Image courtesy of Wee Folk, Graphic editing by De La Vaca

America’s education system is mired in antiquity. What would happen to students if we stuck to one philosophy? Or, instead of the band aid approach to student struggles of more classes, more work, and more pressure, what if we advocated a slower experience in settings that foster the child? The schools in Colorado—charter and public —know what this looks like.

Thanks to Colorado’s open enrollment policy, parents have a choice. They have a choice to find the thing that will allow their child(ren) to thrive and leverage that via school pedagogy. A choice to find the school that’s best for their child(ren) to grow and succeed, but that means digging into the various pedagogies (the methods and practices of teaching) that are available to you here in Colorado, so you can make the best informed choice for educating your child, to find a teaching style that teaches as they best learn.

Every child is different, despite the US using the 1800’s Prussian “factory model”. We can all picture the model: it looks like one teacher, stressed and overloaded (not to mention underpaid), teaching upwards of 30 students to read, write, and repeat in preparation of responding to test questions and regurgitating the same exact material as their peers, with the same exact comprehension. This seemed like the fastest and most effective way for youth to adapt to the rapidly industrializing 20th century.

In 1852, Horace Mann, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Massachusetts and Massachusetts State Board of Education board member, was involved in the adoption of this model in his state. The 20th century saw progressive education evolve and protests broke out  for more individuality and creativity. These demands were balanced with the demands of the factory education system.

But if this is how our schools are operate and how our students are taught, who do we point fingers at when we’re looking for outside-of-the-box thinkers for a world grown incredibly complex? How do we find unique answers when each generation is taught to think like everyone else?

Colorado classrooms are changing. They’re innovative, progressive, and effective. One thing that makes Colorado compartively unique is that we take local control seriously. It’s written into our constitution: it’s not possible for state legislature to pass any policy that mandates school curriculum. We follow Colorado Academic Standards, adopted in 2009, which in simple terms lays out the skills and knowledge that kids should have mastered by completion of each grade level. Each school and local district creates a curriculum that will teach their students accordingly.

How Do We Actually Learn

Going to school is about learning—and let’s face it, we are born with (metaphorically) wide eyes, curious about how the world works. Kids want to learn. It’s about how they are taught to learn that determines if they are engaged or not. And if they are not engaged with the material, it probably doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with them. There is something fundamentally wrong with the one-size-fits-all, strict curriculum approach. That’s not how humans learn.

This education model seems to make sense on paper, espciallyy becuase so many of us already endured it. It’s normalized. But not all of us will succeed in this model; in fact, many actively reject it. To put that negative educational outcome into perspective, Mental Floss reports that “One-third of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives. 42 percent of college graduates never read another book after college. 70 percent of U.S. adults have not been in a bookstore in the last five years.” Why? We all remember the kid who seemed to hate school, but did they actually hate learning? That same kid who hated school became a badass mechanic, or opened a business, or excelled the arts, or understood computers and started Facebook. These skills are all things that are learned, many outside of the limited spectrum of traditional education. They loved learning.

“Of all the things we teach our kids, the most important is love of learning,” says Colorado Department of Education (CDE) President, Kerrie Dallman. “Students and educators have lost too much time for learning in a system that attempted to measure student and school progress almost exclusively on standardized test scores. Schools have cut into recess time and other critical pieces of a well-rounded education, such as art, PE, music and foreign language, in a misguided obsession with raising scores.”

Multiple Intelligence Theory (M.I.T.) is a real thing. You’ve  may have heard of it because it became popular in the early 90’s. Harvard University’s Howard Gardner “identified seven distinct intelligences. This theory has emerged from … cognitive research and ‘documents the extent to which students possess different kinds of minds and therefore learn, remember, perform, and understand in different ways,’ according to Gardner”[see box].

The intersection of learning and learning styles is one that, predicated on the traditional factory education mentality, left many by the wayside. Students who often seemed incapable, who underperformed, who were constantly distracted, who couldn’t keep up, or who’s input wasn’t accepted in the rigid systems of yore were not failing; they were being failed. This distinction is crucial. While academia learned this lesson in the 90’s, education is still catching up at the human level.

