Educating Children of Color Summit empowers community

Adams 12 Five Star Schools represented at the 16th Annual Educating Children of Color Summit with about 50 students from 8th-12th grade and 15 staff. The event took place at Colorado College in Colorado Springs on Saturday, January 14. We learned about everything from budgeting to career exploration to emotional intelligence and cooking. The day was an opportunity for educators to improve our ability to retain and inspire our students of color and for students to learn about themselves while exploring higher education and careers. Two students (one at Northglenn MS and one at Northglenn HS) won a laptop at the end of the day.

The Educating Children of Color Summit provides a unique opportunity for educators, juvenile justice, and child welfare professionals to enhance their ability to retain and inspire the students they serve. It is also an opportunity for high school students to learn about themselves while they explore higher education. Finally, the Summit is an opportunity for parents to learn to communicate with schools and with their children to maximize their child’s success. Through professional registrations at the Summit, we award money to students to help defray the cost of higher education. This year, they will award $140,000 in scholarships and educational awards.  Over the last 15 years, ECOC has awarded more than $380,000 in scholarships and educational gifts as well as 21 laptops to students attending the Educating Children of Color Summit.

Hear what students and staff from the Five Star community had to say about the experience:

"My favorite part of today was getting to meet a new friend that goes to my school because I was scared that I wasn't going to have no one to talk to. Another part that was my favorite was taking blood out and giving a shot because I want to go into the medical field." - Chelsey Mosso Hernandez, 9th grade, Thornton High School

"Thinking about implicit bias through different cultural competence lenses, eradicating childhood homelessness so we can do better, and staying strong in a time of backlash, how to challenge the attack on racial equity and justice." - Diana Brooks, staff, Century Middle School

"I enjoyed the cooking session. It was cool to see and learn new techniques. It was also nice to try the food." - Carlos Fuentes, 10th grade, Northglenn High School

This story exemplifies our ELEVATE Focus Area: Diverse Learning. Sharing stories of how students receive engaging learning experiences and the focused-attention they need through appropriate student-to-staff ratios and varied programming.