Marching Forward: Making a Difference for Horizons at CA

March proverbially comes in like a lion and leaves like a lamb, but when it comes to Horizons at CA, March is a great month to think about ways you can get to know— and even make a difference!—for the awesome non-profit program making a difference for economically vulnerable students—for good.

Are you a volunteer at heart?  Do you find yourself with some spare time on your hands—maybe a Saturday or two a year, or an occasional morning in the summers?  Venture to Horizons at CA!  Our students love sharing (and even sometimes showing off !) the program and their progress to visitors.  We have Super Saturdays, Summer Surprises (and regular adventures, too), and all kinds of ways you can pitch in and make a difference.  Help students discover a craft!  Find time to read with students— and/or have them read to you!  Bring in an aspect of a culture that’s part of your heritage and share stories with Horizons.  You’ll find that our participants are very much at home at Horizons, and like any host or hostess, they’re eager to make you feel welcome, too.

Avid reader, retired teacher, attempted-but-ready-to-stop-artist?  If you have supplies or materials you’d like to share, give a shout! Even if Horizons at CA isn’t able to use what you generously share, we can find ways to help others enjoy your gifts.  Our #HorizonsFreeToRead Shelf stays stocked all summer, for instance, and we hope each student can choose as many books as they’d like for their own bookshelves at home.

Make No Mistake:  Thanks to the world’s best Parent Association and its subcommittees, we have many, many wonderful books:  #HorizonsAtCAHatsOff once more to the wonderful teams that provided us with donated materials.  What’s more, we’ve been so grateful for teachers who move on to their next adventure and give us supplies to share.  We appreciate every kindness and every thought.  And don’t be fooled:  naturally, we want you to save books to give to the PA’s Used Book Sale next year, too.  But if you’re itching to clear a book or two before 2018, let us know:  reading is a gift that keeps on giving, always.

Similarly, we have a wonderfully vibrant art program that includes all media as well as music:  if you have supplies you think Horizons at CA or some of our partners could enjoy, let us know.  Better yet, let us know if you’re ever interested in watching Horizons at CA participants create art or music:  we love audiences!

Have an idea for a field trip or an adventure or a lesson that you think might be of interest?  Don’t be shy:  let us know!  We have a phenomenal teaching staff supplemented by a great cadre of volunteers and interns:  yet like all excellent instructors and academic staff, they know that learning is life long and that new approaches or lessons can spark more than (safe) fireworks.  We’d love to hear from you—especially as we continue finding ways to help our students celebrate our region and our state.

Just want to check out what all the great noise is about, including our #HorizonsAtCAHashtags on Twitter (@horizonsatca) or Facebook?  As noted above, we’d love to welcome you for a visit!  This summer’s celebration of our 20th anniversary as part of CA is the perfect time to get a 20/20 close-up view of a program that really does provide #6weeksofmagic—not just for Horizons at CA but for the 50 plus affiliates in over 17 states serving over 5,000 students.  We’ll be sharing more information about ways and days to drop in—but if you’d like to reach out and schedule a drop-in now, let us know!

Finally, we know that for many individuals, Horizons at CA is a cause to support financially.  We cannot say enough about what gifts and grants mean to us and what a difference they make for our students.  We also cannot overstate that we treasure time and talent as much as more traditional donations—although we depend on all three to provide the opportunities that bolster and boost our students.  One way to contribute, of course, to two phenomenal causes is to attend this year’s once-in-a-lifetime celebration and fundraiser:  Escape to the Islands Auction and Soirée on May 6, 2017 honors two incredibly vital aspects of CA.  Horizons at CA will directly benefit from donations and events pertaining to the Auction as will CA’s Financial Aid Endowment.  Wine and Dine (Horizons at CA’s beloved fundraiser) will be back:  but this year, sharing our joy and our thanks with CA and with so many supporters is a unique way to turn 20.

If you can join us, we promise you’ll have an evening enchanted by wonderful friends, delicious food (including items from our incredible, traditional Wine and Dine vendors!), opportunities to bid on items priceless and otherwise, and most of all, awareness of what donations can and do mean when it comes to looking at or even beyond Horizons.

Whatever your interest, no matter your inclination, and by any means that speaks to you, our Horizons at CA students, staff, and alumni/ae welcome you to celebrate our program with us.  As part of our Colorado Academy community, Horizons is grounded in a mission of educating and supporting those who seek to learn, and we share a vision of giving back to the community that has already given so much, for good.

Interested in hearing more about Horizons or any of the opportunities mentioned here?
Visit our landing page on CA’s website or our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter @horizonsatca; email us (Virginia.broaddus@coloradoacademy.org) or give our office a call at 303.914.2537.  Finally, click here to make a financial donation that generally qualifies for the Colorado Child Care Tax credit.