The DAA Collective newsletter keeps Denver's afterschool community connected to resources, professional learning and networking opportunities. Learn more about us.
Dwight Jones Appointed Executive Director of Office of Children's Affairs
The Denver Afterschool Alliance is excited to welcome our new Executive Director in the Office of Children's Affairs, Dwight Jones!
Dwight Jones holds a distinguished career in education and the private sector, which includes serving as the Interim Superintendent and Senior Deputy Superintendent of Denver Public Schools, Senior Vice President at McGraw-Hill Education and offering strategic guidance at the Discovery Channel's Education Division.
As the Colorado Commissioner of Education, he earned recognition for revamping state standards, enhancing accountability, narrowing achievement gaps and, notably, spearheading the development of the Colorado Growth Model.
Amidst his illustrious career, Dwight has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the AASA Distinguished Service Award, the NAACP's Heartbeat Award, the Asian Chamber of Commerce Community Achievement Award, the Chairman's Award of Excellence from the Nevada Latin Chamber of Commerce, recognition as an Alumni Fellow for Kansas State University's College of Education and induction into the esteemed Troops to Teachers Hall of Fame.
We are looking forward to continuing our work of supporting the Out-of-School time community to ensure that all Denver youth have access to high-quality, safe afterschool programming under this new leadership! Dwight Jones' first day as Executive Director is December 15th!
Upcoming Professional Learning Sessions
We are so excited to see all of you at the upcoming professional learning sessions this fall! 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 in-person at the 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!
December's Coffee and Conversation: Recruitment for Youth Programming
We had another great turn-out yesterday morning at Hiawatha Davis Jr. Recreation Center for our December Coffee and Conversation event! This month, we talked strategy and identified barriers around recruitment for youth programming!
Our OCA colleagues with the Tasty Food program, Andrea Garcia Schoelzel (Health Initiatives Administrator), Ricardo Rangel (Community Engagement Specialist) and Cierra Presley (Administrative Support Assistant) were present to speak about the incredible service that Tasty Food provides to youth in Denver, and the benefit and opportunity for collaboration and partnership within the OST community. Ricardo specifically shared the creative outreach and recruitment strategies that he uses in his role to be more visible in the community. For more information about Tasty Food check out their webpage HERE. And if you are interested in the possibility of bringing the program to your organization, please reach out to Andrea Garcia Schoelzel!
A more in-depth recap of the December Coffee and Conversation event will be featured in our December 21st edition of the DAA Collective Newsletter, so make sure you check it out. To sign up to receive the newsletter, visit daalearn.org.
Holiday 2023 Tasty Food Serving Schedule!
The Office of Children’s Affairs is excited to invite all youth aged 5 to 18 for a FREE nutritious supper and/or snack at different Tasty Food sites across the city throughout this holiday season! No IDs or registrations needed – just come on over and enjoy!
Please note: Tasty Food has rolled out new serving hours for this holiday season. Make sure to check our site for the updated holiday schedule HERE☃️ This institution is an equal opportunity provider
La Oficina de Asuntos Infantiles se complace en invitar a todos los jóvenes de 5 a 18 años a recibir una cena y/o refrigerio nutritivo GRATIS en diferentes sitios de Tasty Food en toda la ciudad durante esta temporada festiva! No se necesitan identificaciones ni registros, solo ven y disfruta!
Tenga en cuenta que Tasty Food ha implementado nuevos horarios de servicio para esta temporada festiva. Asegúrese de visitar nuestro sitio para conocer el calendario de días festivos actualizadoAQUÍ☃️ Esta institución es un proveedor de igualdad de oportunidades
Support Resources For Families In Need
This holiday season, we are faced with the reality that it is going to be a very difficult and stressful time for some of the families that we serve. Here is a short list of some resources to pass along to anyone that could use some extra support over the holidays:
Food Food Bank of the Rockiesoffers special holiday distributions, and their mobile pantries will provide fresh and shelf-stable items leading up to holidays and may have items like stuffing mix, cranberry sauce, gravy mix, and protein like turkey.
Utility/Bill Help
The Colorado Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) is a federally funded program that helps eligible Colorado families, seniors and individuals pay a portion of their winter home heating and water costs.
Community Ministry partners with Xcel energy and Energy Outreach Colorado to assist residents in paying overdue utility bills.
Toys Denver Santa Claus Shop invites parents who are referred from Denver Human Services, Social Service Agencies and Community Partners to Shop for toys for their children ages 0-11 in early December each year.
