How BVSD Wellness Centers support student resilience

A safe space to spend your off-period, a refuge during an anxiety attack, a place to connect with your friends – these are just a few of the reasons students are visiting Wellness Centers across Boulder Valley School District.

BVSD created its first Wellness Center at Monarch High School in response to the Marshall Fire. When we saw the impact the Wellness Center had on their school community we committed to opening five more and sustaining the one at Monarch. Impact on Education funding is now supporting six high school Wellness Centers at Boulder High, Centaurus High, Fairview High, Monarch High, Nederland Middle-Senior and New Vista High.

One month into the school year, over 1,000 students have made over 2,320 visits to BVSD Wellness Centers to relax, refocus and seek support.

In 2021, 42 percent of high school students reported feeling so sad or hopeless regularly for at least a two-week period that they stopped doing their normal daily activities.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

What is a Wellness Center?

The Wellness Centers are welcoming and calming spaces with soft lighting and relaxing music. They are filled with flexible, comfortable seating and sensory activities like fidget toys, puzzles and kinetic sand. Each Wellness Center also offers free tea for students, courtesy of The Tea Spot

But the most important part of each Wellness Center is the mental health professional, a Mental Health Advocate, there to support each student who walks through the door.

One Mental Health Advocate described their Wellness Center as “a cozy cafe,” while students shared that they like “the vibe” and having a quiet place away from the hustle and bustle of their school.

“Students have shared that it feels special to them. They are torn between telling everyone how awesome it feels to relax in the room and wanting to keep it a secret.”

– Mental Health Advocate, BVSD Wellness Center

The goal of the Wellness Centers is to provide students with accessible, safe spaces on school campuses that offer mental health support and promote social-emotional wellness. Students are able to visit the Wellness Center anytime during the school day to rest and recharge, connect with their peers, or talk with a trusted mental health professional.

How Wellness Centers are impacting school communities

The Mental Health Advocates leading BVSD Wellness Centers say they’ve been surprised and excited by students’ willingness to share and open up when they are in a crisis. One was also surprised by the reactions of their school staff, sharing that “so many teachers have reached out to tell me they appreciate having a safe place to send students instead of them going home or disappearing to the bathroom.”

We asked the Mental Health Advocates why students have been visiting and it was commonly to:

And often, while a student may start visiting for one reason, they continue going for another. One student who started visiting because it was a safe place to spend her off period, was eventually comfortable opening up about a difficult personal experience she was going through.

Students need support to manage their emotional health. The Mental Health Advocates can help teach them how, while the Wellness Centers give them the space to do so.

“We’re funding these Wellness Centers across Boulder Valley School District because we believe they’re powerful tools for supporting our youth and helping them thrive.”

– Allison Billings, Executive Director of Impact on Education

Reducing the stigma of mental health

So far this school year thousands of students have already visited BVSD Wellness Centers and schools will continue to build awareness of these new spaces in their school communities. The next step for Impact on Education is to supplement the Wellness Centers with meaningful opportunities for parents to engage and gain tools and resources to support their students at home.

BVSD is also creating “a continuum of services” for all students and has a robust offering of mental health resources available to BVSD students and their families.

BEFORE YOU GO

Impact on Education is an independent non-profit supporting the Boulder Valley School District. We depend on the generosity of our community to put our mission into action.

Will you help us provide opportunities and resources to local students?

Impact on Education welcomes three new board members

Today we extend a warm and enthusiastic welcome to three exceptional individuals who recently joined our Board of Directors. The new additions include Amy Pickens, BVSD’s Director of Equity & Community Engagement; Bill De La Cruz, an inclusion and belonging facilitator; and Dan Konigsberg, an entrepreneur and CEO. Their wealth of experience and dedication to our mission will bring fresh perspectives and renewed energy to our work.

The board also elected a new executive committee, naming Karen Brown, board chair; Cathleen Kendall, vice chair; Karen Kruse, treasurer; and Callie Weiant, secretary. We’re also grateful to our outgoing board chair David Ziegert.

Our Board of Directors is key to expanding our ability to engage BVSD students and empower BVSD educators. And these new members are joining us at an exciting time in our organization’s growth.

