DPS Foundation Aims to Grow and Strengthen the School Partners Program

The Denver Public Schools Foundation has announced plans to expand and strengthen the School Partners Program, an initiative that cultivates meaningful partnerships between DPS schools and the Denver community.

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.

IKON Gives $30,000 to DPS Prep League, Sponsors DPS Foundation Gala

IKON Office Solutions has once again made an incredibly generous gift to DPS’ middle school sports program, Prep League. Pictured below are DPS Foundation President Kristin Colon (left) and DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg (right) accepting the $30,000 check from IKON’s John Senkiw.

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!

The Power of Your Support: DPS Foundation’s 2010-11 Report to the Community is Available Now!

The DPS Foundation is pleased to share our 2010-11 Report to the Community. In this important publication, we share the exponential impact of tremendous community support for our schools in the last school year. Hear about the programs you’ve made possible… the students whose lives you’ve helped improve… and the lasting and tangible changes your investment is making in classrooms across Denver.

Read the 2010-11 Report to the Community now!

Read the 2010-11 Report to the Community

Nicole Capage-Brown: Your Resource for the School Partners Program

Dear DPS Principals and staff,

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

Team DPS was a huge success!

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: