Greenhouse Scholars welcomed 6 new Development and Advisory Board members, nearly doubling the size of its Colorado board membership.

The Development and Advisory Board is a group of community leaders who have pledged to help our organization identify and leverage fundraising opportunities, in addition to making their own generous personal contributions.  Members of this board are active in helping organize fundraising events and rallying other prominent community leaders to our cause. This board greatly improves our ability to raise funds, build a dependable, lasting foundation for our program’s growth, and contribute to the success of our Scholars.

The 2016 Development and Advisory Board additions include:

• Cynthia Banks, CEO New World Vistas
• Drew Esson, Director at Digital Globe
• David Howson, Former President, Zayo Group
• Michael Hora, CEO of Hora Enterprises
• Rick Schuham, Executive Vice President at Savills Studley (formerly a member of our Illinois Development and Advisory Board)
• Jarrod Tisdell, Vice President of Implementation, Zayo Group

To read more about all of our board members, click HERE.

Join Greenhouse Scholars for Glass Half Full, Denver’s can’t miss philanthropic wine and food event on May 5, 2017.

Sample fine wines and craft cocktails, savor unique culinary creations, socialize, and bid on some once in a lifetime live auction experiences–all in support of Greenhouse Scholars’ mission to be a catalyst for changing lives and communities through generations.

Our 2016 event was a huge success, welcoming over 250 guests and featuring bites from Denver’s top restaurants as well as exciting auction items such as a 10-day Galapagos Trip, a Peyton Manning and John Elway signed Broncos helmet, and a private dinner party for 20.

Bring a group and save up to $75 per ticket.  Tickets are limited, reserve yours now to avoid disappointment!  Click HERE to buy now.

Dear Greenhouse Scholars community,

I have some exciting news to share.  Our Whole Person program is evolving!  Why is this so exciting?  At the center of our ability to make a lasting difference is this program.  Essentially, it is the driver of our impact on our Scholars during their college years and the driver of our ability to help shape the impact they will have throughout their lives.

We are building the new program from a position of strength.  We have ten years of positive results to build from.  Far from an overhaul, this is about:  1) iterating on what has been successful and 2) adding where we believe we can do more with our Scholars.

We have two new program components – “Impact” and “Skills Modules”.  We also have improvements we are implementing within all existing program components. At a high level, the Impact component will immediately increase our influence on the generation of young people coming behind our Scholars, as well as increasing our Scholar’s ability to have a greater impact throughout their lives.  The Skills Modules is a technology enabled component that will provide our Scholars with more leadership and professional tools and skills.  We will provide a thorough explanation of our program evolution in our annual newsletter that will be out to you in November.

To get to our new Whole Person Program, we spent eight months conducting primary and secondary research (including talking with many of our Scholars, our Mentors, community leaders in low-income neighborhoods, our alums, and education leaders across the country), brainstorming conceptual and tactical ideas with our sister company Greenhouse Partners, debating and discussing, identifying best fit with our vision and values, and building and iterating until we felt great about any changes.  The process was thorough and thoughtful and everyone on the team that participated knows they were part of something that will shape our impact for years to come.

Our evolved program was unveiled to our Scholars at our Summer Symposium, and received with great enthusiasm.

I am proud of our team for the great work they did on this incredibly important project.  I am excited about what our evolved program will mean for our ongoing pursuit of creating a community of leaders that will change the communities of the world.

Thank you for being an integral part of our growing community!

Peter M. Burridge
President and CEO

Hundreds of high school seniors are anxiously planning for college and beginning their Greenhouse Scholars applications, hoping to be selected to our Whole Person program. We invite our supporters to help us choose the next group of exceptional young leaders who will become the Class of 2021.

Volunteers are crucial in helping us make selections each year. This is a unique opportunity for our community to better understand the impressive young leaders who apply to Greenhouse Scholars and seeing, in action, just how much your investment and support means.

See below for more information on the commitment and timing. Please contact Lindsey Price at lprice@greenhousescholars.org by December 1st if you are interested in participating.

ROUND 1 – Written Application Reading and Scoring
Volunteers are placed on review teams and assigned 7 – 8 applications to read and score. The volunteer team comes together for a one-hour in person meeting to discuss each member’s respective rankings and recommend which applications to progress to the next round of review.

• Week of December 12 – Volunteers are sent access to applications and scoring criteria.
• Thursday, January 5 – Scoring is due from volunteers in the online application system.
• Week of January 9 – Volunteer team meets for one hour to discuss selection of semifinalists.

ROUND 2 – Video Application Evaluation
Volunteers read and score 7-8 student applications then watch a short video response from each candidate to better understand their personality and fit with the program. The volunteer team comes together for a one-hour in person meeting to discuss each member’s respective rankings and recommend which applications to progress to the final round of review; the interview stage.

• Week of February 13 – Volunteers are sent access to applications and scoring criteria.
• Sunday, February 26 – Scoring is due from volunteers in the online application system.
• Week of February 27 – Volunteer team meets for one hour to discuss selection of semi-finalists.

Thank you for supporting our program and helping us to cultivate a community of leaders who are creating lasting change.