Amy Pickens 

Director of Equity & Community Engagement
Boulder Valley School District

Amy has over 20 years of experience in education both in the United States and abroad. With her position as Director of Equity and Community Engagement, she supports schools and leaders with equity-focused school improvement and developing authentic partnerships with families and the community.

Amy has a passion for student voice, particularly bringing student voice into equity work. She co-founded the BVSD Youth Equity Council as part of her dissertation for the doctorate in education she earned in 2022. Amy also leads the BVSD Equity council and has served on multiple committees both within the school system and in the communities she’s lived in.  Her involvement in volunteer work, youth organizing, speaking engagements, and research shows her dedication and passion for social justice and equity. Amy is also a BVSD parent and lives in Broomfield.

Learn more about Amy in this recent spotlight article.

Bill De La Cruz

Inclusion and Belonging Facilitator
De La Cruz Solutions 

Bill is an author, facilitator and thought leader who offers facilitation, keynotes and workshops to support individuals and teams in building self-sustaining personal change processes. Bill’s books Finding The Origination Point, Understanding Our Biases to Create a More Peaceful World and Flipping Failure, A Blueprint for Self-Growth and Transformation were written to enhance the personal change process. Bill’s processes support the  creation of personal development and organizational belonging  that drives sustainable systemic change.

As a former board member and Board President for Boulder Valley Schools and the former Director of Equity and Inclusion for Denver public schools Bill has a vast knowledge about educational systems. Having served on the Board of Directors for Parent Engagement Network, the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, and as an original reader of Reading to End Racism, Bill has vast Board experience in Boulder county communities and expertise in adapting systems. Bill has 4 grown children who went through the Boulder Valley schools and lives in Erie. 

Dan Konigsberg

CEO
Campminder

Dan is an experienced entrepreneur with 22 years of experience bootstrapping Campminder, a successful technology company that streamlines operations in the summer camp industry. He is personally devoted to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and wants to raise more awareness about these important issues. He has gained skills of facilitation, mentorship, and strategy that will allow him to succeed as a board member. Dan is also a BVSD parent and lives in Boulder.

BEFORE YOU GO

Impact on Education is an independent non-profit supporting the Boulder Valley School District. We depend on the generosity of our community to put our mission into action.

Will you help us provide opportunities and resources to local students?

Celebrating 40 Years of Impact

We can’t get Journey’s “Any Way You Want It” out of our heads! Last week’s gala was an incredible way to commemorate our 40th Anniversary and engage the community in support of public education.

From the game show and remarks from Governor Polis to our wonderful speakers and the 5280s Band, the evening reminded us how important – and fun! – it is to celebrate success. 

Together we raised over $400,000 to continue engaging students and empowering educators across the Boulder Valley School District.

Click here to view more photos from the event.

OUR PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Were you unable to attend? Watch this new video to learn a little more about how Impact on Education came to be and where we’re headed.

We’re grateful to have a strong community behind us. It’s because of you that we’re able to help BVSD students receive an excellent and equitable education. We all shine brighter together.

Thank you for being part of our work!

BEFORE YOU GO

Impact on Education is an independent non-profit supporting the Boulder Valley School District. We depend on the generosity of our community to put our mission into action.

Will you help us provide opportunities and resources to local students?

Board Chair David Ziegert Grateful To Be Part Of Impact On Education’s Evolution

‘We need to be proactive in driving toward change’

By Shay Castle

David Ziegert always intended to be a high school math teacher. But his nighttime job at Celestial Seasonings — taken to pay for classes at the University of Colorado — turned into a career. Ziegert was with the Boulder-based tea company for 22 years, eventually becoming general manager.

Despite the change of course, Ziegert never completely gave up on his first dream.

“When I chose to advance my career at Celestial,” he said, “it was always with the thought that when I turned 50 or 55, I could still be a high school math teacher.”

Though not in the way he expected, Ziegert did find his way back to education. In 2019 — now an operating partner at Boulder-based Sunrise Strategic Partners — he joined the board of Impact on Education. 

“It’s been an amazing experience,” he said. “It allows me to feel I’m having an impact in the lives of students.”

At Sunrise, Ziegert helps organizations navigate growth or “evolutions.” That skillset has come in handy during his four years on the board, a time of almost constant adjustment.

