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LOCAL
DU professor helps trauma victims recover
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After her 15-year-old son survived the Columbine shootings in 1999, Carolyn Mears wanted to learn more to help others who have faced tragedy and trauma.
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LOCAL
Hybl honored with 2014 Community Enrichment Award The Mizel Institute has named William J. Hybl the recipient of its 2014 Community Enrichment Award.
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BUSINESS
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Garcia’s Restaurant: The fresh tradition in Mexican food Garcia’s Restaurant in DTC has delighted both locals and visitors since opening in 1984.
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D I S P A T C H
Su Teatro earns grant
January 2, 2014
www.HDnewspaper.com
Vol. 93 No. 02
For Su Teatro, fundraising means long-term sustainability, which makes the programmatic work possible. David Carrasco rallies the shepherds in Su Teatro’s current production of La Pastorela. Photo courtesy of Valeriana Sloan
Community First Foundation gives $10,000 Community First Foundation provided a $10,000 matching grant to Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center for its endowment fund. The nonprofit organization’s endowment allows it to continue its mission to promote, produce,
develop and preserve the cultural arts, heritage, and traditions of the Chicano/Latino community. “We are pleased to provide this matching grant to Su Teatro, which has partnered with Community First Foundation on its endowment since 2004,” said Mike Jackson, director of nonprofit relations of Community First Foundation. “Endowment building for nonprofits in the
Metro Denver is one of the Foundation’s highest priorities. We believe financially strong and stable nonprofits help build stronger communities.” Su Teatro began in 1971 as a student-organized theater group at the University of Colorado at Denver. Over the past 40 years, the organization has established a national reputation for homegrown productions that speak to
the history and experience of Chicanos. The organization recently engaged in a three-month endowment fundraising campaign. By generating $20,000 in donations, Su Teatro qualified for a 50 cent match from Community First Foundation for every dollar raised. “Our endowment with Community First Foundation helps strengthen the underlying enterprise of Su Teatro,” said Tony
Garcia, executive artistic director. “Through our growing endowment, we are able to attain security and stability. This allows us to fulfill a larger vision – to be proactive and innovative and radically expand our ability to fill a need in the community.” Su Teatro Cultural and Performing Arts Center is one of more than 70 nonprofit endowments at Community First Foundation.
DPS announces summer instructional program for struggling readers Aimed at improving reading skills and closing achievement gap
Denver Public Schools announced its launch of a new summer school reading program for young students who are struggling to read at grade level. The summer literacy program is funded by the Colorado READ Act, which provides resources to school districts to implement targeted intervention supports for students who are reading below grade level, many of whom come from lowincome households. In school year 2012-2013, roughly 50 percent of DPS’ third-grade students who qualify for free or reduced lunch were reading at grade level, compared to 83 percent of students who do not come from low-income households. “The achievement gap between our students from low-income
households and our more affluent students is unacceptable, and we must provide critical supports for our struggling readers,” DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg said during a visit to Valdez Elementary School in northwest Denver. “Reading at grade level at third-grade is such a critical benchmark for future success in school, and offering extra time and instructional support during the summer months for our struggling readers will help raise achievement and get many more of our students on track and more confident in their reading and learning skills.” The Colorado READ Act
provides resources to school districts through per-student intervention funding based on the number of students identified with significant reading deficiencies. Currently, DPS has more than 6,000 students in kindergarten through third-grade who are not reading at grade level. The Summer Literacy School Program will provide these students who are significantly behind in reading the opportunity to receive additional instructional supports to help bring them to grade level. The program will work in alignment with DPS’ English-Language Acquisition Academy, which also operates during the summer
months to support English-language learners. “We’re very pleased to be able to offer this additional instructional opportunity to our families, and we’re confident it will have a big impact on student achievement,” DPS Board of Education Member Barbara O’Brien said. “Research shows that students in the thirdgrade who read at grade level are much more likely to stay at grade level and be on track to graduate high school on time.” School districts are allowed to use READ Act funds in a variety of ways, including operating a summer school literacy program, providing full-day kindergarten, purchasing tutoring services in reading and providing intervention services. With the implementation of the Summery Literacy School Program, DPS will be offering all of the intervention supports under the Colorado READ Act.