Dear Community,
A Quarterly Report on Impact
MARCH 2024
Dear Community,
A Quarterly Report on Impact
MARCH 2024
Thank you for your support of Denver Public Schools Foundation and our vision to unite the community toward student success! Please enjoy our Quarterly Impact Report to learn more about our funds at work.
Let’s Get REEL: The DPS Foundation Impact
The Launch Internship Program is a program designed to give students early exposure to many career options as they learn more about their own passions and interests. Students are partnered with companies, higher education institutions and non-profits in Colorado’s most in-demand industries to gain work-based learning experiences such as site visit days, internships, mentoring, apprenticeships and more.
Check out the REEL impact in this video interview!
The impact of DPS Foundation’s Launch Internship Program at St. Joseph’s Hospital with DPS Foundation Board Member, Tyler Loy, Emergency Room Supervisor, Mary Florence Cox, and DPS student intern, Sherlyn during this iteration of DPS Foundation’s Let’s Get REEL video series!
A TO Z FUND CLASSROOM GRANTS FOR TEACHERS
Our A to Z Fund has given more than $3.1 million to schools since its inception in 2006. DPS educators have used this money in creative and fun ways over the years, including educational field trips. This past fall, Doull Elementary received $1,500 to take students for an overnight trip to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. What a great way to encourage students to take an interest in science!
DPS Foundation received 80 applications during the second cycle of the 2023-24 school year, with every application being at least partially funded, including 40 applications being fully funded.
In total, we awarded $152,917.82 during this second cycle, serving over 17,000 DPS students!
Student Grantmaking Advisory Committee:
In an effort to better meet the needs of DPS students by helping them affect change in their schools and communities, the DPS Foundation has convened a Student Grantmaking Advisory Committee! Our goal is to return power to the students of DPS through direct funding for their ideas and projects, and to better understand what DPS students need in order to be successful during their time in school and after graduation.
This Spring’s committee is made up of six DPS students from four different high schools throughout the district. We cannot wait to see the incredible work that these students will do to shape this grant, and with their own grant project ideas!
I’m incredibly excited about the opportunity to have a say in the development of this new program and potentially get my own grant idea funded.
New Arrivals, Student & Family Fund
We know that when our students and families thrive, we all benefit. The DPS Foundation’s New Arrivals, Student & Family Fund, launched in January 2024, will work to ensure new DPS families are supported as they enter the Denver community so that new to country students have the resources they need to become leaders and societal contributors. With the trust of the community, DPS Foundation will ensure the funds go to the area of greatest need to support schools, DPS Community Hubs and wrap-around services to ensure that refugees, migrants and DPS families have what they need to thrive.
Prior to launching this fund, the DPS Foundation team embarked on a listening tour, visiting highly impacted schools in our district that have welcomed 50 or more new to country students. We had an opportunity to have calls or visits with over 25 schools. DPS Foundation also participates in the DPS New Arrival Working Group with DPS central office department leads and runs a New Arrival Cohort that includes 32 DPS staff members, DPS central office staff, as well as community members. We began these cohort meetings in February and will continue having them through May, with the goal of giving this group of individuals a space to connect and share resources.
Thanks to The Denver Foundation and Rose Community Foundation, your donations were matched up to $50,000 for the New Arrivals, Student & Family Fund! We are grateful to The Denver Foundation and Rose Community Foundation for their community leadership in the space of migrant and new arrival support!
We are thrilled to announce since launching this fund and as of early March, we have granted out over $250,000 to 23 DPS schools and two departments that are supporting New to Country Students. These funds are being used for school supplies, additional curriculum, and basic student needs.
PLEASE CONSIDER A DONATION!
We are still accepting donations, and are funding needs on a monthly basis with grants to schools and programs directly supporting New Arrivals. If you have not had a chance to donate yet, please consider a donation!
If you were unable to attend our New Arrivals, Student & Family Fund virtual event on January 18, we are sorry we missed you. You can still learn more about the DPS Foundation’s new fund and watch the full webinar recording by clicking on the play button.
DPS Foundation Appoints New President & CEO
We are delighted to announce that Sara Hazel has been appointed as the President & CEO of the Denver Public Schools Foundation!
Sara brings with her an impressive 20 years of nonprofit development and leadership experience, making her exceptionally qualified to lead our organization’s next chapter. Throughout her career, Sara has demonstrated a deep commitment to public education and community building, making her an ideal fit for this role. As a proud DPS parent and advocate, Sara’s personal investment in our mission is evident in every aspect of her work.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Sara for her leadership, as well as to the DPS Foundation Board, our outstanding team, and our community for their unwavering support. Together, under Sara’s leadership, we are confident that we will continue to make significant strides in advancing public education and ensuring our students thrive.
Denver Health Launches Mobile Health Clinic at Denver Public Schools
A first-of-its-kind partnership between Denver Health and Denver Public Schools aims to increase access to health care services through a mobile health clinic for DPS children and their families, including many newly arrived migrant families.
The expansion of health services outside of Denver Health’s School-Based Health Centers was made possible thanks to Denver Health Foundation’s collaboration with the Denver Public Schools Foundation, with both organizations raising $150,000 for the initiative.
Denver Health’s Mobile Health Clinic will initially target visits to four DPS Community Hubs throughout Denver so that health care services are available in addition to the clothing, food, language classes and more provided at the DPS Community Hubs. The health services provided include vaccines, pediatric primary care services, adult acute care and more, catering to the diverse needs of DPS families, particularly those who have recently migrated to Colorado.
Denver Public Schools Foundation is thrilled to support the mobile health clinic that will be supporting students and families at DPS Community Hubs. A healthy child is a thriving child and therefore, supporting student well-being is a top priority. Having access to healthcare ensures that students are able to focus on learning when in the classroom. We are excited about this collaboration with Denver Health Foundation for the health and wellness of our students.
DPS Foundation in the Community
DPS Foundation team members have been busy spending time out in the Denver community, including school visits to Downtown Denver Expeditionary School and Northfield High School to present awards to educators who recently received grants from our A to Z Fund and Educators Take Flight initiatives. The DPS Foundation team has visited 70 different DPS schools during the 2023-24 school year!
DPS Foundation staff also attended the DPS Student Voice & Leadership Spring Roundtable event last month, and sponsored a table at the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce State of Women in Business event!