His tenure was marked first by the worldwide disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, and then the local devastation of the Marshall Fire. Impact on Education took an active role in both, helping to provide meals, transportation vouchers, child care and internet access as well as mental health and trauma support.

Impact on Education went from an organization that people “had heard of but really didn’t know what they did” to one intimately involved in families’ lives. 

“I remember being at the Louisville Street Faire last year and talking to people (who said) ‘You were the ones who helped me when we were displaced by the Marshall Fire, you helped me with transportation because we had to live in Broomfield.’ 

“It’s amazing to be able to say I was, in a way, part of that.”

He gives most of the credit to Impact on Education’s executive team, and BVSD superintendent Rob Anderson. 

“I’m so impressed with the leadership of Dr. Anderson (and) I can’t say enough about Allison (Billings, Impact on Education’s executive director) and the team,” Ziegert said. “The work they do each and every day, being champions and advocates for the kids… It’s very important to me to feel like I’m making a difference. The work I do with Impact on Education scratches that itch for me.”

Ziegert is particularly excited about Impact on Education’s work on mental health, particularly the funding of wellness centers in several schools. The organization will invest $1.2 million of their $2.6 million budget on mental health in the 2023-2024 school year.

“Through my own kids’ experience (of) the hardship that they internalized as part of Marshall Fire, COVID, the current state of the state… I see that need,” he said. “Trying to help my children navigate through challenges of growing up and transitioning into an adult, regardless of how much money I wanted to spend, the mental health resources were not available.

“We’re not going to solve the whole thing, but the work Impact on Education is doing by funding those centers, I truly believe it’s going to have impacts that we will never see or hear or know about to really change the course for an entire generation of students.”

An enduring focus for Ziegert is closing BVSD’s large and persistent achievement gap that COVID exacerbated and exposed. Ziegert believes Impact on Education can play a role in raising awareness, the first step to finding solutions. His time on the board elevated his own awareness, for which he is extremely grateful. 

“My work with Impact on Education really opened my eyes to some of the inequities, that not everyone has the same opportunities available to them,” he said. “It’s not enough for me to maintain my status quo: We need to be very proactive in driving toward that change and filling the gaps that lead to inequitable opportunities. 

“It’s great hearing perspectives that I wouldn’t necessarily have exposure to. There are pieces that will be part of my thinking going forward.”

BEFORE YOU GO

Impact on Education is an independent non-profit supporting the Boulder Valley School District. We depend on the generosity of our community to put our mission into action.

Will you help us provide opportunities and resources to local students?

Kinder Bridge prepares BVSD students for Kindergarten

In 2013, in collaboration with Boulder Housing Partners, Impact on Education piloted a summer literacy program for children living in Kalmia public housing in north Boulder. 40 students participated in that first Summer Shuffle program, which eventually grew to serve 60 students across three Boulder public housing sites.

In 2022, the program, now called Kinder Bridge, became part of BVSD’s summer learning program – Summer Summit. Impact on Education funding now enables 160 students to receive four weeks of full-day instruction to prepare them for their first year of school.

2023 program and results

“The whole school had social-emotional time every morning. Doing those activities and team building within our classroom was really helpful. It gave the kids a grounding point.”

– Lead Educator, Kinder Bridge

The 2023 Kinder Bridge summer enrichment program delivered 105 hours of programming to 160 incoming Kindergarten students. Transportation, school supplies, and nutritious meals, along with lessons on healthy behaviors and social-emotional learning, were included in the program.

Licensed educators conducted Kinder Bridge at four Summer Summit locations across Boulder County: Emerald Elementary School in Broomfield, Whittier Elementary School in Boulder, Lafayette Elementary School in Lafayette, and Monarch PK-8 in Louisville.

New this year, students were given a preview of the first month of the Kindergarten curriculum. The site leaders believe students responded well and that the familiarity with both the school routine and academic content would lead to stronger school readiness.

“They’re going to ride the bus, they’re getting a full day. They are going to specials. They get to learn how to stand in line and how to walk from their classroom to the lunchroom and how to put their stuff away in their cubby. I saw a lot of growth in school readiness.”

