Growth and Change: Year 1 Evaluation of Together Colorado’s Connections Project

Prepared for the Denver Foundation in 2015

The Connections project was conducted by Together Colorado and funded by The Denver Foundation. The project used Connectors (also known as parent mentors) to connect parents of children in Near Northeast (NNE) Denver schools with benefits and resources to enhance their children’s education and their lives. The program used a capacity-building approach and network-based model in which the connections between individuals and service providers are used to build communities. The program also sought to provide individuals and families with community organizing skills. These skills can lead to social change with potential benefits for families, neighbors, schools, and communities.

APA conducted an evaluation of the program to analyze the outcomes of the project in relation to the Denver Foundation’s four objectives: meeting basic needs, leadership development, education, and economic development.