Great Things Happen When Communities Come Together
by Mike Davis, Ph.D.
Head of School
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When a community comes together for a cause, great things happen.
Community support is part of the business model behind our Horizons Program at Colorado Academy. Horizons serves approximately 150 at-risk, low-income students of all ages from Denver Public Schools. CA’s chapter of this national entity was launched on our campus 18 years ago. Like the 42 other Horizons organizations nationwide, this chapter benefits from its operation on a private school campus. Yet, each Horizons chapter is financially self-sustaining and funds teacher salaries, educational materials, and experiential education opportunities. The cost of providing this year-round program is $2,200 per student.
On February 19, more than 300 people turned out to support the chapter’s annual Wine & Dine event (Click here for a photo gallery). This event is key to providing the lion’s share of our chapter’s annual operating costs. CA parent volunteers, employees, our families, and Horizons families worked together to make this Wild West- themed event possible. It was an incredible success. Thank you to all those who worked the event, donated auction items, provided delicious food, or attended in support of these kids.
For nearly two decades, Horizons has been CA’s institutional commitment to serving the broader community. Our students are sometimes their students; our teachers often work in the summer Horizons program, and our students and parents donate time, talent, and resources. It is so rewarding, as we are now watching as some of our earliest Horizons students graduate from college.
Horizons provides engaging instruction in reading and math during a six-week enrichment program during the summer, with project-based learning, experiences in the arts and athletics, swimming instruction, two meals per day, and transportation, and college incentives. Research shows low-income students lose more than two months in reading achievement over the summer months, while their middle-class peers make slight gains (Cooper, 1996). Not only does this program arrest the “summer slide,” but students in the Horizons Program gain, on average, 3.5 to 4 months in math and reading skills in the summer program.
Horizons students respond by coming back in overwhelming numbers every summer; we have a 94% retention rate from year-to-year, and CA’s program maintained a 97% attendance rate during the summer of 2014.
Soon, the Horizons staff will begin preparations for the summer of 2015, and they couldn’t do it without your help.
Soon, the Horizons staff will begin preparations for the summer of 2015, and they couldn’t do it without your help.
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