– Lead Educator, Kinder Bridge

Parent engagement

An important element of the original Summer Shuffle program was family engagement, which we were thrilled to bring back to Kinder Bridge this year. Two partnerships allowed us to offer opportunities for parents and guardians to participate in Kinder Bridge:

Continued learning and growth

Each year we learn how we can improve the program for the following summer. Two ways we’ll continue growing Kinder Bridge next summer include:

We know opportunity gaps start early, and it’s why Impact on Education remains committed to investing in early childhood education.

BEFORE YOU GO

Impact on Education is an independent non-profit supporting the Boulder Valley School District. We depend on the generosity of our community to put our mission into action.

Will you help us provide opportunities and resources to local students?

Dr. Amy Pickens helps BVSD students find a sense of belonging

Impact on Education recognizes that opportunities are not level in education across racial and socioeconomic lines. Our programs and investments help to identify and remove inequities in public education, ensuring all Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) students receive an excellent and equitable education.

Today we want you to meet someone working tirelessly to advance equity from inside the district. Amy (Nelson) Pickens is starting her fourth year working with BVSD administration and currently serves as the Director of Equity and Community Engagement.

We’re also thrilled to share that Amy is one of three new members joining our Board of Directors in September 2023! You’ll learn more about all of our new members soon.

What does equitable education mean to you?

Every stakeholder, every individual in our system – student, staff member, family, community member – exists in a positive and inclusive culture of belonging. Equity is honoring and affirming identities, cultures, individual strengths, language, and interests. 

During the 2022-23 school year Impact on Education provided funding for racial trauma and healing counselors to work with BVSD students and families.

It’s ensuring we are providing equitable opportunities, access, and resources to meet the uniqueness of each of our students. It is when every member of our BVSD community feels seen, heard, valued, and supported within both their school and larger BVSD community. It is all these things and all encompassing – equity touches everything and everyone. It is both individual and collective. It is using an equity lens with every decision we make and honoring the voices closest to the inequity we are trying to address.

Equitable education means that students know that their voices, identities, hopes and dreams, families, and communities are valued.

How did your experiences teaching abroad and in special education help prepare you for this role?

We all view the world through our own unique lens, one that is informed by our education, our beliefs, and our lived experiences. The lens in which I view the world and educational systems was significantly altered after teaching abroad.

I talk often about mirror work and the importance of individual reflection. We need both insight into self and insight into context if we are going to create the change we hope to create.

While working overseas, every one of my students on an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) was completing the rigorous IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma Programme. Additionally, the vast majority of students I worked with were not learning in their primary language, and many spoke three or more languages. This led me to reflect on my work as a special educator prior to my experience overseas. Was I contributing to other educators viewing students through a deficit lens by focusing too much on their disabilities and not enough on their strengths? While I cared deeply about my students, I was not giving them everything they needed to thrive in their general education classes and I’m thankful my experience teaching abroad helped alter my thinking.  

Tell us about the work your team does to advance equity in BVSD.

The work is grounded in building trust and fostering a culture of belonging, but equity touches everything. We work with every district stakeholder, including students and families, district leaders, principals, employees, and our community. 

“Everyone wants to feel a sense of belonging. If we can put the foundational pieces into place to build a climate and a culture of belonging, students will thrive.”

Amy Pickens, BVSD’s Director of Equity and Community Engagement

It is not always easy for our educators to apply an equity lens. We all approach this work with our unique lens and our lens is only as extensive as our education, lived experiences, people we encounter, books read, lived experiences, etc.  

Part of equity work is consistently taking time to reflect individually on the ways our own lens helps shape our education system and either interrupts or contributes to inequities.  This is hard, but necessary work. While we are charged with supporting our staff and providing training, language, tools, and strategies to help build a culture of belonging in our classrooms and schools, the individual work each employee must do is just as critical to our collective equity work. 

In our work, we often discuss the systemic barriers – including socioeconomic status and race – to student success. How do you talk about these barriers?

Too often when we are talking about systemic barriers we focus on ‘fixing’ students or families.  While the intention may be good, the impact often leads to internalized deficit narratives and validates negative perceptions of students, families, and or their communities.

As educators, we have to continuously reflect on (often referred to as mirror work), name, and disrupt this type of thinking. While it’s important to acknowledge barriers and opportunity gaps, labels such as ‘at-risk’ can be stigmatizing but are often used when discussing systemic barriers to student success. 

If we’re going to talk about risk factors, we must also acknowledge protective factors – strengths & attributes of individuals, families, & communities – so that we don’t further contribute to false narratives and stereotypes.  

