Giving Kids a Strong Start: The Rising K Summer Summit

Over 200 Rising K Summer Summit students gathered at Birch Elementary in June to learn what kindergarten will be like this fall. Classroom sizes limited to 18 students allowed the bright-eyed kids to learn routines and meet future classmates before they start school at Aspen Creek, Birch, Emerald, and Kohl elementary schools.

Do you remember the first time you sat crisscross on a classroom rug, learning how to raise your hand before speaking or counting out marshmallows to build a house that could stand up to a huff and puff? For incoming kindergarteners, these “firsts” are big moments—and this June, the Broomfield Community Foundation had the chance to see that magic in action.

From June 2 to June 26, Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) hosted its third annual Summer Summit, a four-week, full-day academic program designed to bridge learning gaps and provide school readiness for students from rising kindergarten through eighth grade. With transportation, breakfast, and lunch included, the program ensured accessibility for families across the district.

Through the Broomfield Community Foundation Human Services grant cycle we financially supported a portion of Impact on Education ’s fully funded Rising K Summer Summit, a unique school readiness program for incoming kindergarteners. Held at Birch Elementary, the program welcomed 200 soon-to-be kindergarteners, including bright-eyed students from Aspen Creek, Birch, Emerald, and Kohl elementary schools. These young learners gathered on classroom rugs, listened to stories like “The Three Little Pigs,” created music, and built marshmallow houses—learning not just shapes and numbers, but resilience, teamwork, and the power of asking for help.

“If I’m stuck and really frustrated, what do I do?” asked kindergarten teacher Becky Spear. “I stop, take a deep breath, and say, ‘I need help.’”

Early childhood education has a proven track record of improving long-term outcomes. Through programs like Rising K, students—many of whom have not had access to preschool—experience what a full day of kindergarten feels like. For families facing barriers to early learning, this program creates a critical on-ramp to academic success.

Impact on Education’s outreach efforts, in partnership with Sister Carmen, Community Food Share, Boulder Housing Partners, and Head Start, help ensure that children from historically underserved communities are included. Last year’s results speak volumes:

• 100% of Rising K participants enrolled in kindergarten
• 80% met or exceeded kindergarten readiness benchmarks
• 80% showed improvement in literacy and numeracy

The district provides most of the curriculum for teachers so it’s consistent across sites. The district hired about 90 current and retired Boulder Valley educators for Summer Summit, plus additional teachers for the special education program. Teachers who are looking to become administrators are hired as the leaders at each site. We saw the exceptional classroom management and engagement techniques in action, ensuring quieter or hesitant students would partake.

Site leaders like Nathan Spencer, a special education teacher at Broomfield High School, added creative support tools like sticker charts to encourage engagement. “This definitely gives them a boost,” Spencer said.

With rotating electives like art, music, and PE, social-emotional learning lessons, and class sizes capped at 18 for Rising K, the program nurtures the whole child.

In total, about 2,100 students participated in BVSD’s summer programs this year, including students in special education and high schoolers in credit recovery. For those who attended Summer Summit, it was a month of growth, connection, and possibility.

After pandemic-era funding for summer programming ended, it was community-based philanthropy that stepped in. Impact on Education contributed more than $330,000 this summer, including $195,000 for the Rising K program alone. The Summer Summit is a powerful example of what happens when schools, nonprofits, and donors work together to ensure every child has a chance to succeed.

Thank you to our generous supporters for helping prepare the next generation for a bright academic future.

The images above show classroom time for Rising K students in the June 2025 Summer Summit, funded through Impact on Education. The BCF is proud to have been a grant contributor to Impact on Education.

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