Denver Public Schools and Operation HOPE: Denver Public Schools is launching a new effort to increase student financial literacy in Far Northeast Denver to connect more than 1,500 low and moderate-income middle and high school students with business executives from across the city. Students will learn the ins and outs of running a small business through these mentorships, and then will get their chance to start their own operation. Student businesses will then be tracked by Gallup using the Gallup-HOPE Index throughout the year to determine how successful their individual projects are. The goal is to teach students how to create financial goals, set budgets and then work within their means as they try to accomplish their goals in a project-based environment. Read the complete White House Announcement here.
The broad-based, deep-seated leadership and public service commitment to our children of the Denver Public Schools was on national display this week in Washington, D.C. at the first ever White House Summit on Financial Capability.
This week the White House, the President and the Obama Administration chose to feature the national leadership of both Dr. Allen Smith (above), executive director of the Denver Turnaround Schools, as well as Dr. Tom Boasberg (below), superintendent of all of Denver Public Schools, tied to their commitment to building upon current commitment to expanding youth opportunity and aspiration through education, with HOPE Business In A Box in Denver.
Because of the leadership of these two men in Denver, Colorado, the Denver Public Schools was held up as a national model and example of public sector leadership, and vision-made-real for children, at its best.
Read the complete White House announcement this week here, but you will soon be able to physically witness the change we talk about, on the ground and in classrooms throughout Denver Public Schools and many other school districts like it across America in the weeks, months and years to come.
Hats off and commendations to Dr. Tom Boasberg and Dr. Allen Smith for their leadership, and his bold vision for our children. Rainbows only follow storms, and as I say in my bestselling business book LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World, "loss creates leaders."
The best is yet to come for our children, and we will each of us, be the change we want to see in our world.
John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass) the only African-American bestselling business author in America, and is chairman of the Subcommittee for the Under-Served and Community Empowerment for the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, for President Barack Obama. Mr. Bryant is the co-founder of the Gallup-HOPE Index, the only national research poll on youth financial dignity and youth economic energy in the U.S. He is also a co-founder of Global Dignity with HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland. Global Dignity is affiliated with the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the World Economic Forum.
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