We need to view our students, families, and community holistically which requires us to not only consider the perceived barriers, but also the assets. Using an asset-based approach mitigates and even eliminates risk factors.  

What is the Youth Equity Council?

YEC (Youth Equity Council) is an amazing group of students with diverse intersecting identities that advise the district on issues of equity. While I co-founded the Youth Equity Council and help guide their leadership, YEC is an entirely student-led group. Students are recruited in the fall and most of the members are looking for an opportunity to have their voices heard and to create necessary & lasting change.  

The founding student leaders graduated this past May and I’m so proud of each of them and their accomplishments, as well as their lasting impact on generations that come after them. Working directly with our youth gives me so much hope and also motivates me to continue tackling equity issues in public education.  An individual win is a collective win and moves our work forward.  

Read a recent Daily Camera article about the Youth Equity Council.

Bringing her expertise to Impact on Education

BVSD is fortunate to have Amy helping empower students, staff and families in our community – her contributions are critical to the health of the district. We’re eager to see how her work with BVSD continues to evolve and welcome her to our Board of Directors.

BEFORE YOU GO

Impact on Education is an independent non-profit supporting the Boulder Valley School District. We depend on the generosity of our community to put our mission into action.

Will you help us provide opportunities and resources to local students?

Tutoring provides students access to critical support and resources

One important way we maximize the impact of our work is by collaborating with other nonprofits to amplify our work. 

We first partnered with the Arly Kruse Educational Foundation in 2021 to facilitate a $30,000 investment in targeted in-school and after school catch up tutoring for students at Alicia Sanchez Elementary School and Escuela Bilingüe Pioneer Elementary. Since then, they continue to support Impact on Education and BVSD students by funding tutoring across all grade levels.

Our strategic partnership

The Arly Kruse Educational Foundation aims to enhance the education of children from diverse backgrounds through academic support and tutoring free of cost to Boulder Valley School District families. The Foundation’s namesake was a lifelong educator with a belief in the power of tutoring.

As the Foundation for Boulder Valley’s public schools, Impact on Education is uniquely positioned to help identify schools and students with tutoring needs. Our partnership allows the Arly Kruse Educational Foundation to bring their resources to the students who need them most. 

During the 2022-23 school year, the Arly Kruse Educational Foundation funded nine Academic Opportunity Fund grant requests, providing over $23,000 in tutoring.

The value of tutoring

Tutoring is a great way to offer students additional learning opportunities, reinforce classroom learning and build confidence. It also helps educators and schools address learning differences and abilities, providing interventions and opportunities for the students who need them.

Tutoring is an effective way to provide guidance and support to help students overcome obstacles and grow academically. Our partnership with Impact on Education allows us to provide a little help and individual attention to the BVSD students who need it most.

Jack Kruse, Founder of the Arly Kruse Educational Foundation

By funding Academic Opportunity Fund grants the Arly Kruse Educational Foundation provided:

Continued support during the 2023-24 school year

Funding tutoring across all grade levels enhances the education of many BVSD students. Providing this academic tutoring free of cost ensures students, regardless of their background or circumstances, have access to the same support and resources as their peers.

For the coming school year, our Academic Opportunity Fund and partnership with the Arly Kruse Educational Foundation will continue to help students access the resources they need to succeed.

BEFORE YOU GO

Impact on Education is an independent non-profit supporting the Boulder Valley School District. We depend on the generosity of our community to put our mission into action.

Will you help us provide opportunities and resources to local students?

Staff Spotlight: Mieke Bushhouse

Mieke joined Impact on Education in 2022 and is responsible for managing our finance, accounting, and operations as the organization grows and evolves. With experience working for both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, she has been instrumental in building processes, providing insightful reporting, and managing all aspects of our finances and human resources. 

Why do you support public education?

I am a product of public education from kindergarten through my Master’s degree, so I know what a powerful resource public education can be in someone’s life. But, there are so many reasons why the experience may be short of exceptional or even intensely negative for students.

We have to take ownership of addressing systemic barriers that are in place in order to improve equity and inclusiveness in education. This organization is uniquely positioned with the school district to act nimbly as student needs change and emerge. Impact on Education has the ability to help bring the right resources to the learners who need them.