M.I.T., via Gardner, et al

International Ideas:

FINLAND

Finnish students consistently turn in some of the highest test scores in the world, without teaching to the test. Say what?

“Finland has ranked at or near the top in all three competencies on every survey since 2000, neck and neck with superachievers such as South Korea and Singapore,” on the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), according to findings by the Atlantic. American student performance has been middling at best. In the last PISA in 2015, Finland ranked nearly 30 schools above the U.S.

There are quite a few major pedagogical differences in Finland, with different outcomes as well [see box]. Focused on less homework and more creative play, the key in Finland is equality; an idea America claims to enshrine in every facet of civil life but which we find oddly lacking in our education systems. There are no private schools in Finland. Only a small number of independent schools exist in Finland, and they are all publicly financed. There are no private universities, either. This means that practically every person in Finland attends public schoo throughout.

Also, “Finland has no standardized tests [and] what matters is that in Finland all teachers and administrators are given prestige, decent pay, and a lot of responsibility,” the oft cited opposite of what America offers.

Ed Compare, US v Finland, YS Magazine

Standardized Testing

America has  played along with the “more testing to make kids smarter” for far too long; a $4.35 billion “Race to the Top” and our students are still at the bottom while “No Child Left Behind” left core pieces of education, and the students themselves, behind. An overload of standardized testing only paralyzes students with unnecessary layers of stress.

Standardized testing is a strategy to measure our students, but, it’s important to ask, is it an impediment  to  implementing effective learning strategies? The data doesn’t lie: PISA is taken by over half a million 15-year-olds every three years around the country, so we can compare apples to apples. The most recent assessment in 2015 showed the U.S. lagging behind the top 10 in all three core subjects: science, math, and reading.

“Teaching basic skills will always be part of the equation, but school is a place where discovery happens, where educators inspire a student’s natural curiosity and desire to learn,” says Dallman. “Students are more than a score, yet Colorado still tests our students more than what is required by federal law. We call on state lawmakers to further reduce testing requirements and get accountability right in a way that will benefit students.”

238 Charter Schools… Up and Coming

In Colorado, many alternative charter schools are implementing the techniques that some public schools often lack: warmth, collaboration, individuality, creativity, passion and free time, and deeper immersion. We have one of the oldest charter school laws in the country, which was active in 1993 (some states don’t allow charter schools or have implemented a cap). Colorado’s charter schools serve nearly 115,000 students—13 percent of Colorado’s public school enrollment. These schools are already demonstrating what progressive education can look like, says Leslie Colwell, Vice President of Colorado Children’s Campaign.

“When it comes to public school choice as a mechanism to create high quality school options for kids, I think Colorado, nationally, is looked to as a leader. We have a lot of really strong public charter school networks that have dramatically transformed and changed outcomes for kids.”

US News & World Report recently released the top schools in the state, in terms of performance, and guess what? Seven of the top Colorado high schools were charter public schools.

Courtesy of Watershed

But What Does an Education Revolution Actually Look Like?

Revolution looks like valuing the whole child. It looks like wellbeing. It looks unstructured (in the best way). It looks like a balance of control—kids having some control over how they learn and teachers having (at least some) control over curriculum. Most importantly, it looks like education. Again, thanks to local control and the general standards CDE holds, they have this freedom.

And what has Colorado come up with to address the shortfalls of traditional schools? What pedagogical orientations are employed throughout our region?

Being Outdoors

Courtesy of Wee Folk Forest Kindergarten

Wee Folk Forest Kindergarten in Boulder is inspired by Finland’s techniques and Germany’s outdoor forest preschools. School is held outside—rain or shine, or snow for Colorado’s sake. Elizabeth Uhrich, Director, is passionate about progressive education and about connecting kids with nature in order to learn.

Wee Folk is unstructured, but students are guaranteed to learn lessons throughout the day by letting nature take its course. Uhrich says by changing the curriculum to follow the interest of the child, opportunities arise naturally. When I visited them, students were sitting on tree stumps around a fire that they built. This activity creates a sense of self-sufficiency. Normally, this wouldn’t be done because it’s seen as too dangerous. Instead, students are trusted and given new skills.

