News Release
May 3, 2006
Leadership Denver Rallies Support For Denver Public School's Alumni And Friends Networks; City-Wide Pep-Rally Tuesday, May 9 Designed To Pump Up Community School Spirit And Recruit Volunteers To Help High School Youth
Metro area residents are invited to "come back to class" on Tuesday, May 9 to support the next generation of Denver Public School kids at the "Denver's Homecoming" pep-rally, kicking off at 5:30 p.m. at the Pavilion at City Park, located at 2001 Steele Street.
The city-wide event will encourage participation in the DPS "Alumni and Friends Networks."
Community and civic leaders, and Denver Public Schools (DPS) want city residents to show their school spirit and "come back to class" to help the city's next generation reach its educational potential.
The event aims to recruit and mobilize volunteers for the existing Alumni and Friends Network in support of the neighborhood high school of their choice. These clubs, organized around individual DPS high schools, provide needed support and resources for current students.
School principals from Denver's eleven high schools will compete for cash - funds raised by the sponsoring Leadership Denver class for use in bolstering alumni clubs and helping students. The principals will race against the clock shooting hoops, overcoming an obstacle course and dunking their boss, Superintendent Michael Bennet in an old-fashioned dunking booth. Bennet will also be a speaker at the pep rally.
Sponsored by the Denver Metro Chamber Foundation's Leadership Denver Class of 2006, the gathering will draw attention to the importance of community involvement in schools.
"It's about our future," said Carrie Mesch, the Leadership Denver Class Project Leader. "We want everyone in Denver, whether you're an alumni or a new friend of a DPS school, to show up and help our kids."
Students with positive adult relationships are more likely to graduate and succeed beyond high school. In addition, successful schools contribute to attracting businesses to Denver.
"This celebration will end this school year on a high note," said Superintendent Bennet. "With new volunteers, clubs can take the summer to put resources in place for their individual schools before the bell rings in the next school year."
Schools targeted to have active, growing Alumni and Friends Networks by the start of 2006-07 school year in September include: Abraham Lincoln, East, George Washington, John F. Kennedy, Manual, Montbello, North, South, Thomas Jefferson and West high schools, and Denver School of the Arts.
Current alumni groups at Denver high schools vary in their levels of activity. While several groups provide mentoring support, engage in fundraising and volunteer at the school, some Denver high schools have no alumni network or volunteer support from their local neighborhood. Ongoing participation of alumni and friends will help improve student achievement and strengthen the Denver community.
ABOUT LEADERSHIP DENVER LEADERSHIP
Denver is a program of the Denver Metro Chamber Foundation, the 501 (c) (3) community development arm of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce that works to promote the development of civic leadership by members of the business community. Created in 1974, Leadership Denver classes consist of 55 government, business, nonprofit and other volunteers who learn about Denver's top issues and prepare themselves to be civic and community leaders and volunteering citizens dedicated to improving Denver's overall quality of life. The program also strives to enhance communications among leaders from diverse backgrounds and interests, and in doing so, builds and sustains the civic infrastructures of Metro Denver.
For more information, contact Tracy Aiello, 303-232-3870.