The idea for this program emerged from bringing together 13 local BIPOC teachers and high school students in a two-week participatory action research project to analyze how we could improve the recruitment and retention of PSD teachers of color and improve the experiences of youth of color in the community. We drew from our varied experiences at different schools and school committees about the needs students are consistently expressing. The members of this design team have served on local intercultural and intracultural K-12 committees and groups: the Black Student Union, Equity Action Team, Equity Diversity and Activism Committee, Equity Inquiry, Equity Social Justice, ISTAR Advisory Board, Latin American Student Alliance, Latinx teacher and youth conferences, League of United Latin American Citizens, Los Lobos, Native American Advisory Council, Staff Equity Coalition, Student Advocates, and Upward Bound.

We asked the BIPOC high school students in our group to identify what they felt that our BIPOC youth community needs most, based on what they hear consistently within and across the local groups named above. The needs they identified: affirmation, mentorship opportunities (rather than stereotypical and deficit mentee roles), job and leadership opportunities, feeling understood and supported, finding joy within our/their heritage, feeling strength and power for understanding resistance, honoring families, representation in curriculum learning, seeing a future for our/themselves, valuing our/their culture as a strength, taking action for current issues, resisting stereotypical representations of our/their culture, amplification of historical heritage and history acceptance, and a feeling of adding value to a shared collective.

This program emerged from these identified needs: high school students mentor rising grades 4-8 students to start mini businesses related to their cultural strengths. They explore curricula to affirm the power of their cultures and reflect and share with peers. The students design a business to sell something related to art and culture. High schoolers focus on supporting students’ math, literacy, identity, and leadership skills in authentic ways.

To have a truly equitable program, we offer the program at no cost for 40-50 rising grades 4-8 students. We pay our local high school students (current and recently graduated) and teachers a fair wage for participating in the program as mentors. These costs include breakfast, snacks, lunch, and all materials for the students to build their businesses.

The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery generously donates its space and resources to host this program, and we have received generous grant monies and donations from the Bohemian Fund, Colorado State University, and the museum. In the past, we have also received grant money from the City of Fort Collins and Poudre School District.

We are grateful for any donations to make this program free and accessible for the students. These donations allow us to include and support more youth in the program. Please reach out to Ricki Ginsberg (ricki.ginsberg@colostate.edu) if you are considering a donation to the program.