The kind of environment Wee Folk is in has a calming effect on the nervous system. Spending time outdoors reminds students that we are connected with nature; we are not a separate entity that dominates nature. Instances of ADHD in later years are not as common in German forest schools.

“When you set up an educational model, what you should be asking is, ‘what does our world need most?’ And then building your model based on your answer. If what our world needs most is creative thinkers —people who start from their heart, people who are connected to the world so they don’t end up wanting to destroy it—those are really good places to start. Keeping the human spirit alive,” Uhrich says.

“A love of the Earth, love of nature, and a strong sense of oneself” are top skills learned in this kind of environment, according to Uhrich, as well as critical thinking skills such as cooperative play, learning, and being curious.

“Before the age of seven, everything that’s done with the child should be to emphasize goodness, so they feel the world is good, they are good, other people are good. That’s really the template you want for the rest of life. Then, later on, you’ll know.”

Boulder Sudbury is another great school for this model. At Sudbury, “freedom is not only supported, it is nourished in a safe environment where all are treated as equals, where children and teens are treated as people.” This is the idea of a democratic school that fosters independence, self reliance, and coordination with peers and adults. “

“Children and teens observed in an environment where they are democratically free are seen to embody human nature without overt conditioning, engaging curiosity without unsubstantiated judgment, and a social relatedness unaffected by age-based segregation,” the Boulder Sudbury web page points out. This is a project of harmonizing education with the whole child.

Deeper Immersion

Watershed, a charter school in Boulder, is proud that their students will never sit in class and wonder, “When will I use this in real life?” They connect their education with real-world problems. For instance, they have expedition classes where English, history, and science are taught in a connective way that begins with a real question such as, “how does water shape the world?” They take this education model seriously: in the heat of debate over President Trump’s immigration ban, they took a field trip to the U.S.-Mexico Border for eight days.

“A deeper learning strategy is really promising,” says School Head, Greg Bamford. “That longer block of time makes it easier for students to go off campus and do hands on work. It allows you to find connection between different disciplines which fosters higher level critical thinking skills. It allows students to be the center of their learning.”

Watershed doesn’t rely on standardized testing and they also trust their teachers to create the curriculum.

“Often what can happen in school is that students can feel really crammed to cover material rather than go deep,” says Bamford. “But the other thing that can happen is that students can be disconnected from any larger purpose or meaning. Young people crave and need purpose and meaning. When we can give them the opportunity to go really deep into a subject and to really pursue questions that they’re interested in, that fosters [the whole person].”

Student Involvement

Courtesy of Boulder Prep High School

Ideally, every high school is preparing students for the world, but Boulder Prep High School makes it a point to focus on the bigger picture—not founded on the memorization or regurgitation of information, they want their students to focus on deeper meaning and nuanced connections.

Boulder Prep, a micro-school (less than 100 students), is one that stands out. First of all, with an average 12:1 student-teacher ratio, students here have the privilege of more close discussion, analysis, and project-based learning. They operate with 8-week blocks and 3-week breaks, so students are never more than two months from vacation.

Each day begins with “Stories,” a 20-minute block where a staff member, student, or guest shares a story that is motivational or thought provoking to get students’ brains warmed up for the day.

On Fridays, they have a comprehensive life skills program where students choose from a variety of workshops: Gender Pay Inequalities, Finding Your Passion, the Power of Positive Thinking, Ornament Making, Choir, and Hiking, to name a few. A few sound weird and you’re wondering what the point is, but learning is a complicated thing; tactile learning and design (i.e. ornament making) is as important as math or sports. Fridays end with a “put-up” circle where someone is recognized by the school for something positive.

As a charter school, they are also free to design their own classes. They base their classes on topics the students expressed interest in, like History of Hip Hop, Social Movements, Bioethics, US History Hamilton Era, Gothic Literature, Climate Fiction, Video Game Design, Philosophy of Star Trek, Trapeze, West African Drumming, and Film Making. Their students are included in major decisions at the school (calendar, schedule, curriculum). Student opinions are not ignored. Any sense of hierarchy is stripped—all students and staff go by first names.

Something radically different from their regular schedule is their Intensive Program. Students get a new class each week for eight weeks. They take one class for four days—meeting a little over five hours each day—and then it’s over. This has provided exceptional immersion in each class. Students performed 20 percent better in intensive classes as compared to their 90-minute block classes.

