Blog
RISE Funders Convening
The Colorado Lab was honored to host Governor Polis and philanthropists at a convening on January 6th to discuss progress on Colorado’s RISE project.
Blog
Charter Schools Coalesce to Mitigate the Effects of COVID
A survey of school superintendents across Colorado at the end of 2020 showed a high level of concern about the loss of student reading and math skills due to the pandemic, as well as negative impacts on the mental health of both students and teachers. Six Denver-area charter schools are working together to reimagine approaches that support both learning and well-being in the wake of COVID-19.
Blog
RISE: Innovating Improved Student & Family Outcomes in the Wake of COVID-19
As the 2020 school year wound down, the Children’s Hospital of Colorado declared a state of emergency for youth mental health. Atop already high needs, the impacts of COVID-19 were devastating, resulting in a 90% increase in demand for behavioral health treatment and the emergence of suicide as the number one cause of death for children in Colorado.
Blog
Advancing Colorado as a Leader in the Clean Energy Economy
With climate change a growing concern globally, Governor Jared Polis set the ambitious goal of reaching 100% renewable energy in Colorado by 2040. The Governor outlined a roadmap, calling the goal a moral imperative to fight climate change and curb pollution of our air and water, as well as an opportunity to drive innovation in transitioning to a clean energy economy.
In Progress
Response, Innovation, and Student Equity (RISE) Education Fund
The COVID-19 crisis has had an enormous impact operationally, educationally, and economically on P-12 school districts, charter schools, and institutions of higher education, as well as students, parents, and families. The Lab is supporting federal fund awardees in moving their programs along the steps to building evidence.
Completed
Inventory and Analysis of Brightfields in Colorado
Increases in population and development are contributing to a loss of agricultural land and open spaces–land that could be redeveloped for renewable energy and further contribute to Colorado’s economic base. As part of Governor Polis’s goal for 100% renewable energy by 2040, this project built a web-mapping application, enabling stakeholders to identify existing suitable sites for renewable energy redevelopment.
Completed
Learning from Colorado’s Performance and Efficiency Initiatives
Effective. Efficient. Elegant. The “3 E’s” of former Governor John Hickenlooper’s administration focus on ways to improve performance and efficiency in state government. This project looks back on the administration’s performance improvement initiatives to document the experiences, elevate successes, identify challenges, and inform current and future public officials in Colorado and beyond.