As hard as we all might try, few people will forget where they were in March of 2020, when the world was suddenly shutdown by the Coronavirus pandemic.
As Denver Kids stepped into this new decade, we could have never expected the dramatic shift in how students must learn. Throughout the first 2 years of the 2020s, Denver Kids stood by students navigating remote learning, technology access needs, and restricted social practices. In addition, students weathered continual shifts in educational funding and resources. The current decade tested everyones resilience and adaptability, which was particularly challenging for students, many of whom were learning these skills for the first time.
We're proud of our staff and students, who leaned into the long-term trust and connection we have built with our families to serve these new needs and create a bridge between school and home, providing resources and support through the pandemic.
The early 2020s were also defined by national political instability and conversations surrounding police brutality, the politics of identity, and the safety of communities of color. Though movements such as Black Lives Matter and rallies against spikes in Asian American and Pacific Islander related hate crimes, many of our students were empowered to speak up. Denver Kids stood alongside students as they spoke at rallies and used their voices.
In order to continue serving students more effectively, Denver Kids once again made program model shifts to specifically serve the students of the 2020s. The Denver Kids merger with Denver Urban Scholars in 2019 served as a catalyst to transition into a deep-school program model, with the eventual goal of Advisors serving students in 1-3 schools rather than many schools. This way, Denver Kids is better able to maintain and deepen relationships with students as well as school partners.
The 2019 merger with Denver Urban Scholars also revived the vision of serving students post graduation. Denver Kids launched the Youth Pathways Postsecondary Program (YP3) in 2024, which provides students with one year of additional support after high school graduation. We received funding to hire a full-time YP3 Advisor, who maintains relationships with students no matter what pathway they choose. Whether their path is university, technical college, the military, or starting a career, the Denver Kids YP3 program supports students every step of the way.
Through the rollercoaster ride of the last 6 years, Denver Kids once again saw the importance of a continued commitment to social-emotional learning (SEL) with our students through the creation and use of the THRIVES Framework. This framework stands for Trusted relationships, Holistic support, Recognizing strengths, Intentional validation, Vocational exploration, Educational success, and Skill application. It is a progressive, student-centered approach designed to partner with students, their families, and the community. Through this model, clear language was created for students and Advisors alike to identify progress.
Within this framework, Denver Kids also developed the Social-Emotional Learning Focus Areas (SELFA) snapshot, a tool to better measure SEL growth in students. These measured focus areas are grouped into 3 developmental domains: Rooted Balance, Empowered Insight, and Collective Connectivity. Within these, Denver Kids tracks specific progress over a student's time in the program in 6 focus areas: Wisdom, Empower, Connect, Collab, Discover, and Senses. This model has provided the organization not only with more tangible evidence of program success, but also aids Advisors and students with a common language for identifying key areas for growth.
As we celebrate our 80 year legacy, Denver Kids has taken time to reflect on our history and all of the students, staff, and community members that came before us. So, in 2025, we launched an Alumni Program to keep past students connected to the work of Denver Kids. This program aims to bridge our history with the present day, further connect community members, and serve as a resource for current students.
Interested in learning more about Denver Kids history? Check out previous decade highlights at DenverKids.org/News, or find our 80 year timeline here: DenverKids.Org/80Years.
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