On Saturday, August 27, women of all ages and athletic abilities will get on their bikes and take to the streets to help make the goals of low-income college students a reality.

What started as Colorado’s first women’s road ride and is now in its ninth year, Venus de Miles is a non-competitive ride offering a choice between 33-, 64- and 100-mile courses. The fun starts and ends at the Prospect Park in Longmont, and continues all along the course through Boulder County.

In 2015, more than 1,400 women participated and raised more than $46,000 for Greenhouse Scholars. We hope to exceed those marks this year.

“Venus de Miles is an exciting event that brings together women of all ages in the spirit of sisterhood and giving back to the community,” said Andrea Suponcic, Venus de Miles co-director. “The Scholars who benefit from Venus are exceptional students and leaders. It’s a real treat to see the women and the Scholars connect at Venus and celebrate their achievements together.”

With a relaxed and encouraging atmosphere, many women select Venus de Miles for their first large, organized bike ride, then return year after year with friends and family.

With women in mind, no detail is overlooked. The fully supported course will include rest stops featuring fresh and organic snacks and drinks, while medical, mechanical, and motivational support will be in full supply. At the finish line festival, riders will be treated to lunch from popular local food trucks, handcrafted cocktails, local beer, spa treatments, and a unique vendor expo. Venus de Miles is truly an unforgettable experience for all involved.

Volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups are still available. (Men are welcomed and encouraged to volunteer!)

Learn more about Venus de Miles and register here: www.venusdemiles.com/colorado/

To volunteer, visit: www.raceroster.com/events/2016/8146/venus-de-miles-colorado-2016/volunteer

Originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Meseret (Class of 2011) has a newfound mission as Program Director and co-founder of The Ethiopian Diaspora Fellowship (EDF): to connect Ethiopians living abroad with service and leadership opportunities back in Ethiopia. Through training, mentorship, service, and storytelling, fellows of the EDF become catalysts for growth and change in Ethiopia. The organization accepted its first class of five Fellows in 2015.

A Flex Funding grant from Greenhouse Scholars gave Meseret the chance to research the effectiveness of public health and health initiatives in Ethiopia. After earning her BA and BS, Meseret attended Regis University, where she received her MS in Biomedical Sciences. She then discovered her passion for teaching and mentoring students while serving as a faculty member at both Regis University and Red Rocks Community College. Today, she is a Ph.D student at The University of Denver, researching access to education for marginalized women in Ethiopia.

Launching EDF successfully required extensive surveys to understand community needs, as well as extensive research—skills she developed with Greenhouse Scholars. “I learned the importance of informational interviews and how to build relationships with professional liaisons through Greenhouse Scholars. This has helped me tremendously as a program director at EDF because I am constantly interacting with potential partners and donors.”

Stories like hers strengthen our resolve to continue providing support to incredible people—and students—like Meseret. To learn more about the Ethiopian Diaspora Fellowship, visit http://ethiopiandiasporafellowship.org/.

Greenhouse Scholars, an education based non-profit organization, has announced its Class of 2020. The 22 students from Colorado, Illinois, and Georgia join another 185 current Scholars and alums of the highly selective 4-year program.

Greenhouse Scholars is dedicated to cultivating leaders who will change low-income families and communities through a “Whole Person” approach which includes mentorship, peer support, internships, professional networking, leadership conferences, flex funding grants, and a tuition scholarship. With a 90% percent college graduation rate compared to the national average of 11% for low-income students, the program’s model of comprehensive support has proven successful, helping the Scholars make the most of their college experience so that they may serve as leaders and role models for others before and after graduation.

Greenhouse Scholars Class of 2020 by the numbers:
22 Scholars: Colorado – 9, Illinois – 9, Georgia – 4
Colorado Scholar hometowns: Aurora, Denver, and Glenwood Springs
Illinois Scholars hometowns: Aurora, Chicago, Loves Park, Waukegan
Georgia Scholars hometowns: Athens, Atlanta, Dutchtown

• 91% are first generation college students
• Average household income of $27,776
• Represent 11 ethnicities
• Average High School GPA of 3.9
• Will attend 18 notable universities including Colorado School of Mines, Georgia Institute of Technology, Occidental College, Pomona College, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Illinois, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University

“We are thrilled to welcome these exceptional students as Greenhouse Scholars,” said Pete Burridge, President and CEO of Greenhouse Scholars. “At a young age and with the odds often stacked against them, they have shown incredible character, leadership, relentlessness, and dedication to improve the lives of their families and others in their communities. We look forward to welcoming them into our community, helping them grow, and watching them achieve their potential.” While in many respects this year’s incoming class of Scholars parallels those that have come before them, the students have their own unique stories of relentlessness, drive, and passion. A sampling of their stories:

Arriving in the US from Ghana as a freshman in High School as a non-English speaker, one young man from Illinois rose above the bullying he endured to receive an A in AP English, take advanced STEM courses, become captain of the soccer team, and graduate in the top 5% of his class.

Raised by a hard-working single mother of three, at times a young man from Colorado had no place to call home but through a focus on education and positivity, he was elected Vice President of Student Government, captain of the basketball team, and President of his High School’s student tutoring program and will be the first in his family to go to college.

