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:

• Academic tutoring to 100 Boulder High School students through the Adelante! program with additional support for college and career readiness needs 
• After school tutoring for students at Centennial Middle School who needed to maintain academic eligibility for soccer
• Intervention for two students with dyslexia at Gold Hill Elementary, one of whom was years behind academically
• After school math Intervention for 4th grade English Language Learners (ELL) students at Louisville Elementary School
• Advanced math tutoring for students at Douglass Elementary School

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:

• Impact on Education (then known as the Foundation for Boulder Valley schools), led by Francie Anhut and serving as the program fiduciary
• Extras for Education, led by Catherine Bedell
• I Have a Dream, led by Wendy Gordon

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:

• In-kind support from Western Disposal Services, Extras for Education, Costco, Corporate Express, Flatirons Community Church, Ebags and The Daily Camera.
• Collections sites at Boulder Valley Credit Union, 1st National Bank of Louisville, Elevations Credit Union, Boulder Valley Credit Union (now Premier Members Credit Union), Vectra Bank and Heritage Bank.
• Volunteer support from the Boulder Rotary and Foothills United Way.
• Lead sponsorship from Corporate Express, Boulder Rotary Foundation, Western Disposal and the Knight Foundation.

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.

$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.

Teaching professional skills and inspiring confidence in high school students

As a high school student, you were probably starting to think about your future. Maybe you had some ideas about what you wanted to do, but didn’t know where to start. That’s exactly what our Career Readiness Academy teaches BVSD high school students – where to get started.

What is the Career Readiness Academy?

Through a series of after-school workshops, students learn how to identify and explore their interests and strengths, where to look for jobs and opportunities, how to fill out and submit applications, how to write a resume, and how to introduce and present oneself at an interview.

The workshops are delivered in partnership with industry and community professionals who know firsthand how the application of these skills leads to success.

We asked this year’s students how they would describe the program to a friend:

“It helps students who don’t have help or resources and provides people with opportunities.”

“It is a program that will help you learn more about resumes, interviews, and internships that will ease your anxiety about the world.“

“It’s a great program that helps those who don’t have much help in learning about things like college and interviews.”

“A program that teaches you how to be professional but also inspires you to have confidence when applying for a job.“

“It helps those who don’t have the resources and provides people with opportunities.”

Who can participate in the Career Readiness Academy?

The Career Readiness Academy targets 10th and 11th grade students with an openness to learn, explore and share, prioritizing those whose families are facing financial challenges. This year’s program enrolled 60 students at three schools – Centaurus High School, New Vista High School and Boulder High School – 70% of whom qualify for Free and Reduced Price Meals.

Student learning and growth

We survey students at the beginning and end of the program to assess their knowledge of and experiences with the program content. At the end of this year’s program:

• 88% of students feel confident talking about their strengths and experiences with a potential employer 
• 70% of students want to attend a four-year college after graduation
• 75% of students have a resume (up from 25%)
• 91% of students know where to look for a job (up from 64%)

“I was reminded that every person was once a young kid looking and striving to better themselves and their lives.”

Mock Interview Volunteer, 2022-23 Career Readiness Academy

Next year’s Academy

As we look ahead to our third Career Readiness Academy cohort, we continue to improve the content and structure of the program to ensure students are receiving the best possible experience.

Next year’s Academy content will expand to include writing cover letters and practicing networking, while also offering support and tips for accessing BVSD’s Grad Plus opportunities, such as work-based learning experiences and earning college credits during high school.

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.

Behind the Scenes at the 2023 Impact Awards

Yesterday we held our 30th Annual Impact Awards celebration! This event honors an educator from each school in the Boulder Valley School District, and awards both an early career educator and longtime educator with individual awards.

The energy of our dedicated educators was incredible and the evening was a great success! We were honored to have the event emceed by Dr. Lora de la Cruz, Deputy Superintendent of BVSD, with special remarks by Dr. Rob Anderson, BVSD Superintendent.

This event was generously sponsored by BVEA, Premier Members Credit Union, Google, Corden Pharma, The Daily Camera and Lionsgate Event Center.

