Denver Preschool Program Annual Report
A Holistic Approach to Early Education
Denver Preschool Program is a nonprofit organization committed to improving the early childhood education system by championing, funding, and increasing access to quality education for all of Denver's young learners.
Denver Preschool Program (DPP) began in 2006 as a voter-approved sales tax so every child in Denver has the opportunity to access a quality early education of their family's choice. Children who attend an early childhood education program are more prepared for kindergarten, leading to stronger early language, literacy and math skills, and a higher likelihood of graduating high school, attending college, and succeeding in their careers. To ensure every Denver child can experience the power of preschool, Denver Preschool Program offers tuition credits to every Denver family. Furthermore, Denver Preschool Program empowers early childhood educators and preschools with professional development and coaching, college scholarships and quality improvement resources. We also engage in extensive community outreach, and advocacy at the city, state and national level to re-imagine the early childhood education system as a whole. After 15 years, Denver Preschool Program knows our holistic approach is critical to achieving the change Denver children and families deserve and the successes we have achieved thus far. And during the 2020-2021 school year, that meant doing what we do best: thinking differently and leading confidently. This year's Annual Report highlights the projects and initiatives that we were proud to provide as well as the challenges ahead and how DPP is positioned to address them.
Thank You From Our CEO and Board Chair
Denver Preschool Programs's purpose has been, and always will be, to make sure every child in Denver enters kindergarten ready to reach their full potential. Even during the unprecedented times that the COVID-19 pandemic has created, DPP adapted how and where 4-year-olds were able to access high-quality early learning opportunities. We provided our core programming, kept preschools' doors open and ensured our teachers felt supported. DPP's ability to be nimble through this time, adjusting programming as needed and repurposing funds to address the needs of our families, resulted in a higher rate of continued learning for our preschoolers than compared to the national average. We are proud of these efforts, and thank our providers and families for their commitment to learning through this difficult time. Below are our core programs, the statistics showing sustained success throughout the year as well as the pivots needed within each to keep our families and providers supported.
ELSA HOLGUIN
President and CEO, Denver Preschool Program
MICHAEL BAKER
Board Chair, Denver Preschool Program
Ellen Braun
A highlight of our year was our incredible Chief Operating Officer (COO), Ellen Braun, was named a recipient of the Denver Business Journal's C-Suite Awards for her leadership at DPP.
“Ellen Braun embodies the qualities of leadership and accomplishment, and she represents everything we should value in a leader. We ask Ellen to handle the most challenging issues facing DPP because we know she has the focus, drive and intellectual capacity to achieve results. She has been the catalyst behind a number of our most impactful innovations and advancements over the past decade.” - Elsa Holguín