Make Your Business a Triple Bottom Line Business!

People, planet, profit.

The future of business (not to mention tremendous profit potential) belongs to the companies that commit to sustainable development.

The Greater Good Academy is an 8-week business development course to train low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs in Denver how to incorporate triple bottom line (3BL) business practices of economic prosperity, environmental stewardship and social responsibility in order to become more profitable.

Be part of the next generation of civic-minded businesses!

The fall 2010 Greater Good Academy takes place at Mi Casa Resource Center (360 Acoma Street) Tuesday evenings - 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. - beginning September 21 through November 9.

Click here to view/print the flyer for the fall 2010 Greater Good Academy.

Through the support of sponsors, including the Denver Office of Economic Development and the Colorado Enterprise Fund, tuition costs only $125 for qualified entrepreneurs.

Greater Good Academy focuses on the benefits of including environmental and social factors in running your business. By the end of the course, each entrepreneur has completed a 3BL business plan that lays out the company’s mission, operations, marketing and related growth strategies. See the video.

Greater Good Academy serves a range of small businesses: retail, product design, consulting, health care, construction, graphic arts, marketing, food/urban agriculture, community development, etc.

Whether your company provides an eco-friendly product or service, or seeks to include social and environmental elements into its overall strategy for profitability, Greater Good Academy will provide you with a 360 degree understanding of how to make your business a triple bottom line business.

A network of business mentors assists participants during the program.

For more information, call Richard Eidlin - 303-478-0131.

AT&T Supports Mi Casa's Entrepreneurial Training in Pueblo

Mi Casa Resource Center is happy to announce that the organization has received a $5,000 contribution from the AT&T Foundation in support of its business development programs for underserved entrepreneurs in Southern Colorado. AT&T presented the contribution at Mi Casa’s Pueblo office on September 8 at an event to kick off the fall entrepreneurial training classes and celebrate the new name for Mi Casa’s training room - the AT&T Entrepreneurial Training Center.

Through AT&T’s contribution, Mi Casa will be able to equip entrepreneurs with the skills needed to successfully launch a new business, including developing a business plan and accessing capital. Mi Casa also provides consulting services to existing businesses to help them sustain or grow operations.

“AT&T is dedicated to improving education and workforce development in our Pueblo community. Supporting Pueblo business entrepreneurs is one of the many ways that our local economy can continue to grow. We are proud to be here today with Mi Casa as they lead the way in providing the needed resources in Pueblo and Southern Colorado to take those first steps as business owners” said Bill Soards, President, AT&T Colorado.
Mi Casa runs the only two Women’s Business Centers funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration in Colorado – in Denver and Southern Colorado. Mi Casa’s business development programs target underserved entrepreneurs – particularly women and Latinos – and include introductory workshops for the business curious, 13-week comprehensive entrepreneurial training courses in both English and Spanish, as well as individual technical assistance, mentoring and networking opportunities.

“Mi Casa is grateful to have the support of AT&T for our business development activities in Southern Colorado,” said Christine Marquez-Hudson, Executive Director of Mi Casa. “AT&T’s strong commitment to corporate responsibility and community engagement will serve as encouragement to Mi Casa business students as they work toward their dreams of financial stability and self-employment.”

Mi Casa’s Business Success training program teaches aspiring entrepreneurs and established small business owners the basics of finance, lending, insurance, strategic planning, daily operations, marketing, market research and legal structures. The course combines in-depth financial literacy training with individual business counseling. In order to successfully fulfill course requirements, students must submit at least a draft of a viable business plan. For established small businesses, Mi Casa offers technical assistance to help sustain or grow operations.

