It’s not every day you hear about high school students working to make their schools safer for diversity. Read below for answers to basic questions about the conference.

When is the conference?
Saturday, January 31, 2009.

How did this conference get started?
In 1993, Janet Sammons, a history and social studies teacher at Cherry Creek High School, noticed teens across the state were dealing with the same issues and problems, but many times did not have the resources or knowledge to address their diversity concerns. After creating the conference, word spread across the state, and 15 years later we had 80 schools participate. Every year for the last eight years the conference has reached capacity and had to turn away schools due to space limitations.

What happens at a diversity conference?
Students and faculty advisors hear from a keynote speaker, participate in discussion groups, attend two workshops and plan with their schools on how to incorporate what they’ve learned into their communities. Please see the schedule for more information.

What workshops are offered?
Most unique to our conference are the two workshop sessions, each of which can be selected by every attendee. The subjects of these workshops vary widely from class and poverty issues, to education and school climate, to historical or racial and ethnic topics.

Who runs the conference?
The conference is devised and planned for by the Executive Committee, a team of some sixty students and adults who plan the conference in its entirety. The committee is open to all high school students, faculty advisors, and interested members of the public and is overseen by two student co-chairs. Additionally, two adult co-directors manage the administrative and logistic aspects of the conference.

How successful is the conference?
While it is nearly impossible to gauge the full impact of the conference each year, we ask participants for detailed evaluations each year to help guide us in our efforts. Here are some statistics from last year’s conference:

• 96% of all attendees rated our keynote speaker, Dr. María Guajardo, very good or excellent.
• 82% of students rated our student-run discussion groups very good or excellent.
• 94% of all attendees rated our workshops very good or excellent.
• 91% of students said the conference increased their awareness and understanding of diversity a lot or as much as possible.
• 99% of students and 100% of adults said they would attend our conference again.

What is the conference’s operating budget? Where does it get its funding?
The 2009 conference will run on an operating budget of approximately $20,000. Expenses include building and utility expenses, security, custodial assistance, performance and speaking fees, administrative costs, supplies and food. The conference derives the majority of its income from registration fees of participating schools. Additional funding is provided through a Title V grant through the Cherry Creek School District, as well as numerous donations by private foundations, companies and individuals. Please note no one on the Executive Committee receives a salary and all work done by the students and adults is on a volunteer basis.

Is my donation tax-deductible?
Yes. While we are not a 501(c)(3) organization, contributions to the conference are deductible for income tax purposes. Please see our certification of 501(c)(c) status for more information.

To whom should checks be made payable?
The Cherry Creek Diversity Conference.

Where do I send donations?
Janet Sammons, Co-Director
Cherry Creek Diversity Conference
c/o Cherry Creek High School
9300 E. Union Avenue
Greenwood Village, CO 80111

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