
Staff Opportunity: Senior Researcher/Project Director or the Staff Researcher/Project Coordinator
The Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab (Colorado Lab) is strategic research partner for government and the community. The Colorado Lab was launched as a collaboration between the University of Denver and the Colorado Governor’s office. The mission of the Colorado Lab is to improve the lives of Colorado residents by

Governor’s Budget Seeks Boost to Wages for ECE Workforce
The Colorado Lab is dedicated to creating actionable research. A recent effort to create a snapshot of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) workforce, funded by the Piton Foundation and the Temple Hoyne Buell Foundation, was no exception. The Snapshot Report demonstrated that “high turnover in the field exacerbates the workforce shortage and hinders childcare quality,” and pointed to low pay as a contributing factor.

Barriers to Higher Education: Learning from the Experience of Foster Youth in the Time of the Pandemic
As the pandemic challenges all students seeking to succeed in college, a new study examines the barriers that young people in foster care have long faced, and the supports that make a difference for them. These findings guide the way to the policies and practices that will benefit all youth in these difficult times.

Concurrent Enrollment: A Pathway to Success
As the nation celebrates the class of 2020 and the resilience of graduates during a worldwide pandemic, it can be easy to forget that some students face huge challenges to high school graduation even in “normal” times. Living in foster care can make school feel like a perpetual marathon. In Jefferson County, a program called Fostering Opportunities helps them cross the finish line.