The DAA Collective newsletter keeps Denver's afterschool community connected to resources, professional learning and networking opportunities. Learn more about us.
2024 Lights On Afterschool Proclamation
The Denver Afterschool Alliance celebrated National Lights on Afterschool on Monday, October 28th with a proclamation sponsored by Council President Pro Tem Romero Campbell, and co-sponsored by Council Member Kashmann, Council Member Alvidrez, and Council Member Lewis. Youth, families, and staff from VIVE Wellness, Girls Inc of Metro Denver, Struggle of Love Foundation, YMCA of Meto Denver, Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver, Sun Valley Youth Center, Scholars Unlimited and Mile High 360 were all in attendance to accept the proclamation. Everyone came together to celebrate the impact that Out-Of-School Time has on Denver youth!
November Coffee and Conversation: Proactive Problem Solving POSTPONED
The November Coffee and Conversation: Proactive Problem Solving event has been POSTPONED due to inclement weather conditions. The event will now take place on Wednesday, November 20th from 9a-11a!
Managing and running a youth program is HARD! Each day, month and semester brings its own fresh set of exciting successes as well as challenges; giving us the opportunity to come together as a community to discuss and problem solve current challenges and be proactive in getting ahead of future ones!
Come share your experiences and brainstorm early-stage solutions for common challenges faced during programming with OST peers at November's Coffee and Conversation: Proactive Problem Solving! We will have the opportunity to hear from DAA Quality Coaches as they share what they are observing, the trends they are seeing as well as their tips for proactive problem solving.
We are so excited to see all of you at the upcoming professional learning sessions this fall! Check out the full Fall 2024 slate HERE. Please note:
If you are unable to attend after having signed up, please cancel your registration in Eventbrite or email Erma Cerda so that we can open seats up to other interested parties!
All sessions are slated to take place at the locations, times and dates listed. However, the details are subject to change if necessary (ie: inclement weather, facilitator illness, etc), so make sure that you register to attend so that you will receive important updates and correspondence!
Help Us Make a Difference: Donation Drive for Families Experiencing Homelessness
The Office of Children's Affairs' Tasty Food Team is leading a donation drive to support unhoused families at local family shelters! These shelters currently accommodate approximately 250 children, including 147 infants under the age of five, but they lack consistent access to essential items such as formula and baby food. As a result, families often face significant challenges, including long travel distances and extended wait times for formula, which is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
The goal is to secure a three-month supply of baby formula, food, and other critical supplies for infants aged 0-11 months through this drive. To facilitate safe and efficient contributions, we will be utilizing an Amazon Wishlist (https://a.co/73TIA7X). The donation drive will run through Monday, December 16. This donation drive is part of a bigger collaboration with the Give5 Mile High volunteer initiative led by First Lady of Denver Courtney Johnston.
Please share this initiative with your colleagues, friends, and families through your communication channels!
Through the Attendance Champions Challenge, the U.S. Department of Education invites schools and 501(c)(3) community organizations to engage young people between the ages of 13 and 19 to identify new ways of understanding barriers to school attendance and engagement, as well as propose creative solutions that build on evidence-based strategies.
TheAttendance ChampionsChallenge is open to:
Schools and 501(c)(3) organizations based in the U.S. or its territories working with young people between the ages of 13 and 19.
Individuals aged 13 to 19 who reside within the U.S. or its territories.
The submission deadline for the Attendance ChampionsChallenge is November 29, 2024, at 9:00:00 PM (ET).
For more information about how to apply for this challenge, click HERE.
DAAconnect Updates
The holidays are quickly approaching, which means that school breaks are too!! Is your program offering programming over Fall and Winter Break this year? Families are looking for programs- make sure yours are listed! It takes just a few minutes to update your listing and our team is here to assist and can even update the listing for you—just reach out to us at DAAconnect@denvergov.org for assistance.
Job Opportunities
Denver Great Kids Head Start is hiring for a full-time, unlimited School Readiness and Health Director position! This position will directly support the Executive Director of the Head Start program and team to accomplish grant and agency goals.
For more information, check out the job posting HERE.
This position is expected to stay open until November 19, 2024. Please submit your application as soon as possible and no later than November 19, 2024, at midnight to ensure consideration.
The Food Systems team at the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment (DDPHE) is thrilled to announce two new Public Health Analyst Staff positionsin the Food in Communities (FIC) grant program! These roles are dedicated to increasing food justice, and community-driven food policy, systems and environment change across the Denver metro area. Ideal candidates should have experience in community engagement, food systems, or public health! Interested candidates can apply by November 10, 2024.
