Trinity Maes’ world changed in third grade when her mom died.
She was overwhelmed by loss, grief and frustration. Her father worked all the time so Trinity stayed at the homes of a rotating group of friends. She missed school frequently, lashing out when she was in class.
Then Trinity was matched with Kate Kratofil, an education counselor with the nonprofit organization Denver Kids Inc.
Everything changed.
“She started to learn how to process that grief,” said Bridget Boyd, spokeswoman for Denver Kids. “She adopted positive behavioral strategies, and started reigning in those outbursts. Kate really helped Trinity learn some of these life skills and it helped her emotions stabilize.”
Since 1946, Denver Kids has provided long term, one-on-one counseling and mentoring to over 1,000 Denver Public School students such as Trinity in grades kindergarten through 12th.
The nonprofit organization provides support to kids challenged by poverty, helping students in the classroom and preparing them for college and careers. The long-term model means students stay with these full-time counselors for an average of seven years.
Social emotional learning is at the core of the organization’s creed. A growing trend in education across the county, SEL teaches social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.
“These skills are necessary to be prepared for the workforce and play a positive role in society,” Boyd said.
Staying in school is a big part of that. The majority of the program’s graduates are the first in their family to complete high school. Ninety-three percent go to college.
But for many of these kids, the future can be hard to picture. College? Careers? With a torrent of more pressing daily obstacles, dealing with the here and now is often hard enough.
Denver Kids Inc., hopes to give students like Trinity the freedom to dream bigger.
“Denver Kids can provide the first opportunity for these kids to harness their imagination,” Boyd said. “It’s getting them to take the future in focus, without limits.”