Colorado Children’s Campaign 2021 Annual Fundraiser

Reserve your space for our Annual Fundraiser, "Drafting a New Blueprint: A Conversation to Re-envision Education," presented by Goldbug! Including joining us for free from the comfort of your home, you can join us in one of 5 regional in-person watch parties. Meet other members of our community in Colorado for networking, food and fun while experiencing the celebrations, inspiration and information included in our virtual program. To provide a safe experience, this event has limited spaces available. Purchase your ticket today to join us and support Colorado kids and families! Venue details will be provided in a follow-up email.

Our Annual Fundraiser on Oct. 8 connects child advocacy champions and experts with direct service organizations, community organizers, leaders, and policymakers. Our watch parties offer a cocktail party atmosphere that prioritizes safety for all attendees. These watch party is available for a limited number of attendees, in a first come, first serve basis. We will offer an open wine and beer bar, hors d'oeuvres, and will be hosted by the Colorado Children’s Campaign. Come together to celebrate the incredible achievements we have made for Colorado families and children together!

More information about our speakers:

Keynote speaker: Sharif El-Mekki, founder and CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development, brought to you by our Keynote Sponsors, including the David and Laura Merage Foundation

A nationally recognized principal and former U.S. Department of Education Principal Ambassador Fellow, Sharif El-Mekki’s work is devoted to developing ongoing learning opportunities for Black teachers and educators serving students of color. Before founding the Center, El-Mekki’s school, Mastery Charter Shoemaker, was awarded a number of accolades - including the prestigious EPIC award for 3 consecutive years of being amongst the top 3 schools in the nation for accelerating student achievement. In 2014, he founded The Fellowship: Black Male Educators for Social Justice, an organization committed to developing and retaining Black male teachers. El-Mekki is a member of the 8 Black Hands podcast, blogs on Phillys7thWard, and serves on numerous boards and committees focused on racial and educational justice.

Special guest: Gitanjali Rao, Time’s 2020 Kid of the Year

Recognized as America’s Top Young Scientist, Gitanjali Rao is the inventor of Tethys—an early lead detection tool for which she received an EPA Presidential Award, Epione—a device for early diagnosis of prescription opioid addiction, and Kindly—an anti-cyberbullying service using AI and Natural Language processing. Rao was honored as one of Forbes’s “30 under 30 in Science” in 2019, and as one of America’s Top Youth Volunteers by Prudential in 2021 for the STEM workshops she conducts globally.  She is the author of the book “Young Innovator’s Guide to STEM.”

COVID-19 Safety Regulations:

The Colorado Children’s Campaign believes that vaccinations, mask-wearing, ventilation, and testing are among the most important tools Coloradans can use to manage the spread of COVID-19. We care deeply about public health and the health and safety of our friends and supporters. We have adopted the following policies for attending any of our in-person watch parties.

-Vaccinations- Guests attending our in-person watch parties are required to be fully vaccinated and provide proof of vaccination. After your registration, you will receive instructions to photograph or scan your vaccination card, which will then be uploaded to a secured location to match your registration. Once your vaccination has been matched to your registration, all records of the card will be destroyed.

-Masks- In accordance with guidance from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, masks will not be required indoors for fully vaccinated individuals.  However, the Children’s Campaign encourages mask wearing in public indoor spaces as an added safety precaution against COVID-19. We encourage guests to mask throughout our watch parties when not actively eating or drinking.

-Children- Vaccinations are currently available for those who are 12 years of age or older. Children under the age of 12 will not be permitted to attend our in-person watch parties. All children12 and over attending the event must provide proof of vaccination.

-Feeling Sick- If you are feeling even mildly sick, we ask that you stay home. We have a generous cancellation and refund policy in place to ensure that everyone can come together safely either in person or virtually. Please contact [email protected] to process your ticket refund and receive a link for the virtual program.

Our hosts and staff at each location will take extra measures to disinfect common use areas at each venue, and we will be encouraging social distancing where possible to make this an enjoyable time to connect with community members. We appreciate your patience and grace as we navigate these uncharted waters and brave this unprecedented time together. We look forward to a safe and enjoyable time together.