With schools closing for Winter Break soon, some afterschool programs will be unavailable to families as well. Denver Recreation Centers and Denver Public Libraries are open over winter break and have a lot of great opportunities available for youth! Check out Denver Parks and Recreation's Winter Activity Guide HERE.
Denver Public Libraries has extended their hours at many of their locations, view the hour expansions HERE.
DAAconnect Updates
The Youth Program Locator is still under construction! As a result, any updates you may have made in DAAconnect recently will not appear on the Youth Program Locator until the upgrades are complete. You can, however, still make updates in DAAconnect (and we encourage you to do so), so that when the work is complete, your organization info will automatically be updated on the Locator. Please make sure to update any program schedules that may change in January, with the start of the Spring term.
Attention OCA award recipients: Fall award reports are due on January 22!
Please log in to DAAconnect and be sure your awarded sites are appearing in your Award Report on the Program Data form. If the correct sites are not listed, please reach out to the DAAconnect team. Look for an email soon regarding award reports--we will have in person and virtual ‘working sessions’ where our team will be available to answer questions and provide assistance if you need help completing your award report.
The Butterfly Pavilion's Butterfly Quest is a community science initiative designed to track the lifespans of butterflies within the pavilions conservatory. It is an awesome way to get students involved in real science! It is offered afterhours (after 5pm) every second Tuesday of the month (although their team is open for other days for a private session).
Butterfly Pavilion is offering a special discount to afterschool groups that are interested in this opportunity!
For more information or help booking, please email the family programs coordinator, Maddie, at mmathew@butterflies.org.
*Please note, they require a ratio of 1 chaperone for every 10 students- the same ratio that is required for field trips.
Job Opportunities
Lifespan Local is looking to fill their open Coalition Program Manager position! For more information, check out the job description HERE.
To apply, please forward a cover letter and resume to Lifespan Local's Project Director, Ken Knoblock
Groundwork Denver is hiring for a Green Pathways Project Manager position!
Groundwork Denver has a mission to partner with youth and community to build a healthy, equitable, and sustainable environment.
Sims-Fayola Foundation is looking to fill an Empowerment Coach Position! Check out the job description HERE.
If you are interested in applying for this role, please email HR at joy@sffoundation.org
Colorado Department of Education (CDE) will be releasing the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Cohort 11 grant application as well as the new Colorado Academic Accelerator Program (CO-AAP) grant application in two weeks!
Both grant programs seek to establish or expand community learning centers that will accelerate student learning by providing academic support and enrichment as well as family engagement activities in Out-of-School Time programs. CDE will award approximately $3 million in 21st CCLC funding and approximately $8 million in CO-AAP funding. Applicants to both grants may apply for up to $180,000 per center per year.
The grant applications will be online using CDE’s new grant management system, GAINS. More details on content, audience, and registration can be found on the GAINS Training webpage.
To learn more about the grant programs, technical assistance opportunities and tools and resources for applying, visit the 21st CCLC webpageand the CO-AAP webpage.
Both applications will open online on December 15, 2023 and will be due on Thursday, February 15, 2024.
The Colorado Health Foundation Nonprofit Sabbatical Programgives nonprofit leaders the capacity for downtime and rejuvenation so they can reenter their professional lives with a fresh sense of commitment to their organization’s mission and those they serve. The sabbatical award is a grant that provides nonprofit executives with a salary subsidy, funds for their hiatus activities, and funds to support their organizations’ interim leadership needs, and staff capacity building.
The application closes December 15, 2023 at 11:59 p.m., MST.
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 2024 Nonprofit Sabbatical Program.
While winter break can be a joyful and rejuvenating time for many, it can also bring stress, anxiety and a host of other emotions. This is true for adults and the youth and families we serve. We’ve focused this fall on taking care of yourself and supporting those around you to follow suit. Below are some ideas for reflection as you take care of yourself and support the youth and staff you work with to do the same.
8 Ways to Practice Self-Care During the Holidays
Stick to a routine. ...
Give yourself space to acknowledge your feelings. ...
Start a new holiday tradition. ...
Do a Vibe Check. ...
Rethink gift giving. ...
Volunteer with your loved ones. ...
Stop comparison in its tracks. ...
Set boundaries.
This article from DoSomething.org goes into detail on each of these practices and includes a downloadable “vibe check”. While it may be geared toward teens…we can all use a vibe check this holiday season!
