The Federal Programs and Supports Unit is hosting spring Regional Network Meetings to support local education agencies in completing the 2023-24 Consolidated Application for ESEA Funds. LEAs are welcome to attend any session, regardless of region. Anyone who works on the consolidated application is welcome to attend.

• The virtual RNM on Wednesday, April 19, will provide an overview of the application functionality and highlight changes from the previous year's application.
• In-person regional work sessions in April and May will provide an opportunity for LEAs to workshop their applications with the support of ESEA specialists.
• Office hours Q&A in May will focus on answering questions related to the consolidated application.

Register for an RNM on the ESEA Regional Networking Meetings webpage.

The Colorado Department of Higher Education is encouraging students to get their piece of the financial aid pie by filling out the FAFSA and CAFSA. FAFSA is a student's ticket to scholarships, grants, work study and other financial aid that can put higher education dreams in reach. This year, Colorado has set a goal of reaching 52% completion.

Below are some ways to promote CAFSA and FAFSA:

• Share this letter signed by CDE and CDHE with students to encourage them to complete the FAFSA.
• Check your school’s FAFSA completion rate with CDHE's FAFSA Completion Tool. For questions about the tool, email [email protected].
• Watch the CDHE FAFSA Myth Busters series with Executive Director, Dr. Angie Paccione.
• Host a FAFSA night in your community. Check out this toolkit from the U.S. Department of Education for templates, tools, sample programming and more.

Visit CDHE's FAFSA webpage for additional information.

Volunteers are being sought for seats on the Facility Schools Board. Seats are open for:

• One person who represents state-level child placement agencies.
• One person who represents county departments of social services.

The membership term is three years, and the board meets monthly. Board members serve without compensation, except for reasonable reimbursement of travel expenses. Applicants must include a resume and a cover letter/letter of interest by Wednesday, March 29. Application documents must be emailed to Judy Stirman at [email protected].

The dates and host sites for this summer's Teaching and Learning CoLabs are:

• Thursday, June 1, in Grand Junction hosted by Colorado Mesa University.
• Wednesday, June 14, in Greeley hosted by the University of Northern Colorado.
• Date TBD in Pueblo hosted by CSU-Pueblo.

The Teaching and Learning CoLabs are one-day, multi-disciplinary regional PD developed in partnership with Colorado's higher education institutions, professional teaching organizations, and CDE. This year's content areas include English Language Acquisition, math, health, PE, science, computer science, social studies, visual and performing arts, and school leadership. Schools are encouraged to attend a CoLab in teams, with teachers representing multiple grades and content areas.

CDE will host the following learning cohorts for the 2023-24 school year:

• Highly Mobile Youth Learning Cohort
• Family School and Community Partnerships in High School Learning Cohort

Learning cohorts convene for three to six sessions so participants can share and observe practices and discuss strategies for implementation. Depending on the cohort sessions will be on Zoom and/or in-person. Learning cohorts are free to participants and may include implementation funding.

More cohorts will be added for the 2023-24 school year and updates will be posted to the Learning Cohort webpage. View the Learning Cohort webpage to apply and access specific information on each cohort.