The DAA Collective newsletter keeps Denver's afterschool community connected to resources, professional learning and networking opportunities. Learn more about us.
2025 Child and Youth Development Programs RFP is Open!
Announcement from the City and County of Denver Office of Children's Affairs:
The 2025 Child and Youth Development Programs RFP is now available!
Please visit our website to download the full RFP guidelines and for additional information, including the Mandatory Pre-Application Workshop and Mandatory Letter of Intent requirements.
Thank You,
The Office of Children's Affairs
Coffee and Conversation
Thank you to everyone that showed up to our August Coffee and Conversation: Smooth Operations Event! We had folks representing 15 different Out-of-School Time organizations present, which certainly contributed to some very exciting idea sharing and connections being made! For a full re-cap of the event, please check out our website HERE next week!
Younger generations have entered the workforce....what are we doing to encourage exciting, new voices to become leaders in Out-of-School Time (OST)? How can we cultivate this next generation of OST professionals to become the leaders our youth need?
Let's think sustainability and the future of OST....
Join us for a Coffee and Conversation Experience: Hiring Next Gen Leaders! DU's Career and Professional Development department will present on strategies and best practices for successfully recruiting and hiring young adults and college-aged students for part-time and full-time positions.
WHEN: Wednesday, September 18, 2024 @ 9am
WHERE: University of Denver -The Burwell Center for Career Achievement (2190 E Asbury Ave, Denver, 80210)
*Please leave additional time for parking. There are meters, short-term street parking and small fee hourly garage parking available. The DU light rail station is a short walk as well.
The Attendance Awareness Campaign broadcasts the message that every day a student is in school is an opportunity to learn, build relationships and access support. Led by Attendance Works and 8 national partners, the campaign urges schools, localities, and states to promote the value of good attendance and to take concrete steps toward reducing chronic absence. It includes the designation of September (or the start of school) as Attendance Awareness Month!
To kick off Attendance Awareness Month strong, Denver Public Schools has compiled a number of resources to help make coming to school every day a top priority. Check out the document HERE.
Tasty Foods – FREE After School Meals for Youth
📚🎒 Fuel Your Academic Success with Tasty Food! 🏫
The Office of Children’s Affairs warmly welcomes all youth aged 3 to 18 to receive a nutritious after-school meal and/or snack at various Tasty Food sites across the city of Denver. No ID or registration required – just come on over and enjoy!
To find a Tasty Food site near you, please visit: https://Denvergov.org/TastyFood
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
📚🎒 ¡Impulsa tu éxito académico con Tasty Food! 🏫
La Oficina de Asuntos Infantiles invita a todos los jóvenes de 3 a 18 años a recibir una comida nutritiva después de la escuela y/o un refrigerio en varios sitios de Tasty Food en toda la ciudad de Denver. No se requiere identificación ni registro, ¡solo ven y disfruta!
Para encontrar un sitio de Tasty Food cerca de ti, visita: https://Denvergov.org/TastyFood
Esta institución es un proveedor que ofrece igualdad de oportunidades.
Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunities
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!
Families are looking for Fall Programs- is yours listed? Take a moment to visit our Youth Program Locator and make sure your fall programs are updated and visible! If you need to update your information, pleaselogin to DAAconnect today!
Help The DAA Promote the Locator to Families!
Our Youth Program Locator Informational Toolkit is available for you to use and includes flyers, sample posts and graphics for social media and websites, as well as general language for communication about the benefits for families, providers and organizations to use the Locator! And if you have an event coming up and would like DAA swag items to give away, please contact us at DAAconnect@denvergov.org!
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 Colorado Afterschool Partnership's (CAP) Youth Advocacy Team is an amazing opportunity for youth to shape afterschool and summer programs in Colorado! The Youth Advocacy Team will be compromised of youth, ages 14-18 that will work alongside our adult Advocacy and Awareness team to plan campaigns around: Lights on Afterschool, Image Summit, Youth Voice Week, Day at the Capitol Event, Afterschool Professional Appreciation Week, and National Summer Learning Week! Applications are due by September 13th, so check out this flyer for more information and to apply!
Funding Opportunities
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.
Celebrate with Denver Public Schools' Family and Community and Engagement (FACE) Department at the First Denver Public Schools Black Excellence Summit - September 14, 2024 from 9am-3pm at University of Denver Education Building!
This full-day event provides an abundance of resources, amazing scholars, practitioners and community partners, and is designed to amplify recent investments in our Black Student Success Team, our Black Student Alliance Banquet and more.
This October, Colorado Respite Coalition welcomes families with children or teens with disabilities to enjoy a weekend of rest and fun at Coming Up for Air (affectionately known as "CUFA"), a low-cost family escape in the mountains!
When: October 11-13 2024 Where: Beautiful Rocky Mountain Village Camp in Empire, CO What: Children with disabilities and their siblings will participate in fun, recreational activities with the support of trained staff and volunteers. Parents and caregivers will learn about community resources, financial wellbeing, and tools to manage stress, and of course, get some time to rest and relax!
The weekend is FREE to Colorado families, although there is a $50 registration fee. Register HERE by September 27th to secure your family’s spot!
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter their family’s income. Register your child TODAY, and get a FREE BOOK every month until their 5th birthday!
Use this flyer to enroll your child and spread the word to your networks!
