Background Statement
Happy 20th Anniversary to Rise!
The Rise School of Denver officially launched as a nonprofit in 2003 when six families with young children with Down syndrome came together to create our inclusive preschool - one that has touched the lives of hundreds of families over the years since then.
In 2000, a Denver family welcomed a son with Down syndrome and immediately heard about the Rise School of Dallas, which was started by a family who also had a child with Down syndrome. The program originated from the Rise Center at the University of Alabama to enrich the lives of infants and preschoolers with and without disabilities. The Denver family began meeting with five other families who had children with Down syndrome, and after visiting many schools, they were heartbroken to find that none provided all the program elements of Rise, in which inclusion and therapy were essential. The families then founded the Rise School of Denver in 2003 with an inaugural class of eight kids. We now serve up to 55 children with and without disabilities, ranging from 1-6 years old. In addition to Down syndrome, we are now recognized for serving young children with rare and low-incidence disabilities.