American Heart Association Grant for Health Services
APS Health Services has been awarded a grant from the American Heart Association to strengthen emergency preparedness and expand access to lifesaving training throughout the district. With this funding, APS will purchase a new automated external defibrillator (AED) to expand the district’s network of critical emergency devices, ensuring campuses are better equipped to respond during cardiac emergencies.
The grant will also support the development of internal CPR training capacity by funding certification for select staff to become CPR instructors. In addition, APS will acquire high-quality classroom materials, including mannequins and other hands-on training resources, to support comprehensive CPR instruction. These investments will help APS build sustainable districtwide readiness and empower students and staff with skills that can save lives.
Thank you to the American Heart Association for their generous support of APS staff and students!
Empowering Educators, Improving Outcomes: The Early Literacy Professional Development Grant
For the 25-26 school year, Aurora Public Schools is honored to be selected for and implement a robust Early Literacy Professional Development Grant. The Aurora Public School Leadership team has been working closely with our Literacy Consultant, Lumbrera Literacy, and the early literacy educational platform Lexia to create a strong literacy culture for our kindergarten through third-grade educators.
The grant focuses on schools receiving onsite consulting and professional development focused on improving the literacy achievement of their students. Teachers at all focus schools have improved their understanding and implementation of some of the instructional routines in 95% Core that are critical drivers to students' overall literacy learning. They are embedding and refining the principles of explicit instruction to ensure high levels of accurate student practice in their whole-group and small-group literacy lessons. As a result, student learning is improving! For example, at one school, they saw a 25% increase in the percentage of Kindergarten students scoring at least 80% on the 95% Core Unit 2 assessment compared to last school year.
UpRISE Grant Supports Youth-Driven Health Initiatives at APS
Aurora Public Schools was recently awarded an UpRISE grant from The Hub for Youth Engagement at the Colorado School of Public Health. UpRISE is a youth-driven movement in Colorado that develops youth leaders who understand and work to address the root causes of youth nicotine use.
The UpRISE approach empowers young people by helping them:
-Examine their own experiences with power.
-Learn how tobacco and nicotine companies target and impact specific communities.
-Investigate and take action on the root causes that contribute to nicotine use, addiction, disease, and mortality.
This grant supports the implementation of the UpRISE curriculum at four Aurora Public Schools middle schools during the 2025–26 school year. The participating schools include Aurora West College Preparatory Academy, East Middle School, Mrachek Middle School, and North Middle School. The grant will provide incentives for students to participate in small-group lessons and develop student-led projects that strengthen leadership skills and boost protective factors as a prevention strategy to reduce high-risk behaviors and nicotine use.
American Diabetes Association Partners with Aurora Public Schools
The American Diabetes Association is partnering with Aurora Public Schools to offer Project Power, a school-based curriculum that aims to support students and their families in making healthy choices to reduce the risk of diabetes. Schools receive a $2,500 donation for participating in the program. To measure the program's effectiveness, schools administer a brief pre- and post-test survey to gauge students' understanding of a healthy lifestyle.
The Project Power curriculum is taught during physical education and health classes. Its core objectives are:
-Increase Knowledge: Boost students' understanding of the importance of physical activity and good nutrition.
-Improve Confidence: Enhance the self-assurance of students and their families in making healthy food choices and exercising regularly.
-Increase Healthy Behaviors: Encourage better overall health behaviors through more physical activities and increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, and water.
The program uses activity kits filled with instructive activities and supplies, digital activity journals with educational tools, games, activities, and recipes, and group time for intentional programming in small group discussions led by school staff to encourage students to make health choices.
Aurora Public Schools Awarded Early Literacy Professional Development Grant
Aurora Public Schools is committed to improving literacy outcomes and student success through strategic investments in professional development, instructional resources, and program management. Through this commitment, we applied for and were awarded the Early Literacy Professional Development grant through the Department of Education.
These professional development opportunities will be literacy-focused planning and training beyond educators' contracted hours. Consultant partnerships with the Colorado Department of Education will deliver embedded coaching, professional learning, and systems support tailored to district needs.
