Colorado Academy Upper School students, Piper Bittman ’16, Loida Luna ’16 and Claire Greydanus ’17, all volunteers or interns for the Horizons at CA Program, have launched a student club for Horizons. Co-founder Bittman says, “We started the club because we really wanted the chance to show more CA students what this program really does. Most students know there is a Horizons program during the summer, and some students volunteer, but there are so many activities that they can participate in during the year as well. Our main goal is for kids to help other kids,” she says.

 

Horizons is student enrichment program that serves 140 underprivileged youth from Denver Public Schools. It operates on CA’s campus on many Saturdays throughout the year and for six weeks each summer. The program is entering its nineteenth year at CA. Students in the program would typically lose up to three months of academic growth due to summer latency, but as a result of their participation in Horizons, they gain on average up to three or four months of academic growth in literacy and math.

 

This student-driven club at CA serves many purposes, ranging from planning year-round programs and Super Saturday activities to visiting Horizons students during the school year at their home DPS schools in Denver’s Westwood neighborhood.

 

CA students often apply for summer work with Horizons, either as volunteers or interns. Last summer, 15 CA students worked in the program, and already 30 CA high school students have signed up to participate in the Horizons club. Cofounder Claire Greydanus says the club grew from their partiality for the program. “We share the same love of working with the Horizons students, and also we noticed a need for the club within the school community. So many CA students have worked for, or are currently involved in Horizons that that we really wanted to have a platform to integrate the two student bodies.”

 

Bittman says, “Having a program like this at Colorado Academy is extremely rewarding, because not only can it help low-income youth, but I think it changes the CA students as well… I think having this program allows kids to step in another person’s shoes, which is a unique opportunity.” She says, “I have worked with Horizons for seven years, but by far the most rewarding experience has been seeing the development from even just a week of Horizons. Over the summer, I was able to work four of the six weeks and from day one to the last day, the improvements in the students were unbelievable. The kids who were originally too timid to get in the water [as part of Horizons’ swimming program] on the first day, couldn’t wait to jump in the deep end every chance they got. It is so rewarding to see the kids grow up throughout the summer and then to keep the connections with them throughout the school year.”