Browse some event photos or keep reading to hear about the evening.

56 School Honorees

Since 1993, the Impact Awards has recognized hundreds of educators – teachers, custodians, office managers, food service employees, crossing guards, and more – from each school across BVSD. Each school across the district selects an honoree for the event, someone who is going above and beyond and making an extraordinary impact on student learning.

Each honoree received an engraved award, a personalized poster and a $100 check (thank you sponsors!). You can meet all of this year’s honorees in the graphics below.

Early Educator Award

The 2023 Imogene Maxon Early Educator Award was presented to Sue Crowley, a fourth grade teacher at Alicia Sanchez Elementary.

Sue elevates each of her students to be more, achieve more, believe more, and do more than they previously thought possible.

Her nominator shared that, “in her first year of teaching, Sue already embodies the gold standard as an educator. While her 4th grade has a demographic and student population of varying backgrounds, opportunities, and advantages, Sue is exemplary at weaving in both academic instruction and social and emotional development.”

This award is financially supported by a legacy gift from Imogene Maxon.

Lifetime Achievement Award

The 2023 Blake Peterson Lifetime Achievement Award winner was Glen Einrem, a special education paraeducator at Monarch High School.

Glen is skilled at providing strong boundaries with students while also developing a loving and supportive relationship that they can rely on throughout high school and beyond. He demonstrates the heart of teaching every day.

As a paraprofessional of over 25 years, Glen has made a lasting and significant impact on the classroom, and a positive difference in the lives of hundreds of students. Glen has a gifted and profound way of interacting with and motivating students with emotional or behavioral differences. Education was not Glen’s first career. It was actually his third. Learn more >>

This award is financially supported and selected by the Peterson family.

The importance of educator appreciation

When we use the word educator, we’re referring to classroom teachers, school employees, paraeducators, parent volunteers — anyone whose work engages and enriches the lives of our students. Recognizing these impactful individuals matters as it supports, validates, and encourages our educators to continue doing what they do best. It can also strengthen their commitment and the overall culture of their school. 

While we’re only able to recognize a small number of BVSD educators at the Impact Awards, we celebrate the hard work and dedication of each educator across BVSD throughout the year.

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.

Monarch paraeducator Glen Einrem received 2023 Blake Peterson Lifetime Achievement Award

Time in the restaurant industry taught Glen patience, communication crucial to his job

By Shay Castle

Education was not Glen Einrem’s first career. It was actually his third. 

Prior to joining Boulder Valley School District, Einrem worked as a structural engineer. Before that, he spent 18 years in the restaurant industry, doing everything from washing dishes to managing a regional team. 

That time working in restaurants is the most valuable when it comes to his work as one of Monarch High School’s special education paraprofessionals, Einrem said.

“A lot of that translates into what we do at school: face to face interactions dealing with upset people, learning how to talk to them, learning to let things roll off your shoulder,” he said. “You see everything and you’re dealing with everything.”

Dealing with dozens of frustrated customers, Einrem learned that, “they’re not attacking you for being you; they were being angry at the situation. Once you realize that, it kind of frees you to just be there, not take it personally, not have too many ups and downs and be a steady ship going through.”

That grace under pressure has earned Einrem a reputation as a calm, caring presence in the classroom.

He “makes a difference by being kind,” student Isaac C. wrote in support of Einrem’s nomination for this year’s Blake Peterson Lifetime Achievement Award.

“He stops us from being disruptive without seeming mean,” wrote Zoe D.

His students also love the way he connects with them on their level. As Viktor G. put it: “Glen is amazing because he just talks ‘Student.’”

“He breaks down things in a way that I can understand” them, wrote Cole B. 

“Glen carried me through this class,” added Libby B.

Einrem credits his “wide variety of interests” with being able to talk to students “on their level.” 

“I do a lot of gaming with my son; I can talk games to them,” he said. “If they want to talk history and engineering and science, I’m a big buff on all of those. I think my speciality is actually conversation and talking and making kids feel comfortable with themselves.”

That vast knowledge base has also earned him a reputation among his peers. 