Feel free to reach out to Paola Babb (paola.babb@denvergov.org) if you have any questions or know of someone who would make a great addition to our team.
Groundwork Denver is hiring for a Home Energy Efficiency Specialist!
The Home Energy Efficiency Specialist will go on in-home visits with the Energy Audit Team to investigate needs regarding insulation, air sealing, appliance upgrades, heating system upgrades, and other energy features of the home. They will install energy improvement measures like LED light bulbs, shower heads, pipe insulation, thermostats, carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, caulk, weather stripping, duct sealing or other similar upgrades, and may assist with combustion safety test and may also complete an Energy Survey with the resident to assess in-home energy saving behaviors.
For more information about this position, check out the job posting HERE.
Become a Substitute / Guest Teacher!
Colorado issues three types of substitute authorizations -- 1-year, 3-year and 5-year -- based on your educational background and experience, which allow you to work as a substitute teacher in a Colorado public school district, BOCES, charter school or CDE-approved facility school. Issued without a specific content or endorsement area, all substitute authorizations are valid for serving in K-12 classrooms.
Colorado students need you! Visit the Step Into Substitute Teaching webpagefor additional information about how you can earn money, influence lives and make a difference!
Opportunities for Teens
Does your organization have employment/internship and/or programming opportunities available to teens beyond the summer months? Send a flyer or posting to Erma Cerda, and we will post it in the newsletter for programs to share with youth!
The Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) believe that young people are the experts in their communities and how youth move around them, and therefore belong at the table to lead and inform policies, programs, and projects that affect them and their peers. Teen Safe Streets is a youth-led program to promote transportation safety, educate about bicycle/pedestrian/transit mobility and teen driving safety and laws like the Graduated Drivers’ License. The Teen Safe Streets program has new openings for Youth Advisors (age 14-24), advocating for equity and justice toward accessing safe and reliable transit options for teens (bike/walk/transit/safe driving)!
Calling all Metro Denver leaders with 10+ years of experience!With a strong focus on justice, racial equity and inclusion, the Mid-Career Cohort of the Piton Fellowship is a 8-month fellowship predominantly for leaders of color that creates a path-changing experience for those who are 10+ years into their careers and work.
Applications and nominations will be accepted through December 13th.
For more information and to apply or nominate a fellow, click HERE.
Denver Human Services (DHS) IDDEAS mill levy program is excited to invite qualified applicants to apply for the VOICES 2025 mini grants!
The Vital Opportunities for Inclusion, Choice, Empowerment, and Self-Advocacy (VOICES) funding opportunity seeks to strengthen inclusion, diversity, and acceptance throughout Denver by elevating the voices of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) or developmental delays and creating new opportunities for them to meaningfully engage in community.
Grants of up to $50,000 shall be awarded to organizations and individuals with qualified proposals to enhance the quality of life of Denver residents with I/DD through recognition and support of their intersectional identities, outreach to underrepresented communities, increased inclusion in community life around Denver, and promotion of self-advocacy. Organizations supporting migrants/newcomers in Denver with I/DD or developmental delays are encouraged to apply. Applications are open now and will be accepted on Submittable through Monday, November 18, 2024 at 4:00 pm Mountain Standard Time.
The Colorado Department of Education is pleased to announce that the grant competition for Colorado Nonprofits Out-of-School Time grant program is now open and will close on Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 4 pm.
The Colorado Nonprofits Out-of-School Time Grant Program is authorized through the “Out-of-School Time Program Grant Program” Act (C.R.S. 22-105.5-104). Approximately $3.3 million in state funds is available to award through this funding opportunity for each year of the three-year grant.
To be eligible to receive a grant, an entity:
must be a nonprofit organization that is exempt from taxation pursuant to section 501 (c)(3) of the federal "internal revenue code of 1986", as amended, and
have at least five years’ experience providing affordable and comprehensive academic enrichment and related services to students in the state.
Application materials along with grant updates will be posted on this webpage. For more information and full eligibility, please reference the Request for Application HERE.
Caring for Colorado Foundation has a funding opportunity available that prioritizes youth health and well-being. They are working to advance health and well-being for young people, ages 9 to 25, in Colorado who experience health inequities due to economic injustice, racism, and discrimination through strategic investments designed to support young people, strengthen families, and build youth-centered communities.
Part 1 applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 14, 2024 -Apply HERE.
If you need technical assistance accessing the grant application portal, please contact the Grants Management team atgrants@caringforcolorado.orgor by phone at 719-566-7841.
