The Summit Foundation, in collaboration with local community partners, is thrilled to launch a new initiative that will bring long-term, county-wide afterschool programming to elementary-age children and their families. This initiative will help address Summit County’s afterschool and summer childcare crisis, by providing consistent and affordable afterschool and summer care, as well as more accessible academic and enrichment opportunities for children of working families throughout the county.

The long-term goal is a coordinated effort to provide equitable and affordable opportunities for working families throughout the county that parents can easily access.

How it Began.

The initiative began when County Commissioner Tamara Pogue convened a Community Task Force after the sudden loss of the primary elementary afterschool care program on the north side of the county in the Spring of 2022, left working families scrambling. “Lack of access to afterschool care keeps people from working a full day, and the end of the CATCH program exacerbated an already substantial community problem,” said Commissioner Pogue. “But Summit is a very collaborative community that can come together to solve its most difficult problems, and we look forward to seeing these efforts develop further.”

Last spring, the Lake Dillon Theatre immediately expanded its Dual Language Theatre program to fill the immediate gap, and the community went to work to address more long-term issues. The Summit School District is a key partner in these efforts and has long offered its facilities free of charge for afterschool and summer care.

Bringing the program to the kids.

Thanks to the support of Superintendent Tony Byrd, and the Summit School District, Project Thrive found a home and an ally.

“One of my priorities as the new Superintendent is working with the community and tapping into the many resources that we have here,” said Tony Byrd, Superintendent of Summit School District. “This is an excellent example of making sure that our students have academic and enrichment opportunities that help them to succeed in school, and we are pleased to accept and manage the donation and the program on behalf of the community.”

The Project Coordinator for Project Thrive will be responsible for identifying program offerings, working with local providers, and developing a long-term plan. The role will be housed under the district while The Summit Foundation will oversee the initiative in conjunction with the Community Task Force.

Thanks to Breckenridge and Keystone Ski Resorts.

This initiative is made possible thanks to a $750,000 directed grant from Breckenridge and Keystone Ski Resorts. The directed grant funds are from the ski medallion program, a major revenue source for The Summit Foundation’s community support, including nonprofit grants and local scholarships. Funds will be distributed over a three-year period to the Summit School District, a critical community partner that is taking the lead to help launch and sustain the initiative.