The primary outcome of this award will be curriculum, supplies, intervention tools, and literacy assessment systems. Providing leadership and educators with resources to provide equitable access to standards-aligned materials, evidence-based interventions, and valid literacy assessments. Additionally, knowing where to access tools for universal screening, diagnostics, and progress monitoring will guide instruction within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework, ensuring timely interventions for struggling readers.
Collectively, the Early Literacy Professional Development grant will enhance teacher capacity, provide equitable student resources, and strengthen program sustainability, leading to measurable improvements in literacy achievement across the district.
The new Valcom system will deliver clear, real-time alerts through PA announcements, fire alarms, and digital signage. These upgrades will enable faster, more targeted messaging to ensure students, staff, and visitors receive timely instructions during safety incidents.
Digital signage outside the building will also alert approaching individuals to avoid entering if a threat is present. Overall, these enhancements will strengthen emergency response and help keep our school communities safe.
Building a Love for Reading: Grant Fuels Library Growth at Kenton Elementary
Kenton Elementary School has been selected as a recipient of a generous grant from the Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries. The grant will provide new resources to expand the school's library collection, giving students greater access to engaging books that spark curiosity, build literacy skills, and inspire a lifelong love of reading.
The Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries awards grants annually to schools across the nation, prioritizing those in need of updated and diverse library collections. Kenton Elementary joins a select group of schools recognized for their commitment to student literacy and learning. With the funding, the school plans to purchase new titles across all grade levels, including culturally relevant stories, nonfiction texts to support classroom learning, and popular series that motivate children to read for fun.
This investment in Kenton Elementary's library is an investment in its students, ensuring every child has the opportunity to explore new worlds, discover new passions, and grow as confident readers. As Mrs. Laura Bush once said, "Once a child learns to use a library, the doors to learning are always open".
Grant-Funded Behavioral Health Program to Launch in Four APS High Schools
For the 2025-2026 school year, the Career and Technical Education (CTE) team will be launching new grant-funded Behavioral Health offerings at four of our secondary high schools - Rangeview, Gateway, Aurora Central, and Vista Peak. This initiative will provide students with comprehensive behavioral health education and hands-on technical training, directly preparing them for a wide range of employment opportunities within a critical and growing field. This exciting program is made possible through a strong partnership with Aurora Public Schools, the Community College of Aurora (CCA), and the Behavioral Health Association.
This collaboration will allow students to engage in a curriculum designed to build foundational knowledge in mental health, substance use, and social-emotional support. Through a combination a classroom instruction, practical skills development, and growth towards industry partnerships and internship opportunities, students will gain a deeper understanding of behavioral health principles and client care. The program is specifically structured to create a direct pathway to postsecondary education and certification, with a curriculum that aligns with college-level coursework offered at CCA. Ultimately, the goal is to empower students with the skills and credentials needed to enter the workforce as qualified behavioral health specialists, peer support specialists, or to continue their education in a related field. This program will not only benefit our students' futures but also address the significant need for skilled professionals in our community. We are excited to launch this program, strengthen our partnerships, and prepare our students for success.
East MS launches initiative to implement prevention programs
As part of the new Vaping Prevention Grant from the Colorado Department of Education, East Middle School, in collaboration with the Adams County Health Department, is launching an initiative to engage youth in vaping and substance use prevention efforts. This marks the first youth-led group at APS, where students will design and implement prevention programs within EMS. The inaugural group consists of four students with personal experiences related to substance use. This initiative aims to create a supportive, youth-driven space where participants can develop leadership skills, resilience, and confidence. Through collaborative discussions and educational sessions, members are encouraged to share their perspectives and actively shape their learning journey. By empowering youth voices and promoting personal growth, the group strives to equip its members with the skills needed to navigate challenges and make positive life choices.
Innovation Grant
The grant funding is intended to grow and expand learning opportunities in robotics, engineering, design, advanced manufacturing, coding and computer science, and aerospace. Our APS students and teachers are excited about the learning each day. The equipment has been instrumental in growing interest in our programs. At one high school, the demand for robotics and engineering has been so great that more sections were created for the Spring semester so more students can learn about advanced technology fields. Last month, 316 middle and high school students attended the first Space Day at Buckley Space Force. Everyone had a phenomenal time learning about advanced STEM, Aerospace, and Computer Science to careers at Buckley Space Force.