Project VOYCE Video

Posted on February 7, 2011 by

Here is Project VOYCE on Youtube with a 2 minute video created last week by 16 year old PV leader Samantha Lobato. It is the PV application to present a workshop at a national summit on youth in education put on by the US Department of Education.

UPDATE: Project VOYCE was selected! Kudos to Samantha for her great work. We do however still need help. In the words of our director Brian Barhaugh,

“This is a great opportunity to get our work on the national stage, but it does not come with funding to get us there.  All three schools are willing to help out to get one of their youth there, however we will still need about $1,000 to cover costs.  If you or anyone you know is inclined to help Project VOYCE get to Washington please let us know as soon as possible.”

If you want to help out just click on the Paypal donate button on the sidebar. Thanks for the support!

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Bruce Randolph Recognized in State of the Union

Posted on January 27, 2011 by

If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the following this video of President Obama’s State of the Union. In it he recognizes the incredible progress made by Bruce Randolph School here in Denver. Bruce Randolph has been, and still is, one of Project VOYCE’s main partners. Congratulations to everyone who had a hand in this improvement, and especially to the many Bruce Randolph students who have worked with Project VOYCE over the years.

“You see, we know what’s possible for our children when reform isn’t just a top-down mandate, but the work of local teachers and principals; school boards and communities.

Take a school like Bruce Randolph in Denver. Three years ago, it was rated one of the worst schools in Colorado; located on turf between two rival gangs. But last May, 97% of the seniors received their diploma. Most will be the first in their family to go to college.”

Quote is right after 20:00.

Posted in Bruce Randolph, President Obama, Press | 1 Comment

Racial Barriers

Posted on January 22, 2011 by

Picture walking into an inner city, low performing High School lunchroom and seeing this, a round or long rectangular table made to fit about 6-8 students but these tables fit 10-12 students with little to no breathing room, but no one’s complaining. Around the table not only do you see male and females conversing and interacting amongst each other, but there are Blacks, Latinos, and 1 of the only 3 white students in the school amongst that group. That’s what it looks like all across the lunchroom. Students laughing, joking, and sharing meals like its Sunday dinner at Gran Gran and Paw Paw’s house. Everybody’s having a grand ol time. Now isn’t that nice? Continue reading →

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Year In Review

Posted on January 11, 2011 by

Dear Friends and Colleagues of Project VOYCE ,

It’s as if the new young leaders at Project VOYCE were immune to bad news. While the presses keep churning out dire circumstances for our youth in our schools, while funding shortages abound, the youth of Project VOYCE have stood up against the tide that bears down upon them.

The purpose of this post is to convince you to join them. Here are 16 reasons why they deserve your support and proof that, if you do support them, they will make you proud. This is what 25 inner-city Denver Project VOYCE (PV) youth leaders have accomplished in 12 months:

Continue reading →

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“The education of a nation… must become the national care and expense for the formation of the many.”

Posted on July 15, 2010 by

In many ways it is amazing how long problems with, and hopes for, our education system have existed. The above quote was written by John Adams in 1786. He thought then, as so many feel now, that education was the arena of the privileged, that the best education was reserved for those with the money to pay for it, and, perhaps most prophetically, that a good education system would be key to the young United States’ success.

In some ways it is sad that we haven’t managed to accomplish John Adams’ goal in over 200 years. There still exists massive stratification in the  education system, with the richest too often receiving far better schools than others. I think more than failure, this simply conveys the magnitude of the goal itself. In hoping to create an equitable school system we are hoping to change the societal norms noted by writers as far back a Cicero.

With such a massive goal I think anyone working in this field is right to be proud of any small accomplishment they make. When you are trying to move a mountain, moving it an inch is still pretty impressive. I say this both to recognize the importance of the work we are doing even when it seems we are not moving fast enough and because I find the universality of today’s issues both fascinating and a little scary.

So a big thank you to everyone working in education, John Adams would be proud.

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