Denver Families’ 2024-25 Impact: Investing in Equity and Opportunity

From empowering community organizations to supporting diverse school communities, Denver Families took action to help our partners make systems-level changes in Denver’s public education landscape.

During the 2024-25 school year, Denver Families was proud to invest in schools, community-based organizations and initiatives that reflect our core values and drive our mission forward. 

We provided funding and strategic support to advocate for diverse schools and organizations, empower new community-driven schools, and support quality and equity throughout. 

Through these partnerships, we aimed to move the needle toward a more equitable public education system in Denver. 

Partners and Grantees

Explore a full list of our partners from this year, as well as some of the types of programs we supported: 

Advocacy Grantees

  • Compass Academy: Mental Health
  • Downtown Denver Expeditionary School: Mental Health
  • Ednium: Academics
  • FaithBridge: Academics, Mental Health, Safety
  • Girls Athletic Leadership Schools: Mental Health
  • The Ganas Network: Academics
  • Juntos Community: Academics
  • Montbello Organizing Committee: Academics, Mental Health, Safety
  • Omar D. Blair Charter School: Mental Health
  • Rose Community Foundation: General Advocacy
  • Stand for Children: Academics
  • Teach for America: Academics
  • Transform Education Now (TEN): Academics

New Community-Driven School Grantees

  • Mi Vida Academy

School Expansion Grantees

  • Downtown Denver Expeditionary School
  • French American School of Denver
  • Girls Athletic Leadership Schools
  • Highline Academy
  • Luminary Learning Network
  • Monarch Montessori Charter
  • Omar D. Blair Charter School
  • Radian (Design Support for Schools)
  • Rocky Mountain Prep 
  • Wyatt Academy

School Quality and Equity Grantees

  • The Conflict Center
  • School Board Partners
Student with cell phone in class

Cell Phones, Classrooms and Community Voice: What’s Happening in Denver Public Schools

If you are a Denver Public Schools (DPS) parent, educator or community member, you have probably heard the conversations already—at school pickup, in group chats or maybe around your kitchen table. What should schools do about cell phones? And who gets to decide? By July 1, 2026, House Bill 25-1135 requires every Colorado school district to adopt a formal policy that limits the use of smartphones and smartwatches by students during the school day. The goal of the legislation is

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