Welcome! Your support drives JA's mission to help students achieve their highest academic & character potential to become responsible, productive citizens. In addition to making crucial investments in facilities, technology & safety, our Foundation funds Teacher Grants & the Community Cares program.
Education
Adolescents/Youth (13-19 years)
Children (4-12 years)
Our Teacher Grant program accepts applications annually from teachers seeking to launch new and innovative programs in their classrooms. By regularly implementing new, content-rich programming, our teachers are able to engage students with projects and activities that spur their creativity, ultimately engendering an environment that supports the love of learning.
During the 2020-21 school year, the Foundation for JA was able to fund four new programs for JA and Summit Students. Each was chosen from a larger group of submissions based on a matrix scored by a panel of administrative staff and parents:
Branden Robinson (1st Grade Teacher, JA Elementary), for his proposal to bring The Magic Treehouse to life for his students, create a fun experience around reading, and incorporate various curriculum goals for 1st graders, including math, vocabulary, character, classroom rules, and more.
Tracy Carey (P.E. Teacher, JA Elementary), for her plan to create a library of 'fitness backpacks' for students to check out and take home. These backpacks will encourage physical activity at home, with ideas and equipment to have fun and move, and can be used by any student at JA Elementary.
Amy Vander Kooi (Teacher, The Summit Academy South), for her proposal to create an Orienteering/Adventure Racing instructional kit for students at Summit South. This kit combines state standards for many earth science concepts, while encouraging physical activity.
Hayley Middaugh & Ann Longtain (Gardening & Book Club, The Summit Academy Westminster), for their plan to develop a combined greenhouse and book library for students at Summit Westminster. The project will provide a laboratory experience for current and future gardening students, as well as provide a positive experience for all students in the areas of reading and gardening.
"I would like to thank the JA Foundation for their unwavering support. We appreciate the innovative resources and epic opportunities that the Foundation's generosity affords to our students. Specifically, I would like to thank the Foundation for the wonderful grant I received. Through your generosity, we purchased a complete set of student navigational compasses, a teaching compass, orienteering flags, orienteering punches, and cones! We have used the compasses many afternoons to practice our map skills and create learning connections outside in beautiful Colorado! The cones were repurposed to serve as goals for our Aztec civilization ballgame simulation and markers for a giant outdoor Colorado chalk map. Future lessons include incorporating the flags into a scale outdoor Solar System project and fly fishing targets. We plan to use the entire collection of grant materials to build and complete a student designed orienteering course. Thank you again for your generosity and investment into innovative and memorable learning activities for our students. We appreciate you!" - Amy Vander Kooi, Summit Academy South Wildcats
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking
Adolescents/Youth (13-19 years)
Children (4-12 years)
Infants/Young Children (birth - 3 years)
Children (3 -12 years)
Parents
Community Cares is operated by the Foundation for Jefferson Academy and was born out of our own families needing assistance, resources, and support during the pandemic.
Community Cares has grown to offer help for families through partnerships with JeffCo Schools, A Precious Child, The Action Center, and local organizations and food banks. There is no charge, and programs are supported by the JA Foundation and granting programs. In 2020-21, we helped more than 10 families secure food, housing and clothing as well as at home wi-fi to complete classwork. In addition, a holiday drive provided over $9,000 gifts and essential items to JA families in need.