Boulder Prep recognizes that many students struggle with anxiety and stress, especially in school settings. Their learning environment reflects what they believe students need: warmth, feeling welcomed, and non-judgment. Failure is encouraged as part of the learning process, as failure is no stranger in life after school.

“The relationships are also important because our students are coming to school with a lot of baggage,” says Lili Adeli, Headmaster. “Life is complicated, so they lean on staff for social and emotional suppor. Teaching is more than just academics; it’s about nurturing the whole person. If a student is struggling emotionally, they won’t be able to focus on class content. We have to help get them stabilized and primed for learning.”

These reform efforts change the  school world for students, which is needed considering 13.36 percent of waking hours are spent in school by age 18, not counting homework.

Working With Constraints

Teachers are in a tough bind. In some schools, they are hamstringed with red tape and regulations. Pressure to meet demands of the curriculum holds many back from being able to make time to foster students’ spirits.

The grass, however, isn’t always greener on the other side. In Colorado, public schools are also making an effort to innovate new techniques in what we teach students. Since 2008, Colorado has moved forward with several reform efforts including: Colorado’s Achievement Plan for Kids (CAP4K), The Education Accountability Act, and The Great Teachers and Great Leaders Act.

One reform effort that benefited students is the TIME Collaborative. This means using school hours as effectively as possible. BVSD superintendent Cindy Stevenson says, “I don’t think free time is what schools should be doing. Schools need to do continuous review of their use of time and modify that use so that students have maximum learning time.”

For instance, Escuela Bilingüe Pioneer, a Boulder Valley dual-language immersion school, worked with TIME Collaborative to add 45 minutes of personal learning time for English language students. Pioneer also added an optional enrichment block at the end of the school day for Zumba, soccer, chemistry, knitting and other creative activities. Adding more hours to the day sounds like overkill, but every extra minute of these activities teaches kids how to love learning.

Colorado also has a really robust concurrent enrollment. Several districts have experimented with an apprentice model; students get credit for not only sitting in on AP class, but have the opportunity to experience internships and employment in high school. Some kids are even able to graduate high school with an associate degree.

It doesn’t stop there. Most recently, special education could take a turn for the better as well. Coloradans are rallying around U.S. Representative, 2nd District of Colorado, Jared Polis’s new legislation to fully fund special education—this is another step in the right direction that will allow teachers to teach their students with disabilities effectively, with the resources and support they need.

The Most Special Education

“Education is the single best investment we can make in our future, but for decades we have underfunded our public schools,” said Polis in a press release. “Our failure to fully fund special education has left too many students without the tools they need to succeed and dramatically impacted school budgets.  All students in the U.S., regardless of ability, have the right to a top-notch education.  Meeting the needs of all students should not be an unfunded mandate. Schools should have the resources to meet the learning needs of all students. It’s time for Congress to fulfill its commitment to all students.”

The Defending Special Education Students and Families Act (DSESF) fully funds the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). When IDEA was introduced in 1975, Congress committed to contributing 40 percent but currently covers less than 16 percent. Without proper funding, districts have had to cut or underpay teachers and saddle districts with the burden to cover 70 percent of the costs.

Special education deserves to have the same support as other education programs. Students with special needs are not always understood. If schools separate students with special needs from classmates, they can feel isolated or “othered.” Hence, there are multiple schools in the area that can really hone in on theses students’ individual needs. The Temple Grandin School is one that shines. The school is inspired by Temple Grandin herself—a doctor of animal science at CSU who is, herself, on the autism spectrum. The students at Temple Grandin, grades 6-12, are accepted, enabled to reach their full potential and share the challenge of belonging with class sizes of 4 to 8 students. Temple Grandin strives to see their students as individuals, to never limit  potential, to teach students to be proud of their strengths and gifts, and to help students find the courage to address challenges, all in a supportive academic and social environment for learning. Most critically, autism is not seen as something to be fixed, but to be nurtured and celebrated.

To The Future

As Colorado continues innovating and challenging the factory educational process with a progressive pedagogical orientation, other states will follow. Parents: you can choose from public charter schools, progressive schools within districts, and more specialized private schools. You have the power to know your child and provide them the education that will help them succeed.

