Love on La Academia

La Academia, the high school that is run by the Denver Inner City Parish where I work, has been positively changing the lives of teenagers in west Denver since 1971.  Our students come from a wide variety of backgrounds, but nearly all come from schools where they felt disconnected.  I’ve seen firsthand how Principal Charleen Ramirez-Mares and her team of incredible teachers connect with students not only by teaching their standard subjects, but by creating a nurturing, family-like environment where students develop life skills, a personal code of ethics, and a commitment to being positive participants in their community.

Walking the halls of La Academia, you know it's a special place. Student-made artwork lines the walls, students call their teachers by first name, multiple languages float through the air, and a student's baby boy is passed lovingly from one friend to the next during an off-period.

Although the school is small, staff have found innovative ways to give their students special opportunities. Students engage in activities like community theater, Project Homeless Connect, and weekly trips to nearby Greenlee Elementary where they read to pre-k kids. They also participate in competitive Mock Trial and a wide variety of community projects and field trips. Many do all of this while juggling a job, watching siblings, and contributing financially to their families.

I've started this crowdfunder because although we are able to offer kids so much, the things that make our school special are at risk of being dropped and many building improvements have been postponed during difficult financial times.

Here is an itemized list of the improvements that with your support would make a big impact in the lives of our students. We hope to be able to complete some of them by January 8th, when students come back from winter break:

ArtReach Membership: $500
Bathroom repair and remodel: $300
Mindful Movement: $1000
Student Hub furnishings: $200
Paint for gymnasium: $1000

Total: $3000
***Skip to the bottom to learn more about these improvements***

This much is obvious: La Academia teachers and staff are developing compassionate, smart, tough, and community-minded students in a caring, rigorous, and transformative environment. Patrick, a La Academia alumnus who interned at my office his senior year said that "La Academia is like a second home to me," a sentiment he says many of his classmates share.

We are so grateful for every dollar. Please help support the students of our small school with a donation of any size. It will be put to great use giving our kids opportunities they won’t otherwise have access to.

Donations can be made through this GoFundMe page, or we incur lower fees if you give to Denver Inner City Parish (La Academia's parent organization) through the Colorado Gives website .

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*** More about these improvements

Building: The lighting in one of our few bathrooms is out completely, our student hub needs new furnishings, and the paint in our gym needs a lot of love.

ArtReach: Provides us with countless tickets to many of the field trips we take students on. The $500 membership is an incredible value, but unfortunately we aren’t able to afford it at this time.

Mindful Movement: 4 days a week, students participate in activities like yoga and tai chi that help center them in preparation for school. Often we are able to get volunteers, but to sustain this vital part of our school day we need funding to periodically bring in professionals. ****
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Please help our students access these opportunities and give them a space to be proud of.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,
Savanna


P.S. Learn more about La Academia and Denver Inner City Parish here.