school’s frequently asked questions about the School Partners Program.

Whether your school already has a thriving School Partnership or this program is news to you – please reach out to Nicole to learn more. You can reach her at ncapage-brown@dpsfoundation.org or 720.423.3226. Read more about the School Partners Program on our website here. Get to know Nicole better by reading her full bio – which reflects her nine years creating and managing dynamic school partnerships – here.

Please join us in welcoming Nicole, and in setting our vision on an ever-evolving School Partners Program to better serve DPS kids and schools!

Signed,

Your partners at the Denver Public Schools Foundation

The DPS Foundation would like to thank the generous DPS employees for helping us raise more than $50,000 for our second Team DPS Employee Giving campaign. Since Team DPS’ inception in 2010, DPS employees have contributed more than $100,000 to support our students, classrooms and schools!

The success of this campaign is a testament to the extraordinary commitment of the DPS employee community – even as they already contribute so much to ensure the success of their students. The money raised will help provide:

- Thousands of students with a safe place to get homework help, play sports and participate in enriching after-school activities.

- A to Z classroom grants that help pay for field trips, musical instruments, new classroom software and additional classroom needs in DPS.

- Students who are struggling to read at grade level will have access to cutting-edge reading strategies and all necessary support.

- Science will continue its life in DPS classrooms, through the distribution of Science Tracks kits and the implementation of new teaching methods.

We also would like to thank Superintendent Tom Boasberg for his generous dollar-for-dollar match, which helped us generate total of $51,324 for Team DPS in 2011!

The celebration was hosted by our generous partners at the Wynkoop Brewing Co. in LoDo. We thank everyone who came and participated in Team DPS. We appreciate your commitment, help and support!

Calling ALL DPS employees: if you haven’t already, please take less than 10 minutes to fill out this short survey about or organization, the support we provide, and the Team DPS giving campaign: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/C3S5RWJ

To learn more about Team DPS, please visit us {at} dpsfoundation.org/EmployeeGivingCampaign.

Krissie Deeks and Principal Frank Rotti

Stacy Dvergsdal and Brette Scott

Superintendent Tom Boasberg and Salvador Carrera

Do you remember when you were a kid how fascinating electricity, airplanes, water rockets, chemistry and weights and measurements seemed to be? Students at Stedman Elementary learned about these things in a  hands-on way last semester thanks to a grant from the DPS Foundation’s A to Z Fund. The after-school class at Stedman was taught by Colorado Experiential Learning Lab’s (C.E.E.L.) science educator, Lauren Wilson, whose approach allows students to conduct exciting science experiments and share their learning experience – all while leaving room for fun! Wilson, in his one-on-one instruction, guides students’ explorations from dissecting eyes to building terraria. The day we visited, students were learning about aerodynamics through the building (and flying!) of paper airplanes!

“My favorite experiment in this class was the one where we created reactions,” said fourth-grader, Ellis. ” This class is different from the school day. In school, we write and read a lot. Here, we get to make the experiments with our hands. It’s lots of fun.”

This program is a great way for students to get individual time with instructor and use after-school time to extend their knowledge where they otherwise might not be getting valuable skills, such as scientific inquiry and scientific method, and transfer their learning to the classroom.

“Most of these kids are in pretty big classrooms, so to come into this after-school setting that is much smaller and more hands-on is a great learning opportunity for these young minds,” said Gifted & Talented Itinerant teacher, Cassie Perlmutter, who requested the A to Z grant.

The A to Z Fund exists to help fund programs like this one – which enrich the learning experience and help students embrace their education, both inside and outside the classroom. Read more about the A to Z Fund here.

TeleTech, a generous DPS community partner, hosted the seventh annual “Spirit of the Season” holiday party at McGlone Elementary School in the Denver’s Montbello community last Monday. More than 1,500 McGlone students and family members were invited to the event, where they enjoyed a special holiday dinner, gifts and a visit from Santa all courtesy of TeleTech.

“McGlone was selected largely because of its vision for 21st century learning and dedication to student success despite the language and economical challenges,” said Emily Eikelberner, executive director of the TeleTech Community Foundation.  “We believe McGlone has created a model for successful educational reform for schools across the country and we are proud to support their tremendous efforts.”

Hundreds of TeleTech employees and their families volunteered more than 2,000 hours to make the event a success.  With 98% of McGlone families living in poverty, the special event was a welcome celebration of the season.

In addition to the party, the TeleTech Community Foundation donated nine Promethean boards, commonly known as interactive white boards, to promote newest learning strategies in McGlone classrooms encouraging interactive learning environment. Thank you, TeleTech Community Foundation. Way to go, McGlone Elementary. Happy Holidays!

The DPS Foundation is pleased to announce that we raised more than $25,000 from the generous community on Colorado Gives Day! We are so grateful to the committed supporters who invested in the children of our community and helped break the Colorado Gives Day record by generating more than $12 million for non-profit organizations statewide.

Thank you very much for your support and participation, which continues to enrich the lives of our students. Your gift will translate into tangible, lasting resources and opportunities for Denver’s students.

While Colorado Gives Day was a tremendous success, the need in Denver Public Schools is still great. Please consider a tax-deductible contribution to the Denver Public Schools Foundation before December 31st. Make a secure, online donation now, or read about other giving vehicles.

Students enjoying the Ben Carson Reading Room at Samuels Elementary School.

This gift allowed for the construction of Ben Carson Reading Rooms at five local Denver Public Schools: Amesse, Colfax Munroe, Samuels and Swansea. Carson Scholars Fund Co-Founder Mrs. Candy Carson, family members and guests of the Richard Lumsden Foundation, and DPS and community representatives gathered at Samuels Elementary School on October 18th to celebrate the additions.

Dorris Lumsden and Candy Carson cut the ribbon on the Carson Reading Room at Samuels Elementary School October 18.

Ben Carson Reading Rooms are designed to encourage young students and their families to discover the pleasure found in independent leisure reading and to recognize the true power of learning. “We know that grade-level literacy is a key to long-term student achievement,” said DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg. “The Carson Reading Rooms at five DPS schools will provide tremendous opportunity for our student to embrace reading and refine the skills that will help them succeed in all aspects of their education.”

“The addition of a Carson Reading Room to our school affords us the opportunity to engage all of our students in the wonders of reading,” said Samuels Principal Mikel Royal. “Having a quiet and comfortable place free from distractions, where children can step into the pages of a mystery, a biography, an adventure, a fantasy, or another time and place in history is a tremendous gift to our school. The fact that Dr. Carson attributes so much of his success to his enjoyment and the benefits of reading sets an outstanding example for our students and staff as we venture into this exciting program together. We are very grateful for this honor.”

Samuels students enjoy the expanded library collection made possible by the construction of the Carson Reading Room.

The Carson Scholars Fund is a nonprofit public charity founded in 1994 by world-renowned Johns Hopkins pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Carson and his wife, Candy, to motivate and reward academic excellence in young people. Currently there are 58 Ben Carson Reading Rooms serving students in seven states.

For more information on the Carson Scholars Fund visit www.carsonscholars.org.