What do you remember about your favorite teacher?

My fifth grade teacher, Ms. Ruimveld, showed me the keen awareness teachers have of their students, along with their capacity to creatively reach students.

I was a quiet kid (and am still a pretty quiet adult), who knew the answers, but wouldn’t raise my hand to participate. Instead of leaving well enough alone, Ms. Ruimveld created a very simple game where she put a sticky note on my desk for me to tally the number of times I raised my hand.

As she guessed, my desire to do well on the tally game turned out to be stronger than the discomfort I felt raising my hand (and possibly giving the wrong answer!). It was such a small thing, but that individualized attention made a huge difference in my educational experience and I appreciate the effort that educators make to reach learners where they are.

More about Mieke

She grew up in southwest Michigan, and while her knowledge of Big Ten sports may be lacking, she can provide detailed reviews of libraries and delis in Ann Arbor. She moved to Denver in 2005 and takes any opportunity she has to be outside or go mountain biking with her husband. She holds an MBA from University of Colorado Denver and a BA from the University of Michigan.

What makes her smile

A cup of coffee outside on a crisp and sunny morning, spring flowers, her tiny city dogs running on a trail, someone having an ah-ha moment.

Ask her about

Mountain biking, all types of cuisine and cooking, birding.

BEFORE YOU GO …

Impact on Education is a nonprofit organization, and we depend on our community to help us put our mission into action. We need your help to to provide opportunity and resources to 29,000 students and 4,000 educators in the Boulder Valley School District.

The growth, success and challenges of Crayons to Calculators

This year Crayons to Calculators BVSD will equip over 5,000 Boulder Valley public school students living in or near poverty with backpacks full of essential school supplies. Established in 2005, Crayons to Calculators began as a collaborative partnership of Boulder County nonprofits working to ensure every student had access to the tools they needed for a strong start to the academic year. 

Now in its eighteenth year, the program has served over 130,000 students in Boulder Valley School District and St. Vrain Valley School District. 

When families face difficult financial decisions or tradeoffs, such as buying groceries or school supplies, it can impact a student’s success in the classroom and in life. Ensuring every student has access to school supplies helps create equitable classrooms across all grade-levels.

The beginning of Crayons to Calculators

Crayons to Calculators started in 2005 as the first collaborative school supply drive in Boulder County, serving 2,432 students. Loose school supplies were collected from businesses and individuals across the county and volunteers helped sort and organize the supplies for each school.

The founding organizations were:

Businesses and individuals came together to serve over 50 Boulder Valley public schools and direct service organizations in Boulder, Broomfield and Gilpin counties, including I Have a Dream, Sister Carmen and the Family Learning Center.

Crayons to Calculators was created to ease the financial burden of struggling families in our community. We never imagined it would grow into such a strong and collaborative program, and are grateful to everyone who has supported BVSD students by supporting Crayons to Calculators.

Laurie Hanson, founding partner of Crayons to Calculators

In 2006 three new partners joined the program – Sister Carmen Community Center, Family Learning Center, and Foothills United Way – and collections were expanded to provide backpacks to each student with their school supplies. The following year the Corporate Challenge was started with 22 companies generating support for BVSD students among their employees.

The initial success of Crayons to Calculators was in large part due to generous organizations and community groups, which includes:

Expanding the reach of the program

In 2008, with the generous support of our title sponsor Western Disposal Services, Crayons to Calculators expanded its reach and range to include students in both the Boulder Valley School District and the St. Vrain Valley School District. 

Their annual “Trash Bash” event raised over $100,000 to support the expansion of the program and a new partnership with the St. Vrain Valley Schools Education Foundation. Thanks to Western Disposal Services, over 4,800 students across the two school districts were provided backpacks filled with school supplies for the 2008-09 school year.

Crayons to Calculators continued to grow over the next decade, improving the quality of services, maximizing financial resources, and streamlining administrative and fundraising processes. This included expanding corporate and community partnerships to address the unmet and growing needs of our districts. 

The COVID-19 pandemic changes distribution

After fifteen years of serving the community, the Crayons to Calculators program model shifted in 2020 in response to health precautions in place from the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than collect, organize and distribute materials through community volunteers, wholesale supply kits and backpacks were picked up by families across both districts.