A young woman from Georgia with a passion for medicine became a Certified Nursing Assistant as a Junior in High School, organized mentoring and community service opportunities for her peers, was named Georgia’s Most Positive Athlete in Girls’ Tennis, and graduated in the top 3% of her class.

To be selected as a Greenhouse Scholar, each student must demonstrate exceptional academic performance, leadership, community service, and a financial need. The highly selective application process includes a written application, letters of recommendation, and an in-person interview with a committee of Greenhouse Scholars personnel and volunteers. Only eight percent of applicants were invited to join the Class of 2020.

A complete list of the incoming class of Greenhouse Scholars and their stories can be found here: Greenhouse Scholars Class of 2020

Greenhouse Scholars celebrated Glass Half Full, an annual culinary and cocktail party featuring live and silent auctions, on Thursday, April 21 at SPACE Gallery in Denver’s Santa Fe Art District. The philanthropic event raised funds to support the organization’s year-round programming for high-performing, under-resourced young leaders from Colorado.

Greenhouse Scholars, the sole beneficiary of the night, helps under-resourced, high performing young people reach their true potential as community leaders. These students have overcome challenges such as homelessness, poverty, violence, and other dire circumstances to be mentors, pioneers, researchers, activists, and advocates.

“Glass Half Full is a night for our community to enjoy wonderful local food and drink, and the company of friends old and new, while supporting truly inspirational young people who are creating positive change in their communities,” said Pete Burridge, Greenhouse Scholars Founder and CEO. “This night of generous support from our community allows Greenhouse Scholars to provide the critical personal, financial, and professional support these students need to reach their potential.”

The evening began with mingling among food and drink stations. Guests enjoyed delicious bites from area restaurants including Gozo and Interstate Kitchen & Bar. Beer, wine, and cocktails came courtesy of Breckenridge Distillery, Casa Noble Tequila, Colorado Sun’Shine, Great Divide Brewing Company, Leopold Bros., Tom Gore Vineyards, Vapor Distillery, and The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey.

Burridge, along with several current Scholars and Scholar alumni Jesus Hernandez ’15, shared brief remarks before the energetic live auction and appeal. The live and silent auctions featured such adventurous items as a Natural Habitat Adventures trip for two, a weeklong getaway to Steamboat Springs, Colorado Fighter Jet rides, a luxurious dining experience from Frasca Food & Wine, and a selection of fine wines and high-end spirits from Liquor Mart.

Greenhouse Scholars is proud to count several outstanding companies as sponsors of Glass Half Full including valedictorian sponsor FirstBank; summa cum laude sponsor Zayo Group; magna cum laude sponsors Digital Globe and Aerotek; and cum laude sponsor Greenhouse Partners.

Our Scholars seem to have no trouble answering every college student’s perennial question, “what should I do this summer?”. To make those decisions a reality for our Scholars, we are providing nearly $32,000 to 23 Scholars who were chosen to receive Flex Funding grants to complete a variety of community impact projects. The intent of our Flex Funding program is to provide Scholars the same opportunities to grow their leadership skills, gain valuable professional experience, and create lasting impact on others as their more affluent peers. Scholars interested in receiving a Flex Funding Grant must complete a thorough proposal, which is then reviewed by volunteers within our community. The process itself is highly competitive, and also helps develop Scholars’ proposal-writing skills. Here are some highlighted projects taking place this summer:

Jessica, Lewis and Clark College Class of 2017, will be spending five weeks in Cairo, Egypt working with a non-profit organization promoting teamwork skills to homeless youth in Egypt. Breaking the youth down into age groups, she will lead week long summer camps that focus on three key themes of teamwork: positive verbal communication strategies, leadership skills that promote awareness, decision making through inspiration and the setting of goals that are specific attainable and measurable. The goal of our project is to create an understanding of peace within Egyptian youth affected by poverty, homelessness and other forms of injustice. Her project also received a $10,000 grant from 100 Projects for Peace.

Shayan, University of Colorado at Boulder Class of 2018, will be researching a unique process for solar-initiated sea water desalinization at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland. He hopes that this research may lead to a process for water desalination that can be implemented on a large scale at a small cost.

Leeandra, University of Denver Class of 2017, will be conducting an independent art project titled, “On the Other Side of the Bars; Studying the Affects of Children Living with an Incarcerated Parent”. She plans to draw not only from her own experience but from several consecutive semesters of research on children living with an incarcerated parent, and to exhibit the resulting works to inspire others.

Martha, University of Illinois Class of 2019, will be creating an instructing an interactive curriculum to students in Lumbisi, Ecuador through a faculty-led service trip. She will have the opportunity to directly effect dozens of students learning in the areas of environmental studies, arts and culture, and sports and wellness.

Amadou, Stanford University Class of 2019, will be joining local medical professionals in Accra, Ghana at a historic Children’s hospital to study how they provide care in a resource-poor environment and how they overcome challenges such as the financial and structural constraints of the healthcare system itself and the social determinants that lead to illness in children.