Release Details
AMERICAN ACADEMY VOLUNTEERS RECEIVE 7NEWS EVERYDAY HERO AWARDS
Date: Friday March 19,2010
School: American Academy
Castle Pines North, CO – American Academy Interim CAO, Erin Kane, and Board of Directors Vice President, Jackie Santos, got a big surprise last week when 7 News personality, Mitch Jelniker, showed up at a meeting at the school with a cameraman and handed them each a 7 News Everyday Hero Award.
The awards celebrate the volunteer commitment of the two women who started the K-8 public charter school in Castle Pines North five years ago. The idea for the school began on Erin’s front porch when the two women were discussing the difficulties of getting their children into a local charter school because the waiting lists were so long and the lotteries random. So, instead of waiting for their numbers to come up in a lottery, they decided to start their own Core Knowledge charter school with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
As anyone who has started a charter school can testify, there are thousands of hours of labor involved in that first year, including the research and writing a long and detailed school charter application, standing in the rain at local grocery stores to solicit enrollment, attending local school board meetings, writing preliminary grant requests and managing a large group of parent volunteers. The volunteers on the American Academy Board of Directors, including Erin and Jackie continued to spend the next five years helping get the school off the ground and running smoothly by advising the school’s administration and keeping the school in line with its mission. In addition to their Board duties, both women also participated on the permanent facility committee for the school, a four-year volunteer effort led by Erin to build the school’s new 83,000 square foot building in Castle Pines North. The school moved out of their first home in a Park Meadows strip mall and opened their new doors in September of 2009 with an established record of academic excellence and STEM emphasis throughout the curriculum.
American Academy began in 2005 with 391 students. Thanks to the tireless leadership work of these women, along with the support of many, many other dedicated and determined volunteers, the school now boasts 68 staff members and 875 students with a long waiting list of interested families and a random lottery of its own. And the school has been academically successful in its first four years: last year, for example, American Academy fifth and eighth grades received 95% and 92% proficient and advanced in science on CSAPs, and the school’s math and science teams took home awards in competitions all over the city and state.
Even with a solid background and a permanent home established for the school, Erin and Jackie continue to give their time and energy on various school boards and committees. Though they were thrilled (and more than a little embarrassed) to receive the 7 News Everyday Hero Awards, they say they could not have done it without the help of many, many other volunteers. They were proud to accept the recognition on behalf of everyone who has made American Academy what it is today.
For more information about American Academy, please visit the website at www.americanacademyk8.org, or contact the school at 720-292-5200.