The Village

The Village provides students & their families with wraparound supports that meet students where they are on their educational & career journeys

 

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Summary
The Village at the Contemporary Learning Academy (CLA) provides students and their families with wraparound supports that meet students where they are on their educational and career journeys by connecting them with mental health counseling, mentoring, post-secondary counseling, housing, food and clothing support, as well as work opportunities and General Educational Development (GED) programming. The Village serves six Pathways high schools which admit students who are at risk or off-track to graduate and provides them with intensive academic and emotional support.
The need

The Village launched in fall 2021 after years of research and extensive community engagement including community surveys and conversations with students and families. Communities identified food access, housing, workforce readiness and mental health supports as the greatest areas of need for The Village. To meet these needs, The Village staffs a social worker, workforce coordinator and two community specialists, one focused on basic needs provision and the other on outreach to the six Pathways school communities, and over a dozen community partnerships.

By design, Pathway Schools were created to serve the students who are most impacted by systemic inequities and historical marginalization. All Pathway Schools meet qualifications that require at least 95% of the student population to meet specific at-risk criteria. On average, The Village students are experiencing four to five of the following significant life challenges:

  • 72% of students are working through significant mental health struggles
  • 47% of students are engaging in substance misuse and or are experiencing the impact of substance usage within their families
  • 57% of students have reported significant trauma, with symptoms meeting the criteria for PTSD

18% of students are not living with a parent/guardian and have highly unstable living situations/support systems.

Stories from The Village

“The Village has helped me and my family by being able to provide meals when times were tough, clothes and necessities for when my family and I needed it. They were an amazing help during the Christmas season for our children when we weren’t able to give it to them. A big shout out to the staff for being so polite, kind, and giving. If I could recommend this to anyone, The Village is the place to go when you’re in need. Thank you and keep up the good work!”

-Jesus Sanchez, Denver Center for 21st Century Learning (DC-21)

“The Village has been a great source of help to my family and I. They have connected us with everything we’ve needed as far as food, baby diapers, wipes, and hygiene stuff for ourselves and our home.They treat us with the most love. If it wasn’t for them I’m not sure what I would do, they really help families in need! With that being said I give them a big great thanks to all the staff and faculty for all their support.”

-Village Family 2023

“My name is Zendra, provider for a family of 4, and the services I have received from The Village have truly been a godsend in these uncertain economic times. With the utmost sincerity I can wholeheartedly say I don’t know what I would have done without them.”

-Zendra Flores , Contemporary Learning Academy parent

“I was homeless, and I was in a hotel. The village went above and beyond in their support for me when I was in need, providing me with a hot pot and essential items such as food and hygiene products until I could establish my own living arrangement. Their kindness and generosity will always be remembered, and I am grateful for the hot pot I was able to keep.”

-ME. EGHS GED

“My abuser took all of my personal documents in the domestic abuse situation, leaving me with nothing. They went above and beyond in their assistance, offering me support for my mental health and helping me obtain vouchers for my birth certificate and a new I.D. The Village helped me with food, clothes and hygiene items.”

-Village student (name withheld)

“The Village has helped my family and I so much the past year from the food boxes they provide to the mental health resources they have. They are an amazing resource for the community and their work is needed.”

– Arturo Escobedo-Sanchez , CLA

IMPACT BY THE NUMBERS

  • The Village provides personalized support to more than 300 households annually, with 2,000 individual service touchpoints and 50,000 pounds of groceries distributed yearly. Support is focused on the six pathways schools in the central region of DPS.
  • Village Market – The market provides fresh and dried food to 60 families weekly (262 unduplicated participants since 2021, $100,000 worth of in-kind food donations)
  • Success Suits You Boutique – professional clothing, baby items, and hygiene products provided to 296 participants, with 578 total boutique visits
  • Workforce Supports – 181 participants and $54,000 in direct-to-youth wages and stipends since 2021, includes workforce training series and paid internships
  • Social Work Supports – 173 participants and 680 touchpoints
  • Energy Outreach Colorado – 120 families served and $112,000 in energy bill payments
  • Other supports provided via partnerships (both onsite and referral-based) include mental health resources (Resolute Youth Services, WellPower, Fortaleza Familiar), violence prevention (Urban Impact, DPD, OCA), education (SCL health, Denver Human Services, Denver Public Library), and basic needs (Bayaud Laundry, Stigma, WeeCycle) – this is not a complete list of partners