The Colorado League of Charter Schools this week announced that Colorado charter schools have been selected to receive over $2.25 million in grants from Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ Recovery Innovation and Student Equity (RISE) fund. The fund supports innovative solutions to help state students affected by the economic, social and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The first RISE grant is for $1.48 million that will be shared among 13 charter schools and one DPS innovation zone school. The schools will use the funds to improve engagement – and subsequently achievement – for students, including diverse learners, through the Increasing Diverse Learner Engagement & Achievement (IDLEA) Project. The project focuses on assessing student engagement, creating support and tools for schools to increase that engagement, and then sharing those lessons with the state’s 261 public charter schools and 4,570 traditional public schools across the state.
The schools involved in this grant include Academy 360, Animas High School, Carbondale Community School, Girls Athletic Leadership School (High School), Girls Athletic Leadership School (Middle School), Global Village Academy, McAuliffe International School, New Legacy Charter School, Pagosa Peak Open School, REACH Charter School, Rocky Mountain Classical Academy, Steamboat Montessori, STRIVE Prep Montbello, and Thomas MacLaren School.
“PPOS looks forward to collaborating with the other charter schools to improve our practices related to student engagement,” says Pagosa Peak School Director Angela Reali Crossland. “We are always looking for ways to engage all learners in real-world projects. This opportunity will allow us to grow as educators and share the knowledge we gain with other schools. As education adjusts to these difficult times we hope to lead the way for innovation in our region.”
A second grant for $595,700 will be shared among 11 charter schools in Denver Public Schools (DPS). The schools will use the funds to redesign the school year by offering more than 2,000 of Colorado’s highest-need students the opportunity to participate in innovative extended-school-year programs that include academic, social-emotional, and experiential components.
“Charter schools in Colorado offer some of the most innovative public school options in our state, and we are pleased that the Polis Administration sees enormous value in the proposals our schools made to enhance educational experiences during COVID-19,” said Dan Schaller, President of the Colorado League of Charter Schools. “There is no question that the pandemic has caused many of our state’s students to regress, and innovative programs like the ones our charter schools have proposed can be an important step to mitigating that impact.”
About Pagosa Peak Open School
Pagosa Peak Open School is an intentionally small and intimate tuition-free public school, chartered through the Archuleta School District and governed by an independent, volunteer board of directors. We opened our doors in September 2017 as a tuition-free public school, open to all Archuleta County families. The school operates year-round to better accommodate our focus on outdoor education and gardening/horticulture. Learn more at pagosapeakopenschool.org
About the Colorado League of Charter Schools
The Colorado League of Charter Schools is a nonprofit, membership-based organization that represents the interests of the state’s 261 charter schools and the families of the 130,000+ students who attend them, totaling 15% of public school students in the state. Our mission is to improve student achievement by supporting Colorado’s charter schools, positively reshaping the public-school landscape, and advancing opportunities for innovation and expanded choice. We want all Colorado students to have access to high-quality, publicly funded school options. More information is available at www.coloradoleague.org.
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