I am the promise of Colorado because …
Create a student story Create a community story


I want to be able to use my education to help people through knowledge of genetics and chemical engineering, to create a future based on their values to makes future full of possibilities.
”
Noah Rainer
Montezuma-Cortez High School
Montezuma-Cortez School District
Noah Rainer
Montezuma-Cortez High School
Montezuma-Cortez School District


I want to be an inventor and make everyday chores easier for people. I also want to help all creatures in Colorado, even the insects.
”
Robbie Meese
Fireside Elementary
Boulder Valley School District
Robbie Meese
Fireside Elementary
Boulder Valley School District


It’s an exhilarating time to be a young person right now because of all the power we hold to make a difference. If we raise our voices, better yet our ballots, we can truly make Colorado an even better place to live.
”
Robin Peterson
Peak to Peak Charter School
Robin Peterson
Peak to Peak Charter School


I want to be a professional ballerina and a business owner. The studio owners dance with Colorado Ballet and it has inspired me to realize I can dance and own a business at the same time.
”
Lily Richards
Arapahoe High School
Littleton School District
Lily Richards
Arapahoe High School
Littleton School District


…after I graduate High School I am going to attend Colorado University Boulder. I hope to enter medical school and become a dermatologist! I plan to do a lot of research and work for the good of the people and not for my own benefit. “If you do what you love, You’ll never work a day in your life.” – Marc Anthony
”
Savannah Burris
Holyoke High School
Holyoke School District
Savannah Burris
Holyoke High School
Holyoke School District


As of right now I am not sure, but at some point I would like to start my own business. Maybe I will start an accounting business – everyone needs an accountant.
”
Alex Clary
Arapahoe High School
Littleton Public Schools
Alex Clary
Arapahoe High School
Littleton Public Schools


I want to be an aeronautical engineer for NASA when I grow up. I would want to put another Space Shuttle in space to discover new life or to discover a new planet or dwarf planet.
”
Lauren Leonhardt
McAuliffe International School
Denver Public Schools
Lauren Leonhardt
McAuliffe International School
Denver Public Schools


I want to be a computer engineer or chemical engineer because I really like the STEM fields, especially the technology part.
”
Alex Semple
Southern Hills Middle School
Boulder Valley School District
Alex Semple
Southern Hills Middle School
Boulder Valley School District


I would like to play soccer when I grow up or be an engineer or go into agriculture. I love soccer. I like to make things and I like animals!
”
Wyatt Dehmlow
Powell Middle School
Littleton Public Schools
Wyatt Dehmlow
Powell Middle School
Littleton Public Schools


I want to be a professional ballerina and a business owner. The studio owners dance with Colorado Ballet and it has inspired me to realize that I can dance and own a business at the same time.
”
Lily Richards
Arapahoe High School
Littleton Public Schools
Lily Richards
Arapahoe High School
Littleton Public Schools


I want to be a scientist or join the army. I would create a time travel machine or a rocket ship that goes faster than the speed of light.
”
Josh Zucker
Sandburg Elementary School
Littleton Public Schools
Josh Zucker
Sandburg Elementary School
Littleton Public Schools


I want to go to CU Boulder and I want to double major in sports journalism and public relations management with a minor in theater because I just really like talking and I’m good at building relationships with people.
”
Tyler Lamm
Holyoke High School
Holyoke School District
Tyler Lamm
Holyoke High School
Holyoke School District


I want to do so many things when I grow up – be a leader, inspire people, and save the world. Like thousands of other kids in Colorado, I go to school every day to get an education so I can follow my dreams.
”
Maddie Weiser
Meiklejohn Elementary School
Jeffco Public Schools
Maddie Weiser
Meiklejohn Elementary School
Jeffco Public Schools


There is no limit to how much we can change what is going on in the world, and it is my intention to inspire as many people as I can. And together we can create something different – something we have never seen before.
”
Naomi Graff
New Vista High School
Boulder Valley School District
Naomi Graff
New Vista High School
Boulder Valley School District


I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, but I love volleyball and hanging out with my friends. Yearbook is my favorite class because I like to take pictures.
”
Emma Larson
Newton Middle School
Littleton Public Schools
Emma Larson
Newton Middle School
Littleton Public Schools


I want to be an author when I grow up to inspire people through words. I like telling a story in the best way I can. I love to read and that made me want to tell my own stories.
”
Katie Moraja
Englewood High School
Englewood Public Schools
Katie Moraja
Englewood High School
Englewood Public Schools
High quality public education provides the foundation for
- strong property values
- a good quality of life
- qualified workers
- civic leaders prepared to lead
Community vitality and a vibrant economy are directly linked to our public schools. Great schools increase property values and serve as an economic engine for Colorado. Public schools play a crucial role in the growth, safety, health and well-being of our state.
In short, great schools help to create thriving communities for Coloradans.


Teachers are the underpinning of our public schools. Their dedication, knowledge and skills change lives each day. Addressing Colorado’s teacher shortage crisis is essential to move our state forward.
The Colorado teacher shortage crisis has been front-and-center in the news. This recent article from Chalkbeat Colorado provides a good overview on the issue:
Colorado education leaders are zeroing in on three broad ways to curb the state’s teacher shortage:
- increasing compensation,
- improving preparation and training, and
- “lifting the profession.”
Strategic plan is released to address the teacher shortage in Colorado. Read more about it here.


Colorado’s economy needs skilled workers to help us compete globally and to meet the needs of tomorrow’s employers in our thriving aerospace, technology, and innovation sectors.
According to a study from the New American Economy, Colorado had 15.3 openings for every unemployed worker in STEM fields in 2016. (Denver students learn about careers in STEM, Denver Post)


Experts at Colorado State University’s department of construction management estimate that by 2025 there will be 96,000 vacancies in the construction trades — a 38 percent increase from today.
Learn more about Colorado’s shortage of construction workers in this Denver Post article — Blueprint for building crisis: Colorado has massive shortage of construction workers.


“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
Students learn first-hand lessons from an industry expert, as well as in-depth lessons on culinary and business skills that prepare the teens for jobs in restaurants, hotels and beyond after they graduate.
Education And Civil Rights
Dr. Joyce Brooks shares her own life story linking the fight for civil rights and the critical role education plays.
Parent Speaks To Funding Issues In Colorado
Parent and education advocate Julie Keim shares why she joined the Colorado Education Network.
Every Child Deserves A Quality Education And A Fair Shot At Their Dreams
Parent and education advocate Maisha Fields explains why she joined Colorado Education Network and the importance of using our network to advocate for equitable funding for all Colorado students.
Public Education Supporter Speaks To The Need To Support All Districts
Parent and public school supporter, Sean Burke, explains why he joined the Colorado Education Network.
Adequate and equitable funding for all 178 school districts in Colorado
This school district administrator and parent explains why she cares about education in Colorado and why she joined the Colorado Education Network.