Welcome to the New Year edition of the Ednium podcast! Tune in as the Ednium team reflects on the numerous triumphs and shifts of 2023, and dive into the new aspirations we've established for our growing team and Ednium in 2024!

Kwame’s roots in Denver run deep. He was born at Rose Hospital on Denver’s east side and was raised in the Montclair neighborhood.

Kwame attributes his successes to Denver Public Schools.  His mom has worked with Denver Public Schools as a Teacher, Principal, and Assistant Superintendent for over 37 years. Kwame is also a graduate of Denver Public Schools.  He attended Montclair Elementary, Smiley Middle School (now known as McAuliffe), and East High School. 

With his DPS education, Kwame was able to attend Ivy League Schools, work for some of the top companies in the world, and purchase Tattered Cover. Kwame believes that every student deserves the same opportunities he had in our district.

John Youngquist has been an educator for 35 years in Denver, Aurora, Breckenridge, and Cherry Creek schools. He is a Denver Public Schools graduate, parent, volunteer, former teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent, and is running for a seat on the DPS Board of Education. In his heart he is a principal. He has been a principal for 18 years and for every day of those 18 years he walked up to the school asking himself two questions: Have we done all of the work necessary to make certain that we are safe today?  Have we done all of the work that we need to do to ensure that our children will learn well today?

John Youngquist Campaign Site: https://www.youngquist4dps.com/

We are excited to release the first episodes in the DPS Board Candidate Series! This week we are sitting down with the candidates looking to represent District 1 (Southeast Denver). The community has the opportunity to hear the vision and the stories of Scott Baldermann and Kimberlee Sia. Whether you live in District 1 or not, we hope you give both candidates the time to hear from them in more depth than you would in other spaces. 

Support for this series comes from The Denver Foundation: Through gifts of cash and stocks or more complex assets, The Denver Foundation helps generous donors get the most from their giving.

Bio (From the Candidate):

Kim is a lifelong educator and passionate advocate for quality education. She has been a classroom teacher and school principal, held various district-level positions, and served as the CEO of KIPP Colorado Schools and President & CEO of Colorado "I Have A Dream" Foundation. She is also the mother of two DPS students with different learning needs and educational interests. She states her family has been fortunate to select schools for her children that support them to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. With over 25 years of experience as an education leader, problem solver, and passionate collaborator, she is running for the District 1 seat of the Denver Public Schools Board of Education because she believes it is time for a change that ensures transparency, accountability, and an unwavering focus on positive outcomes for students. She is committed to creating an educational system that engages the voices of students, families, educators, community members, and community partners to provide equitable opportunities for all DPS students to learn, grow, and graduate ready to achieve success.

Kimberlee Sia Campaign Website: https://www.siafordpsstudents.com/

We are excited to release the first episodes in the DPS Board Candidate Series! This week we are sitting down with the candidates looking to represent District 1 (Southeast Denver). The community has the opportunity to hear the vision and the stories of Scott Baldermann and Kimberly Sia. Whether you live in District 1 or not, we hope you give both candidates the time to hear from them in more depth than you would in other spaces. 

Support for this series comes from The Denver Foundation: Through gifts of cash and stocks or more complex assets, The Denver Foundation helps generous donors get the most from their giving.

Bio (From the Candidate):
Scott Baldermann is a parent of two children in southeast Denver. He was raised in Aurora, Colorado and went to public neighborhood schools. He walked to Arkansas Elementary where he was the President of the Student Council in 5th grade. He went to Mrachek Middle School and graduated from Rangeview High School in 1994. From 2016-2018 he was the PTA President at Lincoln Elementary School and was on the school’s Collaborative School Committee for the 2018-19 school year. Scott received his Master’s in Architecture from the University of Nebraska in 2000. He grew up in Aurora, Colorado where he attended his neighborhood schools and graduated from Rangeview High School. He was elected to serve as the District 1 Representative in November 2019.

Scott Baldermann Campaign Website: https://scott4schools.org/

In this thought-provoking episode, we sit down with a few of our graduates from Leadership Launchpad cohort 4: David Martinez, Kiara Chavez, Angelica Granados, and Hanna Celis. Together, we reflect on our experiences in school and life beyond the classroom.

Join us as we dive deep into candid conversations, sharing personal stories, and exploring how our educational journey shaped us. From the highs to the lows, we unpack it all.

Kelly Brough worked for former then-Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper from 2003 to 2009, finishing as his chief of staff. Brough later worked as president and C.E.O. of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce from 2009 to 2021, and chief strategy officer at Metropolitan State University of Denver from 2021 to 2022.

Kelly Brough is a candidate in the 2023 Denver Mayoral Election finishing in second place in the initial round of the election on April 4.