Connecting Teenage Decisions and College Graduation

Last month we wrote about one of the barriers that children from historically disenfranchised backgrounds encounter: the process of enrolling in college. Kids without access to a parent or adult with college experience are often required to perform the leadership and administrative responsibilities of enrollment on their own. For many, these hurdles become insurmountable, so…

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One Reason Lower Income Students Don’t Attend College (And What To Do About It)

The recent college admissions scandal in which wealthy parents of students allegedly bribed and manipulated the admissions system for their children has served as a stark reminder to many people that our educational system can be stacked against children who don’t come from privileged backgrounds. Fortunately, our justice system is working to ensure that the…

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5 Ways to Give Back to Colorado Kids in Need

Of all the ways to give back to the community, giving to children in need is among the best. It has been demonstrated repeatedly that relatively small contributions in childhood can significantly improve the course of that child’s life. It’s really not that hard for us to support children to break the cycle of poverty…

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An Unbiased Assessment of Full-Time Kindergarten in Colorado

In January, Colorado Governor Jared Polis requested special funding for full-time kindergarten to be taken out of the unexpected tax gains in 2018. His proposal has generated a lot of discussion in the weeks since the announcement. Some feel that the price of such a service would be too large for the state to support…

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Top Ten Most Influential Women in American Education

  Meet 10 women who have changed — and continue to change — one of the most important disciplines in our country. These women helped bring education to historically disenfranchised groups by attaining powerful positions and pushing forward, often against resistance. We are inspired seeing how far these women have come and how much many…

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Equity in Education: How Colorado can keep the American Dream alive for the next generation

Politics today has polarized Coloradans, yet most of us agree that every child should have the opportunity to reach his/her potential regardless of ethnicity, race, or socioeconomic background. Despite differing circumstances, children deserve a chance. But when kids of color and those from low-socioeconomic situations are faced with ever growing adversity, and when social mobility…

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Lucero Montoya-Lopez Speech

This Lucero Montoya-Lopez speech for mentorship and Minds Matter of Denver is an inspiring account of high achievers from low income neighborhoods reach college. Want to mentor someone just like her? Begin the conversation here. 

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Nesrela Kemal Speech

An inspiring speech by Nesrela at Casino Night 2018. Want to mentor someone just like him? Begin the conversation here. 

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What Makes Mentorships Work

Here is a great post excerpted from First Round: “When First Round launched its Mentorship Program in 2016, we didn’t know what to expect. We’d heard from a number of people in our community that mentorship remained an elusive, missing piece in their careers. Younger people said it was intimidating and difficult to find a…

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Stories That Matter: Julia & Dunya

Minds Matter is a program that has a lasting impact on both students and mentors Take a look at Julia & Dunya. Theirs is one of many stories that matter every day in the lives of both students and mentors in our program. This story begins when Dunya arrived to the United States from Ethiopia…

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