The Colorado Health Foundation’sNonprofit Sabbatical Programgives nonprofit leaders the opportunity to step away from their professional responsibilities. The sabbatical award is a grant that provides nonprofit executives with funds for a salary subsidy, hiatus activities, and support for their organization’s interim leadership needs and capacity building.
If you’re a Colorado nonprofit executive who has served at least three years in your current executive role, has seven or more years of experience leading within the nonprofit sector, and has a demonstrated record of community contribution, you might be eligible for The Colorado Health Foundation 2025 Nonprofit Sabbatical Program.
Sabbatical applications are now open and close on 12/16/2024 at 11:59 p.m.
Minds Matter Colorado connects driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college, create their future, and change the world.
As a 98% volunteer run organization, our mentors are at the heart of what we do! We believe every student deserves the support and guidance of someone who can help them dream bigger, aim higher, and navigate the journey to college. While we have many amazing adults committed to our sophomore class already, we currently have 10 incredible, motivated young people embarking their three-year journey with us who need mentors to guide them along the way. Are you ready to impact a young person's life, broaden your own network, and join our amazing community? Apply directly here
As part of their fall programming, The Mizel Institute is offering no-cost tours of the recently renovated Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL) Exhibit, which reopened this May after a major update. This is a fantastic chance for your students to engage with expert-driven content on global and national security issues in a way that is both educational and empowering.
Tour Details:
Location: CELL Exhibit (99 West 12th Avenue, Denver, CO 80204)
Grades: Best for ages 14 and up
Tour Days: Tuesdays 10 AM – 5 PM and Thursdays 1 PM – 5 PM
Cost: Free for the first 25 schools/programs to book, plus they have limited bus funding available.
They also have supplemental programming that can address specific conversations that you are hoping to have with your youth and community. Feel free to reach out to Hayley Reynolds for more information.
Are you passionate about serving the BIPOC community with valuable resources in mental health, self-care and/or financial literacy? Community Health Information and Resources for the People (CHIRP) invites you to join in at their Sunset Soirée on November 15th from 5-7pm at Environmental Learning for Kids!
For more information about this exciting event, check out the community flyer HERE.
Calling all writers! The Colorado State Library has launched a new program called CVL Vox to highlight local writers on the Colorado Virtual Library website. Submissions can be about any topic, but writers must be based in Colorado. For more information, click HERE.
NextWaveSTEM offers turnkey courses in STEAM and CTE for in-school and OST, including national and state standards-aligned curriculum, professional development, and course hardware with teacher implementation support. All courses are available in Spanish! Pathways include Robotics, Drone Coding and Part 107 Pilot Certification, Artificial Intelligence, Hydroponics, Smart Automation and Circuitry, Cybersecurity, Renewable Energy, and more.
In partnership with Jefferson County Public Health, RecoveryWorks is hosting a Vaccination Clinic on Thursday, November 21st from 11am - 2pm. Jeffco Public Health is offering FREE Flu Shots to those in need, and FREE COVID Shots to those with Insurance!
WHERE:
RecoveryWorks - Navigation Center
8000 West Colfax Ave
Lakewood, CO 80214
The History Colorado Center has opened its doors for families and self-advocates who prefer a lower sensory museum experience! The museum will close to the general public, limit attendance and turn down the exhibit sounds on the following dates from 8:00am to 10:00am:
December 14, 2024
January 11, 2025
March 8, 2025
May 17, 2025
July 19, 2025
September 13, 2025
November 8, 2025
Tickets are FREE, but space is limited, so please reserve your tickets in advance HERE.
EQurious Miranda’s musings on all things SEAL
Holding Space
Hello Qurious Readers!
When I woke my daughter (she’s 11) for school yesterday morning, the first words out of her mouth were, “Did Kamala win?” When I shook my head no, tears welled up in her eyes and she said, “Wow, people must really not want a woman to be president.” This is not a post about the election. It is how we hold space for young people (and each other) when things don’t make sense and they are scared about the future in any situation. For my daughter, this was not only going to be the first woman president, but one that looked like her. That meant everything to her. I hugged her tightly and said, “I don’t know if that's true, but what I do know is that is a hard thought to have and all the feelings that go with it.”
This is my Quriosity invitation today: How do we hold space for all the thoughts and feelings that the young people are experiencing, particularly during times of change and uncertainty? As adults we often beeline straight to problem solving and making young people feel better. It’s ok to validate what they are experiencing and share that you don’t know what the future holds either. They want to know that YOU are a safe place for them to share their thoughts, fears and feelings. You do not have to agree with their thoughts/feelings, know all the answers to their questions, you just have to show up and hold space.
P.S. Don’t forget to hold space for yourself as well.
