La Academia at the Denver Inner City Parish is a private, non-profit school located in West Denver serving 80 sixth through twelfth grade low-income students. Founded in 1971, La Academia has addressed the educational and social needs of at-risk youth.
Our Adult Night School assists an additional 20 students who earn their high school diploma or prepare for the G.E.D. test.
La Academia follows the Denver Public School schedule, late August through May. Night School is open during the same months; classes are 3:30 pm to 7:00 pm Monday through Thursday.
Our community is mostly Latino, earning less than $15,000 per year; 71% of the resident children under the age of 18 are living in poverty. Most of our students have not been successful in prior schools and many come to
us below grade level.
The Colorado Children’s Campaign Report detailed a four-year study, which found that 65% of Latinos in Colorado who began 9th grade dropped out of high school. During the same period 70% of La Academia’s 9th graders graduated. The study also indicated that only 13.5% of Latinos attend college. In the last five years, 75% of La Academia graduates attended college.
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