The DAA Collective newsletter keeps Denver's afterschool community connected to resources, professional learning and networking opportunities. Learn more about us.
Support and Resources for the OST Community
The DAA is committed to providing support and resources to the OST community, as well as to all the youth and families that they serve. It is important to us to share the resources provided from various organizations and leaders in our community to empower community members with the tools to exercise their rights and protect their loved ones. Though things are constantly changing, we will do our best to communicate the most up-to-date resources with all of you as we receive more information.
The City and County of Denver offers an Immigrant Support Toolkit for families to use to access information about available resources from the City, partners and neighboring cities.
Congresswoman Diana DeGette's office may be able to help with a variety of immigration issues (including the US Citizenship process, obtaining travel documents, etc). Visit her website HERE.
Early Milestones Colorado just released a "Supporting Immigrant Families Special Issue" of their Milestones Monitor Newsletter. Check it out HERE.
Denver Public Schools has released atoolkit with immigration resources for families that is available in English and Spanish, and contains information and resources about rights, current DPS policies, training, mental health support, DPS resources and community partner resources. Their Safe and Welcoming webpage also contains information from the toolkits such as current DPS policies, resources and an FAQ.
Spotlight on The Consumption Literacy Project
The Consumption Literacy Project team is thrilled to share that their OCA funding has helped to secure funding from the USDA to become USDA Community Cooperators with partners, Sisters of Color United for Education! This funding is sourced through T.I.M.E. Urban Innovative Agriculture Community-Based Organization Fund. This partnership provides resources to expand their work with trained youth and community members, sharing knowledge on growing food and connecting urban farmers of all ages to Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service programs. These resources will support youth and community to build future careers in feeding our city and strengthening local urban food systems in Denver’s food-insecure neighborhoods.
Their programs serve Montbello, Green Valley Ranch, College View/Harvey Park, and NE Park Hill, creating food oases and expanding access to fresh, locally grown food. If you're interested in learning with them, partnering, composting with worms, enrolling, or supporting this work in any way, they’d love to connect!
In 2025, they are building a vast, deeply interconnected, intersectional, mycelial network—rooted in resilience, resource-sharing, and gratitude. They are honored to be part of this movement and look forward to growing together! Please contact austine@consumptionliteracy.orgor eudakbest@gmail.com for more information.
Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunities
We're back!! Some details are still being finalized on the 2025 Spring Slate, so make sure you refer to the DAA Collective newsletter and/or daalearn.org for up-to-date information regarding the Professional Learning opportunities. Check out the full DAA Collective Spring Slate HERE!
The T-Shirt Design Competition for Future Fest 2025 is now open! This is your chance to make your mark by designing the official event t-shirt worn by attendees and participants. This competition empowers creativity and celebrates the incredible artistic talents of our community. All elementary through middle school aged youth artists are encouraged to participate.
Please submit your design on this website to secure your chance to leave your mark on an unforgettable event!
For more information and details on how to get involved, visit the Future Fest website!
District 5 Community Engagement Opportunity with Director De La Rosa
Over the next few months, Denver Public Schools Board of Education members will engage with the community within their respective districts, in an effort to have more opportunity to hear from the communities they represent. The first community meeting this semester will take place in District 5 with Director Marlene De La Rosa on Tuesday, February 11th from 6 - 8pm!
RSVP to attend HERE.
Check out the Board of Education website to sign up to attend other future community meetings HERE.
And spread the word about this great opportunity with the following flyers: English Spanish
2025 Best of Colorado Afterschool Award: Nominations Are OPEN!
Join Colorado Afterschool Partnership (CAP) in celebrating the Best of Colorado! The Best of Colorado Afterschool Awards recognize exceptional individuals who make meaningful contributions that positively impact their programs, organizations, and, ultimately, the youth and families they serve, as well as the broader afterschool field.
This year, winners will be awarded in four categories: Exceptional Supervisor, Outstanding Program Director, Outstanding Site Staff Member, and Rising Star Award.
Deadline for Nominations:March 7, 2025
Celebrate the incredible people shaping the future of OST—submit your nomination HERE today!
TEACH Colorado
Are you recruiting or supporting aspiring early childhood educators? TEACH Colorado offers free support to any aspiring educator across the state, including those considering becoming qualified to teach in an early childhood setting. This support includes one-on-one advising from early childhood pathway experts, financial aid, information on open early childhood teaching positions, and all sorts of multilingual resources. We want to support your early childhood educator recruitment efforts! Community organizations, childcare centers, school districts, educator preparation programs, and early childhood councils can utilize this toolkit to support and recruit early childhood educators. The toolkit includes social media graphics, shareable videos, customizable assets, and information to inspire the future early childhood educators in your community — spread the word today!