The Youth Violence Prevention Center- Denver presents a second screening of Voices Unheard: Breaking The Silence on Mental Health in the Black Community toshine a light on the critical issue of mental health and suicide awareness on Saturday, September 14th at 3pm at the Sie Film Center. Come watch the documentary and engage in meaningful discussions to promote awareness and advocate for change!
On Saturday, September 21stDenver Police Department (DPD) will be hosting its 4th Annual Hoop for Safety Basketball Camp in partnership with the MSU Men’s and Women’s Basketball Teams at the Auraria Campus Event Center from 9am-12pm. All attendees will receive a free lunch, t-shirts, and more!
DPD will be sending two big buses over to the following four Boys and Girls club locations to provide youth with FREE transportation to the event:
Denver Broncos Boys & Girls Club (4397 Crown Blvd)
Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver (3333 Holly Street)
Arthur E Johnson Boys & Girls Club (3325 W 16th Drive)
Owen’s Boys & Girls Club (3480 W Kentucky Avenue)
Art Parts is a non-profit creative reuse center located in the heart of Boulder, Colorado that accepts donations of art and craft supplies and offers them to the community at deeply discounted prices! Art Parts provides access to creative expression while keeping usable materials out of the landfill. To learn about how you can donate and/or purchase art supplies at accessible prices, check out their website HERE.
Eligibility is self-declared for government food distribution programs; you do not need to provide any proof of eligibility (photo IDs are encouraged but not required).
Distribution is outdoors; please dress appropriately for the weather.
Please bring bags or boxes to transport your food.
Visit their websiteor call 303-371-9250 for locations and weather information
The new online portal allows renters to fill out a brief pre-eligibility form and then apply, if eligible. The portal allows renters to check the status of their application at any time. One of three providers (Brothers Redevelopment, Jewish Family Service or the Community Economic Defense Project) will contact the applicant to process their application.
As of March 1, 2024, households may apply for TRUA only if at least one of the following circumstances applies:
Received a court summons, writ of restitution, or eviction notice from the Denver Sheriff’s Department
Received a utility disconnection notice from Denver Water or Xcel Energy
Had to move out of your previous home within the last 90 days AND have secured a new rental unit in the City and County of Denver for move-in within the next 2 weeks
You do NOT have to disclose your immigration status, and landlord participation is NOT required. Visit denvergov.org/RentHelp and to learn more
EQurious Miranda’s musings on all things SEAL
The Power of Dialogue
Hello Qurious Readers!
I am writing this post the day after the presidential debate which sparked my curiosity. It is not a post about politics, but rather about how we handle situations, topics, comments, questions that are challenging, controversial, contentious, etc. The point of a debate is to make persuasive arguments on particular issues and “win”. How many times have you said to youth in your program (or your own children), “This is not up for debate.”? Young people often try to “win” arguments to convince adults (and peers) of something they want or that they are right about something. How can we intentionally and proactively create and cultivate an environment of inclusivity, growth and perspective taking (at the office, in programming, at home, etc.)?
Sounds easy, right?
Creating the space and conditions for dialogue is critical for all of us, particularly in the climate in which we live. We are divided on so many issues, and regardless of where you land on an issue, we have an opportunity to model a process for young people (and adults) around us so they feel psychologically safe in our afterschool spaces. I learned and practiced a technique in graduate school called LARA. It is a tool for responding to comments or questions, especially hostile or threatening ones. After watching the debate last night, it felt important for me as a SEAL focused leader to revisit this tool and have it “at the ready” for future political (and many other) conversations (I practiced this morning with my 15 year old on a TikTok topic…I’ll save that story for another time!)
Here is the LARA method broken down: LISTEN: Connect deeply with the person and listen with your whole heart and with empathy to understand what beliefs and feelings lie at the core of the question or statement. AFFIRM: Express the connection you discovered while listening, whether it’s a feeling, an experience, or a principle you have in common with the other person and validate their experience. RESPOND: Answer the question and respond to the issues that the person raised; demonstrating you are taking the question/issue seriously. ADD INFORMATION/INQUIRE: After the first three are complete, it is a good time to offer resources, share a personal anecdote, and/or inquire further about the person’s perspective.
Here is an example of a conversation that I had with a program lead when I worked at an afterschool organization:
Statement made by staff: I don’t think it’s right that youth speak in Spanish at the site, it just causes fights with the youth and I don’t know how to stop it. L: I heard frustration and maybe some fear from the staff person that she did not understand what the youth were saying and that made her feel a bit scared and helpless at times to prevent conflicts between the youth. A: “It makes sense that you want all young people at site to feel included and understand what is being shared and that you also want to understand so you know how to best support youth. You clearly care about the youth and want to keep them safe.” R: “My concern in restricting youth from speaking their native language is they will not feel validated in who they are and feel like they can express their authentic selves, which is a value of our organization” A: “I know another OST organization that has navigated the use of various languages in programming really well, I am happy to connect you with them and/or set up some time for us to do a site visit so we can navigate it together.” I went on to inquire a bit more about her experience being in spaces with others that are speaking a language she didn’t understand, so I could understand more about her history/experience.
The one thing that stood out to me after that interaction was the staff’s defenses went down immediately when I listened and affirmed her. Her shoulders relaxed and she wasn’t in “fight” mode. She could feel that I was there to listen and hear her perspective which led to an openness to my response and suggestion.
Consider trying the LARA method the next time you find yourself (or anticipate) a challenging interaction (political or not!). It takes intentionality and a lot of PRACTICE---you got this!
