Our History

Community Resources, Inc. (CRI) has evolved from a project begun in 1972 by two mothers of Denver Public Schools students. These women believed that classroom learning in DPS could be enriched by an organized effort to bring community volunteers into schools. Those presenters enhanced education by sharing their expertise and passion in a wide variety of areas, including the arts, science, geography, history, reading, writing and math.

Over the past 50 Years, CRI has expanded its programming in response to the needs of the students, staff and families of the district. Currently, our organization engages more than 300 volunteers who enhance learning through our four primary program areas: Academic Mentors, Classroom Speakers, Family Nights and Special Events. These volunteers are the true “resource” in Community Resources!

CRI also calls upon the programmatic and financial resources of the community to make its educational programs possible. Partnerships with organizations such as the Denver Zoo, Denver Public Library, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Botanic Garden and many, many others enable us to bring high-quality programming to the schools of Denver. Funding provided by local foundations, businesses and individuals, combined with financial and in-kind support provided by Denver Public Schools, are essential for CRI’s continued success.

Through our four program areas, CRI reaches over 90,000 students each year, effectively engaging our community in the education of the children of the city of Denver.

Our Programs

Academic Mentors: CRI staff matches motivated students in 5th-12th grades with professionals from the community to study a topic and/or career in depth. Examples of topics include aerospace, opera, law, computer science and veterinary medicine.

Classroom Speakers: By bringing knowledgeable community members into schools to share their passions with students, the Classroom Speakers program enhances curriculum through more than 700 presentations on subjects ranging from art to zoology that help learning come alive.

Family Nights: An innovative evening program, Family Nights creates a fun and inviting environment with learning events designed to engage parents and kids. Events include family reading, math, science, art, multicultural, health and wellness, and Colorado history nights plus more!

Special Events: Programs and events are custom designed to meet the needs of individual schools. Types of events include career fairs, science fairs, Colorado history days, health fairs, writing workshops and science days. Dream a dream for your school, and CRI will make it happen.