Watch your child(ren). Find out how they feel through the day. Discover the aspects of learning that make their eyes go wide, that make them want to dig deeper. Then find the school that will help your child excel.

America’s educators needs to remember that a narrow definitions of success, grades and numbers don’t describe who each student is and what kind of student they are. Sstudents want to learn. We just have to teach them; really teach them.  

Courtesy of Colorado Children’s Campaign

The post In the Service of Students: Educational Options in CO appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The depression of winter light is real. Seriously; it’s called Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.). It’s so important to get out of bed and get moving to keep our bodies and minds healthy and alive. Winter workouts are crucial not only to keep off the fluff of winter weight, but to trigger chemical releases that help with the lows of winter. DEFINE mind + body studio does just that. The workouts at DEFINE keeps everyone on their toes.

DEFINE mind + body is a franchise that opened its doors in Boulder on Dec. 2, just in time for us to feel our absolute best and fill some New Year’s’ resolutions. They’ve had a great first month with interest from CU students and people who just happen to walk by and are intrigued enough to stop in.

Ally Romlin, DEFINE Boulder Owner

DEFINE studio owner and healthy life enthusiast, Ally Robson Romlin, has the passion and skill set to help create a balanced life for those brave enough to walk in.

It’s all about creating balance. Balance in your life and in your workout routine. Their motto is strength, length, and balance, which they incorporate into five different class formats: barre, cycling, yoga, trampoline, and hammock workouts (yes, a nice, flowy hammock serves as a workout – go find out how). They believe these forms of exercise work synergistically and impact both, state of mind and wellbeing. And their workouts aren’t solely focused on looking good – but feeling good and making workouts effective, sustainable, fun, and most importantly, balanced.

The idea behind DEFINE began in Houston, Texas, in 2009. All American diver athlete Henry Richardson was riddled with injuries and couldn’t do the hardcore workouts that he was used to doing. It was when he was involved with Teach for America and living in New York when he started doing a lot of yoga and fell in love with low impact exercise that didn’t threaten chronic discomfort. He made his way back to Houston (where he’s from) for business school and that was when a professor asked what his business concept was. He was inspired by the words “define your life” and walked out of class, got a patent for the name and hit the ground running from there, as told by Romlin. His partner, Erin O’Leary Stewart whose background is in nutrition and culinary arts, came in and introduced natural, antioxidant-rich foods. She brought the food and health and wellness side into the mix. Today, there are about 25 franchises, including one in the Denver area.

Sustainability is the foundation of DEFINE’s holistic approach to working out. Because it is low impact, it is sustainable. It’s not Cross Fit where you’re gonna tear something, or Orange Theory where you’re gonna fall off the treadmill (we’ve all heard the horror stories!). The whole concept is that DEFINE’s workouts are sustainable and possible to do for the rest of your life.

Each class, no matter what type, always has an element of mind and strength. For instance, in the cycling classes, weights and pushups on the bike are involved. It sounds aggressive, but to incorporate upper body work while working out your legs breaks up the monotony of the class and adds even more to the workout. Then, all classes are finished with a breathing exercise.

“Taking a breath is to take a moment to appreciate what you’ve done,” says Romlin. “We rush around in the world and its important to always take that moment to say ‘yes I’ve done something great for myself’ and reconnect mentally back to your body.”

DEFINE Cyclin

Music is used to bring the workouts to life. The vibrations perk the class up and each song has a specific goal such as a resistance challenge, working on your abdominal or upper body, or a cardio challenge where the pace is faster. Clients are in and out of their sattle every other song. The workouts are structured, yet can also be personalized for every client’s personal goals and achieving their own definition of success.

“I love being a boutique studio and giving more attention to clients,” says Romlin. “In a big box gym, I think you kind of get lost in the group fitness classes. Here, you can spend more one-on-one time with clients and really help them get to their goals and be part of the motivation to get them in here every day. Building that sense of community people enjoy and it helps motivate them to stay in their workout regime.”

