We began the summer with a weeklong camp in partnership with the Gold Crown Foundation Clubhouse, offering a storytelling and animation program for 18 students in grades 6–12. Following that, we hosted our annual middle and high school summer academies with two cohorts of 5 students each (a total of 10). And, for the third year, 22 students joined the Arts Street internship with DHA, continuing the successful model of combining client-based work with REDI Lab projects.
The summer closed with Latina Leaders, a three-week program for 20 Latina high school women (with a waiting list). Students tackled issues affecting Latinas and their families in Denver, building a powerful community of support. Their final presentations, delivered to a packed audience, showcased both the creativity of their solutions and the strength of their voices.
In addition to the onsite work, REDI Lab traveled to the annual Sandflea meeting at Landmark School in Prides Crossing, Massachusetts, addressing pressing challenges facing independent schools. Again, REDI Lab co-hosted the second annual Long Now of Education gathering with the Henry Ford Learning Institute in Dearborn, Michigan, where 20+ educators and leaders explored the signals shaping education over the next decade.
Finally, due to our growing programming and partnerships, we created a new faculty position at Colorado Academy: Community Liaison and K–12 Community Service Coordinator. We received over 40 applications for this exciting new role.
The Year Ahead…
On August 20, we launched our first weekly session with GALS 8th grade students as part of their Wednesday elective program. We are also in conversation with other Denver-area charter schools interested in similar collaborations and look forward to sharing updates as these partnerships develop. Recruiting is underway for 2nd and 3rd trimester CA REDI Lab cohorts.