While we missed involving volunteers and community members in the collection and organization of supplies, the efficiency and cost of the wholesale model allowed us to stretch our resources further and best serve our students. In 2021 and 2022, Crayons to Calculators provided nearly 20,000 students with backpacks, school supplies and headphones.

Better serving our districts

When the program first started, collaborating with other non-profits and crossing district lines allowed us to more efficiently meet the needs of students. As the needs of school districts and communities evolved we realized we could best serve Boulder Valley and St. Vrain students and families by focusing on the districts individually. 

The core of Crayons to Calculators remains – increasing equity in our classrooms by providing students with tools they need to succeed. 

For the upcoming 2023-24 school year, both districts will still run a Crayons to Calculators school supply distribution, but they will be run independently: Crayons to Calculators BVSD and Crayons to Calculators St. Vrain Valley.

Through the leadership of Impact on Education and dedicated individuals and organizations in our community, Crayons to Calculators has impacted over 133,000 students since its inception in 2005.

The community challenge

We launched our first Community Challenge in 2021 as a way to continue engaging individuals, community groups and local businesses in the program in a fun and engaging way. 

We’re excited to launch a new and improved Community Challenge in support of Crayons to Calculators BVSD next month. Stay tuned for details!

BEFORE YOU GO …

Impact on Education is a nonprofit organization, and we depend on our community to help us put our mission into action. We need your help to to provide opportunity and resources to 29,000 students and 4,000 educators in the Boulder Valley School District.

Announcing Our 2023 College Scholarship Awardees

We’re excited to share that we’ve funded over $40,000 in scholarships for Boulder Valley School District graduates this year, including $18,000 in scholarship renewals and $23,000 to graduating seniors in the Class of 2023.

Scholarship applications are reviewed by a group of trained community volunteers, and student winners are selected based upon their academic achievement, financial need, and other eligibility requirements.

$5000 Earl & Barbara Bolton Scholarship

The $5,000 Earl & Barbara Bolton Scholarship was awarded to Adriana Aguirre, a senior at Boulder High School. Adriana plans to study nursing at the University of Colorado Denver in the fall. Her scholarship award is renewable for up to four years, with the potential to fund $20,000 of Adriana’s college expenses.

“I believe my education is the key to all of my future successes. My ultimate educational goal is to pursue a degree in nursing and help those who need assistance. I have always had a passion for helping others, I love to serve and give back to my community. And having a job that revolves around these values would make it so enjoyable for me.”

Adriana Aguirre, 2023 Bolton Scholarship Awardee

$1000 Dennie & Donna Wise Scholarship

One of Impact on Education’s longtime scholarships, the Dennie and Donna Wise Scholarship, was endowed by a former board member to support students planning to pursue a vocational, technical, or community college education. 

A $1,000 scholarship was awarded to Alexander Aguirre Jaquez, a senior at Boulder High School. Alexander plans to attend Red Rocks Community College in the fall to pursue a career as an electrician. This scholarship award is renewable for up to two years, funding up to $2,000 of each recipient’s tuition. 

“I enjoy working with my hands and taking things apart, and believe being an electrician will give me the opportunity to do both things. Being the oldest in my family has been tough because I have had to pave the way for myself and learn new things that I can share with my siblings. I will be the first in my family to go to college and I’m excited to start at Red Rocks Community College.”

Alexander Aguirre Jaquez, 2023 Wise Scholarship Awardee

$500 Panther Pride Excellence in Leadership

Impact on Education administers this scholarship for Boulder High School. This year’s Panther Pride scholarships went to Lille Sundberg and Ella Mortenson.

Independent Order of Odd Fellows  – Boulder Lodge #9 Scholarships

Winners will be announced soon!

The importance of scholarships

We offer these scholarships to support Boulder Valley students in financial need who wish to pursue higher education. We’re able to provide this type of important financial support thanks to generous community members. 

If you’d like to discuss opportunities for planned giving, including bequests, gifts from a retirement account, charitable trust, or real estate, please contact darcy@impactoneducation.org.

BEFORE YOU GO …

Impact on Education is a nonprofit organization, and we depend on our community to help us put our mission into action. We need your help to to provide opportunity and resources to 29,000 students and 4,000 educators in the Boulder Valley School District.

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Impact on Education
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