A Quick Summary…
The Succeeds Prize was a statewide effort to recognize and reward examples of high-quality learning experiences, across the 9News/KUSA broadcast network. From 2017-2021, the business community, in partnership with Colorado Succeeds and MindSpark Learning, awarded over fifty of the state’s top districts, schools, and programs with over $500,000 in prize money.
The Problem We Were Seeing:
Colorado’s Education System Was Built For a Bygone Era
Experts predict that 85% of the jobs available in 2030 have yet to be invented. Colorado’s educators are thus faced with an important challenge: how best to prepare students for jobs that don’t yet exist, tools not yet created, and problems not yet identified?
Colorado Succeeds knew that innovative work was being done by educators around the state to address this challenge head-on. However, their stories weren’t being amplified in a way that would allow other school districts, educators, students, and families to benefit from their experience and insight. Colorado Succeeds sought a solution that would help identify, recognize, invest in, and share their stories of impact.
What Colorado Succeeds Did About It:
The Succeeds Prize – Recognizing Education Innovators
In 2017, Colorado Succeeds launched The Succeeds Prize, to celebrate education innovators throughout the state. The prize became a prestigious recognition of Colorado educators’ forward-thinking education solutions that met workforce demands, utilized innovative learning models, and promoted student agency.
Colorado Succeeds partnered with MindSpark Learning to promote awareness and interest in the award, solicited applications, and managed the selection process. We sought to identify learning providers impacting students ages 3-18, including:
- Early childhood education providers ‘
- K-12 education providers
- Postsecondary pathways designed for high school students
- School Districts
- BOCES
- Partnerships among any combination of the above
Beyond the awards, The Succeeds Prize served as a year-long effort to strengthen Colorado’s public schools through convening and storytelling aimed at scaling successful innovations and practices across Colorado.
What Happened
schools, districts, and programs recognized
awarded to schools to scale best practices & innovation
Years of statewide storytelling shifting the public perception of what’s possible inside public education
Educators were celebrated and recognized for their important work for Colorado students
View the Succeeds Prize Winners
Early Childhood Education, sponsored by PNC Bank
Mile High Early Learning
Education Innovation, sponsored by Janus Henderson Investors
ACTION Zone, Aurora Public Schools
Personalized Learning, sponsored by DaVita
Greeley-Evans School District 6, Greely-Evans
Technology-Enabled Learning, sponsored by Ball Corporation
Warren Tech, Jefferson County
Experiential Learning, sponsored by Slalom
Colorado Youth Congress
Career Exploration & Pathways, sponsored by TTEC
Clear Creek School District, Clear Creek
Transformational Impact in an Elementary School Award, sponsored by TTEC
Wyatt Academy, Denver Public Schools
Transformational Impact in a Middle School Award, sponsored by DaVita
Beacon Network Schools, Denver Public Schools
Transformational Impact in a High School Award, sponsored by Slalom
MiLL National Training Center, Peyton and Widefield School Districts
Excellence in Education Innovation Award, sponsored by Janus Henderson Investors
Cherry Creek Innovation Center, Cherry Creek School District
Excellence in STEM Education Award, sponsored by Ball Corporation
Montrose County School District RE-1J
Excellence in Technology Enabled Learning Award, sponsored by Arrow Electronics
The CUBE High School, Denver Public Schools
Transformational Impact in an Elementary School Award
Longfellow Elementary, Salida School District
Transformational Impact in a Middle School Award
Academy of Advanced Learning, Aurora Public Schools
Transformational Impact in a High School Award
La Veta Senior High, La Veta School District
Excellence in Education Innovation Award
Pueblo 70 STEP Program, Pueblo County School District 70
Excellence in STEM Education Award
Cañon City High School Pathways and SystemsGO, Fremont RE-1
Excellence in Technology Enabled Learning Award
St. Vrain Valley School District, St. Vrain
Transformational Impact in an Elementary School Award
Paonia Elementary School, Delta County 50(J)
Transformational Impact in a Middle School Award
Carbondale Middle School – Roaring Fork RE1
Transformational Impact in a High School Award
Denver Center for International Studies, Denver Public Schools
Excellence in Education Innovation Award
Innovative Thinking: Geometry in Construction – Colleen Owens, Scott Burke, Tracy Csavina & Lora Bong, Green Mountain High School, Jefferson County Public Schools
Excellence in STEM Education Award
Northridge Elementary, St. Vrain Valley School District
Excellence in Technology Enabled Learning Award
Mentorship & Modern Memorials – Sean Wybrant & Scott Fuller, Palmer High School, Colorado Springs District 11
Transformational Impact in an Elementary School Award
Valdez Elementary, Denver Public Schools
Transformational Impact in a Middle School Award
Mountain Vista Community School, Harrison 2
Transformational Impact in a High School Award
DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School, Denver Public Schools
Excellence in Education Innovation Award
Deb Harding & Tara Hardman, STEM Launch K-8
Excellence in STEM Education Award
Bristol Elementary School, Denver Public Schools
Excellence in Technology Enabled Learning Award
Mentorship & Modern Memorials – Sean Wybrant & Scott Fuller, Palmer High School, Colorado Springs District 11
Winner’s Spotlight
The 2021 Succeeds Prize for Personalized Learning: Greeley-Evans School District 6
Thank you for the opportunity to refine our dream. We love our community. We love our school. We love our jobs.
Tara Hardman, Teacher, STEM Launch K-8, Winner of Excellence in Education and Innovation Award, 2017
We support The Succeeds Prize because it’s foundational that the children in our communities have access to high-quality education. We honor the teachers and the schools that go above and beyond for their students and families. The teachers who are coming up with new ways each and every day to excite our students, engage them in learning, and inspire them to be the next generation of problem-solvers.
Nick Cerise, Chief Marketing Officer, TTEC, Sponsor of the 2020 Transformational Impact in an Elementary School Award
Thank You to Our Partners
Sponsors of The Succeeds Prize are champions for public education in Colorado. Their underwriting support made this program possible.
Presenting Sponsors
Award Sponsors
Additional Resources
Partner with Colorado Succeeds
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