The benefits, physically and mentally, translate to everything in life. The cardio allows you to sustain the outdoor activities you enjoy. Strength is wonderful for body alignment; the better body alignment you have means the better you feel and the less issues that can arise. Body alignment also equally creates balance in the front and back side of the body.

In the hammock classes, clients take advantage of stretching, flexibility, and breathing. These acts have circulation benefits such as allowing blood to rush in different directions. The hammock exercises create length in your muscles which let you work out harder and longer. Stretching in the hammock still requires the use of core and balancing. Imagine doing a lunge in the hammock – hammocks aren’t just for sitting back! Then, there is time in the hammock where you melt and calm your mind; intense and calm.

Mind Hamock

Keeping workouts fresh in the winter changes everything. To motivate clients, DEFINE likes to offer as many challenges, themed events, and additional classes as they can. One class is called a 30-30-30 where there are 30 minutes of rep, body, and mind back to back. This helps people who are intimidated by the other class types get a taste of what each is like. Challenges help because who doesn’t like competition? Competition is just one of those things that kick you in the butt and motivate you to work. DEFINE says it’s a matter of creating a concept or challenge in the harsher winter months to encourage people to continue to come in.

The vision of the brand as a whole is to help people become their absolute best.

“When I taught barre previously, I loved connecting with the clients and seeing someone’s life totally change when they find a fitness or workout routine, especially if they’ve been in a spot where they don’t feel good about themselves or their bodies,” says Romlin. “They just have these aha! moments and it’s so amazing to help someone get there. That’s how I feel about fitness. Being in my 20’s and finding what I love and what works makes me happy. It makes me a better person in my personal life and professional life and I want to share that with other people.”

The current membership specials DEFINE has going on is a $99 special, which is $250 actual value. This gives you the opportunity to come in and try every type of class, unlimited. They are also offering a couple of discounts: 20 percent off retail, 10 percent off foods online, and free shoe rentals.

There’s no reason not to define yourself. If you’re looking for a way to actually implement the whole “New Year, New Me” plan, DEFINE body + mind studio is a great place to start.

DEFINE Team

The post Define yourself: Boulder’s new DEFINE mind + body appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

All of the sensations that come with the holiday season are returning: The warmth of gratitude in the belly, the it’s-been-too-long bear hugs from loved ones, the welcome crispness in the air and, admittedly, the little kid in us ready to salivate over gifts. Do you think everyone feels like this? We sure do hope so.

As one of the happiest, wealthiest, and most educated cities, we, sadly, lack a culture of giving. In 2015, The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported that Colorado has the lowest giving ratio compared to our neighbor states. Out of 64 Colorado counties, BOCO crept away with its tail between its legs, with a ranking of 44. Let’s do better this year.

Take a moment, think of those in need. To them, the holidays may be lonelier and the crisp in the air more biting. Giving this holiday season can be exhilarating and sharing a small act of kindness can go a long way. You may help a single mom support her kids, or a child who can’t remember the feeling of having enough. No matter what you donate, giving back matters. You have the goodness in your heart to do good. If you feel inspired (which I’m confident you will), make giving into a holiday tradition.

BOULDER COUNTY AIDS PROJECT

BCAP has several upcoming holiday events as well as a list of item that the community can help with to improve the lives of people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS. Every November, BCAP puts together a holiday food drive to provide meals to homes impacted by HIV. Holiday baskets include donations of turkey or ham, cranberry sauce, canned or fresh sweet potatoes or yams, canned corn, green beans, bags of stuffing, pie shells and cans of pumpkin. Gift cards to local grocery stores and fresh fruits and vegetables are also appreciated for families who don’t celebrate traditional holidays. BCAP also operates two food pantries that rely on donations to remain full with nutritious foods which are especially important for supporting a diet infected by HIV or AIDS. They have a list of things they need year-round online. Personal hygiene and cleaning supplies such as shampoo, soap, deodorant and toilet paper, are always wanted, Executive Director Ana Hopperstad emphasizes. She also suggests that gas cards or bus booklets are exceptionally helpful so clients can get to their medical appointments.

On Dec. 2, local radio station KBCO sell the years’ worth of live studio recordings in a one-of-a-kind CD which is called the KBCO Studio C CD release. BCAP is a beneficiary of this event. The community can help by purchasing the CD or volunteering.

