Each Winter, local Catholic schools (PreK-12) within the Archdiocese of Denver that are working to enroll students with disabilities and learning differences are invited to apply for a FIRE Denver grant.  Grants fund staff salaries, professional development, and adaptive technology/equipment – the three most important resources for ensuring successful inclusion in local Catholic schools for children with disabilities. FIRE Denver grants are awarded directly to schools as a means of ensuring long-term, systemic support that ensures success for students today, as well as tomorrow. When local schools become Partner Schools of FIRE Denver, our organization makes a commitment to partner with that school indefinitely, so long as they remain committed to including children with disabilities and learning differences in their school. Though the financial amount may change from year to year, a long-term partnership is our commitment and vision.

Though FIRE Denver is an independent 501(c)(3) organization, we work in deep partnership with the Archdiocese of Denver’s Office of Catholic Schools, who provide guidance and support for our work.

FIRE Denver’s School Grants program encompasses two categories of schools with which we collaborate – Partner Schools and Spark Schools. Schools that receive monetary grants are known as Partner Schools, while Spark Schools are additional Catholic schools that do not receive a monetary grant from FIRE Denver but engage in meaningful professional development and community building alongside our Partner Schools.

FIRE Denver’s Board of Directors has established the following criteria to guide our decisions in our annual granting cycle. The most successful applications for FIRE Denver grants will…

• have been doing OCS, FIRE Denver, or other professional development regarding inclusion prior to their application;

• have interfaced with the Director of Student Support Services at the Office of Catholic Schools regarding their application;

• have a plan to enroll specific students whom the school could not adequately support without FIRE Denver funding AND/OR have students already enrolled who have been diagnosed with moderate to severe needs which the school cannot continue adequately to support without FIRE Denver funding;

• are committed to inclusive education and to assuming financial responsibility for the costs of inclusion with the assistance of the FIRE Foundation of Denver;

• have engaged in fundraising to underwrite inclusion and/or have committed institutional funds for inclusion.

Our second flagship program, Professional Development, is dedicated to ensuring the ongoing support, training, and education of local teachers, leaders, and support staff. FIRE Denver partners with the Office of Catholic School’s Department of Student Support Services to ensure high-quality local and national facilitators and trainers are available to support local schools. Past professional development has included sessions with Inclusion Solutions, LLC, Nicole Eredics, St. Louis University, Learning Research Network, Dr. Paul Kluth, and the University of Notre Dame’s Program for Inclusive Education.

Hundreds of educators are reached each year through in-person and virtual programs with these partners and more.

Additionally, FIRE Denver supports educators to attend national conferences, namely the Inclusion in Action Conference put on in Kansas City every two years. Periodically, FIRE Denver also takes groups of educators to other cities to tour more established inclusive Catholic schools.

Our annual Torch Awards include recognition of an educator at our BonFIRE Gala, including a monetary award for that teacher in support of their outstanding dedication to serving students with disabilities.

Finally, our BonFIRE Gala also includes our annual Keynote Speaker – a program aimed at continued education for our entire FIRE Denver community around the importance of inclusion of people with disabilities in the life of the Church.

Our third flagship program – Friends of FIRE – is our parent and family program. Each FIRE Denver Partner School select 2-3 parents to serve as liaisons for their school. These liaisons work to support inclusion by sharing their gifts of time, talent, treasure, and testimony. They celebrate every Partner School and the lives they impact. They support all parents by offering resources, advice, compassion, and concord within our Catholic community. Most of all, they love our children with disabilities and advocate for their opportunity to experience a Catholic education.

Members come together six times each year to expand work related to their four core pillars – Build Community, Support & Share Resources, Advance FIRE Denver’s Mission, and Host & Promote Events. Past and future programming includes Friends of FIRE’s Back to School Social, Parent Panels, Local Resource Spotlight, Care for the Caregiver, and Community Resource Fair.

Membership is open to everyone who believes in our mission and wishes to offer time and resources to support inclusive Catholic education. Friends of FIRE members are champions of inclusion. Please contact friends@firefoundationdenver.org for more information.