“We jokingly refer to Glen at work as ‘Glengle’ — our version of Google,” wrote colleague Ally Hall, in her nomination letter.

For Einrem, his favorite part about the job goes beyond connection and communication and knowledge sharing. It’s helping a child understand that there is a wider world out there.

“So much of high school is in the moment. And everything is OMG,” he said. “But if you can get to them and say, ‘Look, people have gone through this hundreds of times, and you can get through it, and things do get better.”

“That’s the most rewarding thing for me: seeing they can go on and do things and be successful.”

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.

How Impact on Education bridges the public education funding gap

Colorado, like many other states in the United States, struggles to provide adequate funding for our public schools. While state funding is a crucial component of ensuring that students receive a quality education, it is often not enough to meet the needs of every student. 

Colorado spends $3,087 less than the national average per pupil. 

School districts can turn to their community for additional funding, and voters in Boulder Valley have been generous with approving bonds for capital needs. However, there are state mandated limits on how much Districts can raise using local property taxes. This is where school foundations come in.

Impact on Education, an independent non-profit, provides additional funding to the Boulder Valley School District, supplementing the state and local school funding they receive. Our work helps the District provide every student an excellent and equitable education.

How public education funding works in Colorado

Colorado is unique in that it has a complex school funding formula – the Public School Finance Act of 1994 – that takes into account many different factors, such as student enrollment, the cost of living in different areas of the state, and the number of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. 

Our public schools are primarily funded by a combination of local (property) taxes and state revenues. Until the late 1980’s Colorado’s per pupil funding was above the national average, when new laws led education funding to fall.

How do school foundations help?

School foundations are non-profit organizations dedicated to raising funds to support public education. In Boulder Valley, we have 56 public schools and 4,000 educators serving nearly 30,000 students. The disparity is real. The opportunity is, too.

In 2022, Impact on Education invested over $3,500,000 to support the Boulder Valley School District.

Our work engages students and empowers educators to make sure every student has access to the resources they need, when they need them. Because even when life isn’t fair, access to an excellent and equitable education should be. Our support helps improve student outcomes by:

• Expanding or launching new programs and services, including the expansion of high school wellness centers, summer learning for incoming kindergarten students, and career readiness workshops for highschoolers
• Ensuring all students have access to school supplies and learning tools
• Resourcing educators and schools to expand opportunities for students
• Investing in and supporting new BVSD programs and initiatives
• Advocating for equitable public education
• Providing timely and effective resources to meet emerging needs and address community crises

Some good news

The Boulder Valley School District is expecting an additional $18.2 million in next year’s budget, including about $12 million in state per-pupil funding and about $3.8 million from the $120 million allocated statewide to reduce the budget stabilization factor. The budget stabilization factor allows the state to use promised K-12 education funding in other areas of the budget. An additional $2.8 million in state revenue is pending legislative actions.

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At-a-Glance: Public education funding in Colorado

Learn more about how school funding works in this slideshow from Great Education Colorado.

• In 1982 the Gallagher Amendment passed which limited local revenues by cutting the residential assessment rate (the percent of the value of a home that is taxed) by two-thirds. School districts were able to stabilize local revenues by floating mill rates (the rate charged for property taxes) up from 1982-1992.
• In 1992 the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) passed, requiring voter approval to adjust mill rates, limiting the state’s ability to bolster school funding with state dollars.
• In 2000, Amendment 23 was passed in an attempt to reverse the K12 funding cuts. 

“Amendment 23 became a ceiling and not the protective floor it was originally intended to be. Its measure of inflation is the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which does not reflect the kinds of things that school districts must pay for, like health care, heating, cooling and fuel costs. Starting in 2009, the legislature reinterpreted Amendment 23 and established the Negative Factor—allowing deep cuts to schools. As a result of that reinterpretation, schools are currently being funded at a level of $572 million below what the proper interpretation of Amendment 23 requires.

– Great Education Colorado, Funding FAQs

• In 2020, Amendment B passed which prevents any further reductions in the residential assessment rate, eliminating the effect of the Gallagher Amendment.

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.

