7 Must-Read Books this National Library Week
In honor of National Library Week, Centaurus High School teacher-librarian and Academic Opportunity Fund grantee Shoshannah Turgel recommends books for young adult and adult readers.
Academic Opportunity
Helping students learn
Academic Opportunity Fund
This grant program provide resources that empower educators and schools and engage students in learning.
Mental Health Support
In partnership with the Boulder Valley School District we’ve created a long-term approach to providing mental health supports during the school day.
Literacy Fund
We accelerated the pace of professional development to ensure interventionists and teachers were trained and prepared to help students with learning differences, namely dyslexia.
ACADEMIC OPPORTUNITY FUND
The Academic Opportunity Fund provides educators and schools with the resources they need to bridge opportunity gaps and create a level playing field for all students.
We prioritize grants that expand access to resources, opportunities, and support for students from marginalized and underserved communities.
Funding requests include
- Academic tutoring before and after school
- Test prep and other supplemental educational support
- Class fees (lab materials, textbooks, test, or equipment fees)
- Technology (software licenses, supplemental equipment)*
- Music instrument rental and repair
- Educator curriculum or materials for classroom use*
- Classroom mental health resources (flexible seating, sensory materials, etc.)
- Multicultural resources (books, art materials)
*Curricular and technology requests must be run through the district prior to approval and grant awarding.
Providing opportunities for BVSD students, from tutoring to software to transportation expenses, reduces the economic barriers to academic success.
The current grant cycle is closed. The next round will open August 2025.
The magic of words: How a journaling project creates lasting bonds
At Whittier Elementary, third graders are experiencing the profound impact of forming relationships through the simple act of writing. The WISE Journaling Project pairs students with adult volunteers who exchange letters in a journal throughout the school year. This unique program not only enhances writing skills but also builds lasting bonds that extend beyond the classroom.
Impact on Education grants $98,500 to fund innovative educational projects, activities and materials
In 2024, educators and students across the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) gained vital support through $98,500 in grant funding from the Impact on Education Academic Opportunity Fund. These grants bridge educational gaps and foster innovative programs that enrich learning and promote equity.
DID YOU KNOW?
Colorado spends $3,000 below the national average per student. You can help supplement district funding and provide students with access to excellent and equitable education.
LITERACY FUND
In 2019, BVSD was working to roll out a new phonics-based curriculum in elementary schools and begin screening Kindergarten students to identify those at risk for dyslexia, but they lacked the funds to quickly train all educators.
Impact on Education, in partnership with Boulder Valley Kids Identified with Dyslexia (BVKID), stepped in to fund professional development and training for 46 BVSD interventionists and classroom educators.
The training took place in the summer of 2020 and meant that during the 2020-21 school year, every school in BVSD had at least one interventionist who was trained in the Orton Gillingham approach to better support students. In 2021, IOE also supplemented BVSD’s educator training, but we are pleased to share that over the summer of 2022, BVSD made their biggest investment to date for this critical training opportunity by funding 85 elementary educators to participate in the training.
SUPPORT EQUITY IN BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOLS
Your gift helps ensure students in the Boulder Valley School District have access to excellent and equitable education.
Boulder Valley’s Class of 2025 scholarship winners
This year, we invested $89,210 in talented Boulder Valley students — $37,210 in new scholarships for graduating seniors and $52,000 in renewed support for alumni.
Centaurus senior Addisu: Future affordable housing engineer
This fall, Centaurus senior Addisu McCormick will attend the University of Colorado at Boulder, with the Earl and Barbara Bolton Scholarship bringing him closer to his dream of designing affordable housing.
