Pathway Pods: Addressing Education Inequity

From Edgewater Collective:

This spring our Edgewater community came together in a huge way to support frontline workers, families and seniors in our community during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. You all helped us deliver 2,450 meals which poured over $20,000 back into our local restaurants through Mutual Meals. You also helped us distribute over $6,000 in housing grants to immigrant families in our community.

Then this summer we worked to provide a free lunch and learning experiences to kids and families in the 80214 area through Lunch and Learn. As local produce has been harvested from the Jefferson Community Garden and the 25th Avenue Community Garden, we’ve been connecting it with families at the Lunch and Learn site.

There have always been housing, food and education inequities in Jefferson County, but this pandemic has brought them up to the surface. Those struggling to pay the bills through job losses are our neighbors. Over seven years ago we launched Edgewater Collective as a way to connect our community’s assets with the needs right here in Edgewater.

Now as the school year is right around the corner, we are rallying our community to rise up and support our local students, families and schools. As we look to this fall and the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, here is how we are planning to support our students, families and schools:

Pathway Pods

Starting Monday, August 24 (first day of school for Jeffco Public Schools) we will be offering free lunch meals for children and families from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday, at Walker-Branch Park (5825 W. 16th Ave., Lakewood). We are also working closely with local teachers to see what kind of academic supports we can offer at this space along with free internet access for online learning. Through community partnerships we will also have resources for parents and caregivers at Pathway Pods.

Parent Leadership

As we think about how to set up Pathway Pods, we are committed to creating leadership opportunities for our Latinx parents. Our goal is to listen to their desires for the learning spaces and allow them to lead the effort. Given economic struggles for families, we also want to provide paid leadership opportunities for parents to connect with their peers and others. In schools where over 80% of the parents are Latinx, it is essential that they are valued as leaders and given the opportunity to create spaces where their children can thrive.

Connecting Resources

This fall we will continue working with Family Engagement Liaisons at our four local schools (Edgewater, Lumberg, Molholm and Jefferson) to connect families with resources that they need. We will continue to deliver food and produce boxes to families. As we have the financial resources, we also want to continue distributing housing grants to families. As we listen to parents, we will be doing everything we can to connect families with the resources they need to get through this pandemic.

How You Can Help

• Volunteer: We will have volunteer opportunities for Pathway Pods starting August 24. We are looking for help serving the lunches and for those with an education background to help students. Based on funding, these roles might even become paid roles for those that are out of work. Email Joel Newton (joel@edgewatercollective.org) if you are interested in volunteering with Pathway Pods.
• Register for Roger’s Run: This year our Roger’s Fun Run will be virtual during the month of September. 75% of race registration fees support this work and 25% go back to support Edgewater businesses through the purchase of gift cards. Click here to learn more and register.
• Donate: Donations in the spring and into the summer made a huge impact in how we were able to support families and our community. You can donate below.

Joel Newton

Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.