Denver Summerbridge was honored last night (Wednesday, Dec. 4) with El Pomar Foundation’s 2002 Award for Excellence as the most outstanding education nonprofit in the state of Colorado.

A nonprofit community-funded program, Denver Summerbridge helps motivated low-income middle school students from the Denver Public Schools further their education by creating a path to college. Denver Summerbridge currently works with students in Baker, Kepner, Rishel, Gove, Place, Martin Luther King Jr., Smiley and Noel middle schools.

Uniquely, the program has high school and college students teach middle school students during rigorous six-week summer - and twice-weekly school year - sessions. The effort is designed to motivate youth to become the future generation of educators and community leaders.

Every year since the program’s inception, Denver Summerbridge students have shown statistically significant growth in math and literacy. They also graduate from high school and continue on to post-secondary education at rates that greatly exceed national averages for their peer group. More than seventy percent of Summerbridge teachers go on to have careers in education.

Jordan Gomez, a Summerbridge student, explains why he came to the program: “I wanted to remember what I learned in the sixth grade, and to have an academic advantage over other new seventh graders. Summerbridge interested my mind and sounded fun, educational, and unique.”

The Denver Summerbridge community of teachers and learners began in 1994, and since that time has served more than 380 students and 240 young faculty members. Denver Summerbridge partners with the Denver Public Schools, and operates under the nonprofit status of Kent Denver School as a program serving the greater metro area community, but is not directly funded by the schools.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Fitchett at 303-770-7660, ext. 287.