DENVER — Denver Public Schools Foundation has announced a milestone, surpassing the $3 million mark in fundraising for its A to Z Fund. The fund, which began in 2016, provides resources for schools like educational materials, technology and even field trips.
At College View Elementary School, the fund is providing LEGO kits to facilitate STEM-based learning. Fifth grader Jose Guillen, who wants to be an engineer someday, said the kits allow them to be creative.
“We were trying to make like a car to explore the pyramids, that can move through the sand without getting stuck,” Guillen said.
DPS teachers can apply for grants through the A to Z Fund twice a year. The next funding round is set to open in mid-July. College View assistant principal Lina Castellanos said the funding is especially important at Title I schools like College View. She said most of their budget is prioritized for content areas, not extracurricular programs.
“We don’t have a PTO, PTA, anything of that sort,” Castellanos said.
DPS Foundation President and CEO Sara Hazel said while $3 million is a significant achievement, about 20% of requests in the last funding round were not fully funded.
“We know that the demand exceeds the amount we’re able to allocate, so the more money we raise, the more we can support our schools, and we’d love to support every single one at 100%,” Hazel said.
Donations can be made to the A to Z Fund here.
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