Community conversation brings youth mental health to the forefront

Young people today are experiencing a mental health crisis unlike anything we’ve seen before. Nearly one in five youth in Colorado reported poor mental health in 2021 — double the rate seen in 2017. Social media, the pandemic, and climate change were just some of the external pressures students and parents cited during A Community Conversation: Supporting the Mental Health of Our Youth, a panel discussion that gathered more than 300 people at Manhattan Middle School on April 12, 2023. 

Panelists included clinicians, community health professionals, educators, and people with lived experiences. All agreed that the conversation starter was an important step toward equipping the community with information that can bridge the generational divides and produce healthy dialog that will lead to solutions.

Impact on Education hosted the event in collaboration with UnitedHealthcare, Centura Health, Comcast, The Colorado Health Foundation, and Boulder Valley School District. 

“Impact on Education is committed to providing an elevated level of mental health support for all BVSD students. Beyond what we can provide during the school day, engaging families and the community is a crucial part of supporting student mental health and well-being.”

– Allison Billings, Executive Director at Impact on Education

Watch with English captions

Why we need to talk about mental health

According to the CDC, it is estimated that one in five children ages 3-17 experience a mental disorder each year, the most common of which are ADHD, anxiety, behavioral problems, and depression. The CDC reports that 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. Furthermore, a CDC study states that compared with pre-pandemic levels, teenagers are more likely to experience persistent feelings of distress or malaise that interfere in their lives. They are more likely to think about suicide and more likely to attempt it.

How the community can support our youth

The event presented the idea that, together, the community can elevate the mental health and well-being of our youth. Panelists discussed the current risks facing our youth; techniques for communicating with children about their mental health needs; and school, community, and health care resources available to parents. Information about local and state trends, as well as the risks, influencing factors, and available supports were shared with the audience, primarily parents of students in BVSD. 

“Fostering resilient children requires engagement with their families, friends, mentors, and the community. At UnitedHealthcare, we felt privileged to be an organizing sponsor of this important event with our partners at Impact on Education and the Boulder Valley School District.”

– Marc Neely, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Colorado & Wyoming

Discussions also included clinical expertise on trends; resources available to parents; and how to start and sustain mental health conversations with kids. 

To access resources distributed at the event click here. For those who were unable to attend the event, Comcast is producing a television special which will be available for viewing online soon.

BEFORE YOU GO …

Together we can elevate the mental health of our youth. Impact on Education is committed to the mental health of BVSD students. Your gift helps provide Wellness Centers and Mental Health Advocates in schools, and resources and training to support the well-being of staff, students and their families.

How educator grants made a difference this year

Grants for classroom educators and schools are small yet powerful tools that can help fund creative and innovative ideas for educational projects, activities, and materials. Our Academic Opportunity Fund is a valuable resource for teachers and schools with limited budgets, but who are determined to provide the best learning opportunities for their students. 

In the 2022-23 school year we offered three rounds of grant funding that awarded $230,000 across 166 individual grants. 

The program received over 220 grant applications from 45 schools across the Boulder Valley School District.

Opportunities for creativity and innovation

When educators are given the chance to apply for Academic Opportunity Fund grants, they are encouraged to think outside of the box and come up with new and exciting ways to engage their students. Grants this year provided funding for:

• a science research seminar
• 3D printers for engineering classes
• a district-wide reading challenge
• a loom for construction class at Boulder TEC
• STEAM fashion show

Helping bridge the funding gap

With limited school budgets, Academic Opportunity Fund grants bridge the funding gap for both educators and schools by providing additional resources that enhance the learning experience for students. This funding can help make classes more relevant and engaging and lead to improved student outcomes.

In addition to common requests such as books, tutors, and software, grants also provided funding for:

• student and class transportation
• flexible seating and calming corners
• specialized equipment like cameras
• adaptive equipment for unified PE classes
• instrument repair across the district

Improving student outcomes

The Academic Opportunity Fund supports everything from classroom enrichment and virtual tutoring to field trips and books – anything that helps provide valuable educational experiences to BVSD students.

Our grants will reopen in the fall for the 2023-24 school year to support educators and students in BVSD.

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