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One of the key lessons in the Young AmeriTowne free enterprise curriculum is about philanthropy. We teach our 5th grade students that philanthropy means giving of your “time, talents, and treasure.”
The 5th graders have the opportunity to budget their paychecks and then give some of their AmeriTowne “treasure” during their day in Towne. Each citizen can donate AmeriTowne dollars to one of six charities, and each shop can donate up to $5 total to the charities. We have two generous supporters that turn those AmeriTowne dollars into real money, matching $0.10 to each dollar. Every spring we tally up the total donations and turn them into cash, ready to give to the fantastic charities that received the student donations.
At our Belmar facility this year, our six charities were:
- Imagine!
- Tennyson Center for Children
- Denver Kids, Inc.
- Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver
- Trails and Open Space Coalition
- Center for Work Education and Employment
The students who attended Young AmeriTowne at Belmar over the past school year donated more than — get this! — $34,000! Congratulations to those students on their philanthropy!
Our Headquarters facility in Cherry Creek hosted these six charities:
- Ronald McDonald House Charities of Denver
- Think 360 Arts
- HawkQuest
- Canine Companions for Independence
- Shining Stars Foundation
- Susan M. Duncan YMCA
The Young AmeriTowne students that participated at our Headquarters location donated an amazing grand total of more than $29,000! Way to go philanthropists!
Thank you to the wonderful charities that participated in the program this year and came to accept their checks this week. We appreciate the work you do and your support in teaching students the value of sharing their time, talent, and treasure.