Two more holiday events are BCAP’s World AIDS Day Concert on Dec. 3 and the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus on Dec. 8. The holidays brings out the caroler in everyone, so why not attend either of these concerts and sing along to support BCAP. Tickets will be available on BCAP’s website.

IMAGINE!

Serving all ages with developmental disabilities, these people are creating a world of opportunity for all abilities. All year long, they work to provide educational and therapeutic services, job training and placement, recreation and leisure activities, behavioral health services, support and much more.

Imagine! Holds an annual gift giving drive that lives through the generosity of the community. In the office, they put up a tree sculpture (about the middle of November) with specific gift tags for each individual. If you can’t make it to the office, they also have wish list
that you can check out online. They ask for all types of gifts from iPads, books
and games, to couches, kitchen sets and bedding for their homes.

“If we can provide them with some of these gifts, it’s a simple way of saying ‘Hey, we see you, we know you’re here, and you’re important to us and the community,’ said Public Relations Director Fred Hobbs. “This is a very tangible way of expressing that you too are part of this community of Boulder and Broomfield county.”

People can also volunteer to not only deliver the gifts to their houses, but be the one to see how bright the smiles are.

BEADFORLIFE

Buying jewelry that makes a difference makes that piece of jewelry so much more beautiful. Bead for Life empowers women in Africa by teaching them entrepreneurial skills through their Street Business School and selling their handmade necklaces. Bead for Life has learned that the women who go through their training are increasing their income by 211%. When buying their carefully crafted jewelry, we’re repaying them by lifting them out of poverty, feeding their families and giving women and their children the opportunity to attend school.

The community can help by purchasing beads online, or shopping in the Boulder studio. These gifts are wrapped with a
deeper meaning and a story originated in Uganda.

“Since we’re entering the giving season, we welcome any type of donation, so we can empower more women around the world to lift their families from poverty by becoming successful businesspeople,” said Co-founder Torkin Wakefield. She reflected on Rose, a Street Business School graduate who now is a businesswoman who sells her colorful jewelry confidentially.

Let’s gift colorful jewelry to our loved ones to put more color into their lives and the daily lives of the woman in Uganda.

THERE WITH CARE

With compassion and care, as the name of their organization suggests, There With Care reaches out to families during the critical phase of a medical crisis to give families the support, money, and spirit they need.

They post a wish list regularly which you can find on their website, or Amazon, with foods such as canned tuna and macaroni and cheese, or diapers and clothing for babies in NICU. During the holiday season, they have three programs for the community to open their hearts to: Thanksgiving meal program, holiday meal and gift program, and team delivery. Sponsoring a meal personalized for each family (ham, turkey, vegetarian, gluten-free, etc.) can make the holidays a lot brighter for families who don’t have the spirit or time to cook. The wish lists for each family remain private to the individual who sponsors them. Team delivery is a program where volunteers can have the honor of delivering the meals and/or gifts to families. This means wherever the families are – whether at home, in the hospital or even the Ronald McDonald house. Each of these acts of kindness spreads the holiday spirit one meal at a time.

“We get letters [from families] that they wouldn’t have been able to get anything for their children or siblings because they can’t get out of the house or they don’t have the time or the money or they might not have the ability to go do it,” said Volunteer Director Kelly McGahan. “And they wouldn’t have had a meal.”

HUMANE SOCIETY OF BOULDER VALLEY

The contagious tail-wags, meows and cuddles from the dogs, cats and small animals are only a few reasons to give back to them during the holidays. They depend on us as humans to take care of them and it’s the least we can do for them as they wait for one of us to give them
their fur-ever home.

Browse through their wish list on Amazon to support the care-taking and enrichment of each unique animal who stays at the shelter. Choose from toys to stimulate their playtimes to milk replacement and bottles to take care of the newborn orphaned animals who are lost without their mom. The wish list can be found on Amazon, or on their website.

“Every donation will touch a life by providing a critical safety net of food, shelter, love, medical care, behavioral support, and more, to better serve our animals and the community the following year,” said Development and Communications Coordinator Nick Walsh. “Individual contributions are the reason we can serve over 7,000 animals each year, finding new loving homes for pets, maintaining strong relationships, and reuniting lost animals with their guardians.”

