Blog posts are the opinions of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of A+ Colorado.

Competitive soccer, folkloric dance, and drawing: DPS’ Beacons programs gave my family extracurricular hobbies growing up, and how you can learn about summer activities for your family.

As a father, I think about the socialization that my son so sorely needs, and the void that will need to be filled at the conclusion of the school year when school is out. My go-to when making adult decisions that impact children, is to put myself in their shoes. As summer approaches, parents and…

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Becoming a first generation college student: Before one mentor, I never thought about college. Here’s how I learned how to pay for it.

This article is a series of articles by Edward Quiñones, where he shares his personal stories and educational information in English and in Spanish. This is an article about the importance of FAFSA and federal aid for college students.  I never knew that college was an option for me. It always seemed so farfetched, and…

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Educational experiences of trans and non-binary students in Colorado: An event featuring OneColorado student leaders

One Colorado is the state’s leading advocacy organization dedicated to advancing equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Coloradans and their families. A+ Colorado is proud to collaborate with One Colorado and Confluence Consulting to put on a webinar that will elevate student voice and experience. On Monday, May 17 from 4-5 pm…

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Why are schools still segregated? West High School students are pushing to solve this problem.

This is a guest blog written by West HS Student Voice & Leadership team member Briana Renteria, a program that is led by social studies teachers Dan Walter and Sarah Kennedy.  Did you know that more than half of schools in Denver are segregated? It’s been more than 60 years since the Brown vs Board…

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Testimony from A+’s Director of Advocacy, Valeria Conteras, on bill for immigration fund

House Bill 1194 was introduced by Representative Tipper and Ricks to ensure that people have access to representation when facing immigration courts. The Colorado Immigrants Right Coalition (CIRC) worked tirelessly to support and advocate for this bill. CIRC along with the Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, also worked to bring witnesses to testify in favor…

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Testimony from A+’s Director of Advocacy, Valeria Conteras, on bill for immigration fund

House Bill 1194 was introduced by Representative Tipper and Ricks to ensure that people have access to representation when facing immigration courts. The Colorado Immigrants Right Coalition (CIRC) worked tirelessly to support and advocate for this bill. CIRC along with the Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, also worked to bring witnesses to testify in favor…

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Unmuted conversations: Join A+’s regular conversations with education innovators 

Education “Unmuted” is a new ongoing virtual event hosted by Van Schoales, A+ Colorado’s President, where he invites community and education innovators from around Colorado and the nation to have a virtual conversation over lunch. The pandemic has created many obstacles in present-day society, but we at A+ Colorado are devoted to engagement and elevating…

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Jack Strong: Lessons from Rick Padilla, a City of Denver leader who pivoted his work to teen suicide prevention after the loss of his son to suicide.

The pandemic has revealed many of our society’s frailties. One of which is the issue of mental health. Mental health is a topic that resonates with many now more than ever. With record-high unemployment numbers due to the closing of businesses, to health concerns, and grieving those that many have lost due to the virus. …

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Join this free A+ event, featuring Dr. Ivory Toldson: No Bad Stats: Debunking myths about Black students

Ivory A. Toldson, president and CEO of the QEM Network (Quality for Minorities), professor of counseling psychology at Howard University, and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Negro Education has released an important book for all those in education and supporting students: “No BS (Bad Stats): Black People Need People Who Believe in Black People Enough…

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Book recommendations on standardized testing and public education that include discussions on testing

On March 15, Tattered Cover partnered with A+ Colorado to discuss standardized testing in our schools in an event called “Standardized Testing in Our Schools – The Future of CMAS.”  Right now, the Colorado State Legislature is debating whether to cancel the state’s Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) testing program. Tattered Cover has convened…

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