Are you considering a career in early childhood education? TEACH Colorado can help you get started with confidence! Colorado’s youngest students need passionate teachers for their first steps in school. Be at the forefront of joy, wonder, and curiosity. Learn more about how to become an early childhood teacher with free support from TEACH Colorado. Sign up todayfor free access to 1:1 advising, group webinars, multilingual how-to guides, and up to $1,000 in financial aid!
DAAconnect Updates
Families are already looking for Summer Programming! Make sure your organization is showing up on the Youth Program Locator, and that your current and future programs for 2025 are listed! Please reach out to our DAAconnect Team if you have any questions or need help updating your organizations profile: daaconnect@denvergov.org.
Job Opportunities
SustainEd Farms is hiring for several Program Specialiststhat will help to deliver engaging sustainability and nutrition programming in school gardens across DPS this upcoming season. This position is a part-time, independent contract position.
Colorado Dream Foundation is hiring for a Bilingual (Spanish language) Behavioral Health Therapist! They will support the behavioral and mental health needs of clients ages four through adulthood, as well as serve as an advocate for all youth and families on their caseload and within the greater Colorado Dream Foundation program.
For more information, check out the job posting HERE.
Funding Opportunities
The Mile High United Way has just released their 2025 Strategic Investment Grants Request for Proposals! The Strategic Investment Grant (SIG) opportunity is their flagship grantmaking program investing in eligible nonprofit organizations across the seven-county Metro Denver area. The goal of this Strategic Investment Grant opportunity is to focus investments on strengthening organizations whose work aligns with Mile High United Ways overarching strategy to provide high-quality early childhood education, high-quality out-of-school time programming and access to housing, food, legal services, and tax preparation.
For more information (including eligibility details), check out the RFP HERE.
View application information HERE.
Community Opportunities
Young Americans Center for Financial Education's YouthBiz program uses hands-on, real-life experiences to allow young people to participates in all levels of entrepreneurship, from learning the basics of business idea development to marketing and selling a real product! This spring, YouthBiz has a lot of great workshops available for youth! Check out their Workshop Menu HERE.
Young, local entrepreneurs sell their unique products, all handmade by them at YouthBiz's Spring Young Entrepreneur Marketplace in Cherry Creek! Registration to participate opens on Monday, February 10th! For more information and to register, use the QR code on the program flyer HERE.
Explore.Act.Tell is a free experiential learning program that teaches students in grades 6-12 to understand and act on solutions to hunger insecurity in their community. Students will practice skills needed to become good citizens and advocate for community involvement and service.
WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN?
A fully funded leadership program (grades 6-12)
Lessons + Projects + Competition— and ready to use
Community Service Learning/ PBL
Win grants for your charity or school
Register today for full access to lessons and project information and a welcome kit will be mailed.
For more information, check the program flyer HERE.
Apply for a free or low-cost tree!
The Denver Digs Trees program focuses on providing medium and large sized shade trees within the City of Denver. ALL Denver residents, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and schools are eligible to apply. Applications close on February 15.
Seeking Storytellers and Filmmakers! The acclaimedSeriesFest Mobile Cinema Lab Summer Intensiveis looking for students ages 13-18 who are seeking to apply, grow, and hone their skills for creating content. By using professional film equipment, students will work as a team to write, direct, edit, and act in their own short film or TV Pilot, guided by film industry experts. This one week camp is open to all levels of aspiring filmmakers- beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The camp concludes with a special red carpet screening for friends and family!
Dates: June 16-20, 2025 AND June 23-27, 2025
Location: Community College of Aurora
EQurious Miranda’s musings on all things SEAL
Hello Qurious Readers!
There are so many things in my heart and head…it was hard to decide on a topic. I landed on the idea of being motivated by fear vs. connection and double down on what I read inThe Flourish Lab’s latest newsletter. The linked Ignite workshop toolkit activity on fear and connection resonated deeply as I struggle with the current climate and the impact it is having on so many of the youth and families in Denver across the country. The activity, while designed for adults who work with youth, is applicable to anyone and everyone. We all experience fear. While it is a welcome and valid emotion to experience and can help keep us safe, fear can be disconnecting, isolating, and activate a fight/flight/freeze response. I invite you to think about yourself. When have you recently experienced fear or where do you anticipate experiencing the emotion (e.g., meeting new people, not completing a work task satisfactorily, being pulled over by the police, etc.). How did that fear influence/motivate your response? How can you counteract the fear with one of connection? What would this look like with your staff/colleagues? The youth you serve? I printed the activity page from TFL’s newsletter and filled out one for myself and for each of my children. I commit to spending the next two weeks practicing connection when I experience fear and intentionally connecting with my children when I anticipate they will be in situations where fear may be the driving motivation.
In a climate rife with fear, how can we lean on the power of connection for ourselves and others?
