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Young AmeriTowne On the Road served 226 students last week in our inaugural visit to Colorado Springs! The program was held at the Discover Goodwill building for a week beginning on March 6. I sat down with Towne Director Chris O’Reilly to hear his highlights from the trip. Here’s what he had to say:
Question: How was your trip to Colorado Springs?
Answer: We had a great week in Colorado Springs! One thing I love about the On the Road program is taking the program to schools and markets that have never been able to participate before.
Question: What was the reaction of local schools to having this program “in their backyard?”
Answer: Teachers like Andrea Rodriguez, who teaches fourth grade at Stetson Elementary were thrilled. She said, “We have traditionally participated in Young AmeriTowne in Denver, but we couldn’t get buses this year. I’m so glad that we were able to participate–there’s no other curriculum that teaches life skills!”
Question: Is there a moment that was particularly memorable?
Colorado Spring Mayor John Suthers swears in the Young AmeriTowne Mayor from Rogers Elementary School in Colorado Springs.
Answer: One thing that comes to mind was when the Mayor of Colorado Springs, John Suthers, swore in the Mayor of Young AmeriTowne! He was able to stop by and meet students from Rogers Elementary School on our first day there.
Question: Are you planning to go back, and if so, when?
Answer: Yes! We hope to bring AmeriTowne On the Road to Colorado Springs again in winter, 2020.
Question: Can new schools participate? What should they do to find out more information?
Answer: We would love to have new schools participate. In fact, we hope to be in Colorado Springs for an extra week or two, depending on demand, next year. Please reach out to me via phone or email: 303-320-3214 or coreilly@yacenter.org.
After a short break, AmeriTowne On the Road is headed to Aurora at the beginning of April. Be sure to check our blog for more stories about this next visit!