COMMUNITY FOOD SHARE

By donating extra cans of beans or foods we might throw in the trash because of an unexplainable fear of expiration dates, we serve one in eight people in Boulder and Broomfield counties who are struggling with buying food. Our donations help fill the aisles of the food bank with millions of pounds of fresh food and pack the selections with variety where families can stock carts with fresh fruits, vegetables, snacks, meats, eggs and more.

Their annual Let’s Bag Hunger food drive during Nov. 10-14 asks individuals to donate or drop off non-perishable food items at King Soopers stores in Boulder, Lafayette, and Louisville.

On their website, they have a regular list with their most needed items which include: nut butters, soups, cereals, canned tuna and chicken, baby food and formula, beans, canned fruits and vegetables, pasta and sauces and rice.

BOULDER SHELTER FOR THE HOMELESS

Each year, 1,500 homeless adults seek help from the Boulder Shelter who proudly opens their doors. In the shelter, they’re protected from the vicious wind and fed to ease stomach pains. On their website, they have a list of goods and foods they need most. Donations they need most include travel size toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, bath soap, deodorant and goods such as disposable razors, shaving cream, Kleenex, Q-tips, sunblock, lotion, earplugs, reading glasses and Chapstick. Winter wear such as hats, gloves, and large size winter jackets are also a must this holiday season.

Taking care of the people in our community takes care of everyone.

WILDLANDS RESTORATION VOLUNTEERS

We love the beauty we see in every direction from the Flatirons, walkable hiking trails, and grass free of trash. This Colorado nonprofit helps heal the land our community travels on.

Their adventurous wish list is packed full of useful restoration supplies: shovels, drills, tarps, fencing, gloves, axes, first aid kits, closed trailers, a fuel-efficient vehicle, storage space, projectors, crawl hauler, software, non-perishable food for when their projects are weekend-length, trowels, loppers, and pruners.

For specifics, contact them or check out their website.

BLUE SKY BRIDGE

Children who are going through trauma don’t get to experience the holidays as much as other kids. This nonprofit dedicates their time to protect them from future abuse and make them and their families feel as comfortable as possible with serious intervention, forensic interviews, counseling and family support.

Their wish list includes specific, yet simple, items that can help children relax and feel like the active kid that they are. Card and board games for all ages, colored pencils, coloring books, gel ink pens, healthy snacks, juice boxes, water bottles, Mandala coloring books, markers, stress balls, stuffed animals (must be new or gently used with no religious affiliation), and Play-Doh – the simple joys of life that can turn around a child’s day.

SAFEHOUSE PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE FOR NONVIOLENCE

Escaping an abusive relationship and starting over is possible with support. This domestic abuse shelter has needs you can meet. There is a year-round list on their website seeking supplies for both shelter and residents. Donations help with a begin a fresh start.

Safehouse Progressive Alliance also holds a Gift Card Drive. Volunteers are also welcomed to cook a holiday meal for the shelter.

*BONUS CHARITY – YOUR LOCAL YMCA

Dive into a swimming pool. Take a class. Let the kids play. The Y counts on community for
the supplies to help youth; specific supplies, at that. Books and new art supplies for preschoolers at YMCA Inspire Preschool in Longmont; board games and new art supplies for K-6th graders in After School Programs; new crayons; new or gently used toys and dress up clothing for Child Watch programs at Y in Boulder, Lafayette, and Longmont.

The list of nonprofits that need donations goes on…Thank you in advance for your holiday generosity. Tell them Yellow Scene sent you.
• A Woman’s Work
• Boulder Valley Women’s Health
• Intercambio Uniting Communities
• Boulder Housing Partners
• National MS Society
• Eco-Cycle Inc.
• Realities for Children Boulder
County
• “I Have A Dream” Foundation
of Boulder County
• Zonta Foothills Foundation
• Out Boulder County
• American Cancer Society –
Relay For Life
• Bridge House
• Bonfils Blood Center
• Social Venture Partners Boulder
County
• Attention Homes
• Sister Carmen Community
Center
• Agile International

The post 2017 Giving Guide: Nonprofit Wish lists To Give Life To This Holiday Season appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.