In the News

As we head into next school year and the coming planning season, it can feel overwhelming to figure out a full year of programming. At PCS Edventures, we’ve created The Year of STEAM—a ready-made roadmap for engaging, easy-to-implement STEAM learning all year long. Book a consult with us to… Explore our hands-on, turn-key STEAM solutions for grades PK–12 Let us build you a custom STEAM program based on your needs Receive a free sample kit https://edventures.com/pages/stem-pr

Guest Post by CAP Board Member, Jen Harris Every June, a quiet crisis unfolds across Colorado. Schools close, working parents scramble, and hundreds of thousands of children find themselves without access to the enriching summer programs that could help them grow, stay safe, and stay on track. The data tell a stark story — and families are paying the price. The Demand Is Real, and It's Growing In 2019, more than 192,000 Colorado children wanted to be in a summer program but c

D2 Harrison Schools, Colorado Springs Kourtnie consistently demonstrates exceptional leadership in overseeing multiple programs while maintaining a strong focus on youth development, STEM engagement, and academic achievement—particularly in mathematics. Her ability to manage day-to-day operations across multiple sites with efficiency and consistency ensures that programs run smoothly while providing students with meaningful learning opportunities. A key strength of this super

Arapahoe Ridge Elementary BASE Program, Westminster I am honored to nominate our School Program Director, Michael Hart, for his outstanding leadership, unwavering dedication to children, and steadfast support of his team. His leadership sets the tone for a positive, inclusive, and high-quality program where students feel safe, valued, and inspired every day. He leads with integrity, vision, and consistency, always prioritizing what is best for the children and families we ser

Learn Fresh Learn Fresh is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing innovative STEM learning experiences that empower educators and inspire students. Through community, play, and rigorous exploration, we leverage students’ passion for sports and entertainment to inspire their STEM learning and foster essential life skills such as teamwork, resilience, and leadership. Our programs are explicitly focused on students living in low-income communities. We believe all studen

AllBoss is a turnkey program that teaches students more than entrepreneurship — it teaches the innovation process. Through a capped BossBuck classroom economy, students create products, test ideas, adapt quickly, and improve through iteration. They learn that no idea is final and that success comes through creativity, experimentation, and resilience. AllBoss is project-based, gamified, and designed to transform classrooms into innovation labs. Inspired by research on neurodiv

Kids At Their Best, Fort Morgan, CO Mariam consistently demonstrates exceptional dedication to youth, families, and their team by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where every child feels valued and supported. As a site leader, she has worked tirelessly to ensure that programming is accessible to all youth in the community, particularly those who may face language or cultural barriers. Through strong relationships with families and deep cultural understanding, Ma

Onward! School Community Youth Collaborative - Cortez, Colorado For many years, this program instructor has provided phenomenal music clubs for our youth, including Musical Theatre, Rock Band Club, Choir, and Ukulele. Andrew is a master teacher who utilizes an exceptional teaching toolkit to instruct students with musical knowledge, provide student leadership opportunities, and prepare students for public musical performances that continually wow our small community. Student

https://abstudios.com/

Best of Colorado Champion - Exceptional Supervisor - Mad Science Chawndee Dass "Our Operations Manager is truly the backbone of our afterschool and enrichment programs. She handles everything from instructor scheduling and material logistics to parent communications and program delivery, and she does it all with consistency, warmth, and professionalism. When our organization went through an ownership transition about a year and a half ago, she chose to stay on. That decision

Nominated March 10, 2026 Natalie is an absolute rising star in the OST field. She has been a part of our OST organization for several years, starting as a tutor, growing as a Program Activities Coordinator and then settling in as a manager at the same site for almost three years. The school site she manages has grown from a daily average attendance of 11 when she took over to 46 (with many days at 50+ kids attending). Her dedication to her students and staff, her love of midd

Nominated February 12th, 2026 Sarah Rostamo is being nominated for Outstanding Site Staff Member because she consistently strengthens both the daily experience of youth and the structural quality of programming across multiple sites. Her impact is felt in the studio, among her colleagues, and in the long-term growth of the program itself. As the lead instructor for most weekday classes at one location, she builds strong, authentic relationships with youth. Students gravitate

Nominated January 26, 2026 Leigh is the kind of BASE Director who makes everything feel steady, intentional, and genuinely caring, even on the hardest days. She leads with a rare mix of warmth and confidence, and it shows in how the program runs, how staff show up for kids, and how safe and welcomed families feel. Leigh is thoughtful, consistent, and always looking for ways to make the program better, whether that's improving communication, strengthening her team, or finding

Nominated March 16, 2026 Jodi has been a relentless advocate for ensuring that youth in rural communities have access to high-quality programming and opportunities that are often limited in smaller areas. Through persistence, strategic leadership, and deep community engagement, Jodi successfully secured a major grant that had never before been awarded in Northeastern Colorado. Despite numerous barriers and challenges that come with introducing new initiatives in rural communi

Fernanda, 8, says she participates in soccer, Lego, STEM, Spelling Bee and board games in Central Elementary's after-school program is in session. Commerce City, Dec. 10, 2025. PC: Jenny Brundin/CPR News. Colorado lawmakers are considering deep funding cuts to two of the state’s only dedicated after-school grant programs, a move advocates say could harm thousands of the state’s most vulnerable students. The proposed cuts come despite a new report showing that three out of f

Preparing children and adolescents for safe and healthy futures requires early planning and development to provide them with the knowledge and skills to make healthy choices and reject harmful behavior. The evidence-based Too Good programs combine an engaging, interactive learning model with a rigorous prevention education framework to foster that development. The self-efficacy and interpersonal skills developed at the core of each Too Good program build and reinforce

AllBoss Club is Effective, Fun, and Easy to Implement Right “Out-of-the-Box” Entrepreneurship initiatives can be challenging to...

About STEM Center USA STEM Center USA is shaping the future of STEM leaders through hands-on, individualized PK-12 STEM programs. Founded...

At Colorado Afterschool Partnership, we know that our programs thrive because of the dedicated individuals who go above and beyond for...

Monte Vista Kids Connection: Empowering Youth with Independence, Creativity, and Support At Monte Vista Kids Connection, our mission is...