Photos from August 18 Digital Connectors Launch Event

Free Job Training for Residents of 80205 Zip Code

Denver Green Jobs Initiative announces the availability of free job training, support services and job placement assistance to help unemployed and disadvantaged residents of the Five Points area (80205 zip code) launch careers with strong earning and advancement potential in Colorado’s high-growth green industries:

o Solar Energy Technology
o Green Construction
o Energy Efficiency and Weatherization
o Green Jobs Administration and Sales

Denver Green Jobs Initiative is currently recruiting for all classes, which range from introductory to high-level certification courses. Denver Green Jobs Initiative is reaching out to our friends to help us spread the word about this great opportunity for free job training for residents of 80205. Anyone is welcome to visit the Denver Green Jobs Headquarters, located in the Phillips Center at 1619 E. 35th Avenue.

“We are dedicated to creating a highly skilled and flexible workforce for the green economic sector,” said Rick Lawton, Project Manager for Denver Green Jobs Initiative. “Denver Green Jobs is a community-based engine for economic development and environmental sustainability that will help residents of 80205 access the training and support they need to successfully begin careers in Colorado’s fastest growing industries.”

Colorado is already an important national player in the renewable energy and efficiency industries, and by 2030 these sectors could generate $61.5 billion in revenues and create 613,000 well-paid jobs in the state. Nationwide, the renewable energy and efficiency industries could generate 37 million jobs by 2030 – that’s 17% of all anticipated U.S. employment. Most jobs in the green sectors are similar to roles in other industries - truck drivers, welders, roofers, machinists, construction laborers, and cashiers - and offer opportunities for entry-level employees to work their way up the ranks and build a promising career.

Denver Green Jobs Initiative participants can choose to take just one course or sign up for a career path. Course offerings combine technical and non-technical training to prepare students for success in employment, apprenticeships or continuing education. Each participant receives individual job placement assistance, including resume preparation, writing cover letters, interviewing and networking skills, and access to employers who are hiring.

Participation in the Denver Green Jobs Initiative is limited to individuals who reside in the 80205 zip code (Five Points, Cole, Whittier, Skyland, and Clayton neighborhoods).

“Denver Green Jobs Initiative is focused on the Five Points community because we have identified a strong need for training and education in order for folks to break into the high-growth industries of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and sustainable construction,” said Lawton. “Five Points is among the city’s most historical and most vibrant communities, yet one in four residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment and crime rates are significantly higher than averages for Denver.”

Those interested in enrolling in training through Denver Green Jobs Initiative should visit www.denvergreenjobs.org or call 303-974-1900 for more information.

Denver Green Jobs Initiative is a collaboration between nonprofit, community-based organizations, private companies, trade unions, and workforce development agencies. Denver Green Jobs Initiative is a two-year project funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Congrats, Digital Connectors!!

On Saturday, July 17, Mi Casa Resource Center and the Comcast Foundation celebrated the graduation of Mi Casa’s inaugural class of Digital Connectors, a group of 12 youth from diverse, low-income backgrounds, who recently completed the 10-month digital literacy program. Mi Casa’s Digital Connectors showcased what they learned about digital media, broadband technology, and putting their knowledge to work for the betterment of their community.

The Comcast Digital Connectors program is an innovative partnership between the Comcast Foundation and One Economy Corporation which has launched in several Comcast markets across the country to involve youth in bridging the digital divide, or the gap – often along socioeconomic and generational lines – between those with access to digital technology and those without.

“The Digital Connectors program is an important initiative for Comcast as we continue to seek out opportunities to educate young people about civic engagement and instill in them the leadership and technology skills that are so essential to their futures,” said Scott Binder, regional senior vice president of Comcast. “We are proud to honor these students for their initiative and commitment.”

The 12 Mi Casa Digital Connectors recognized on July 17 – six received certificates of completion and six received certificates of participation – are local youth ranging in age from 14 to 21. They come from different schools including North High, and P.S.1 Charter School. In exchange for their hard work and time commitment, which averaged six hours per week for 10 months, the Digital Connectors received a desktop computer and a USB drive. In recognition of their graduation, the Comcast Foundation and One Economy Corporation will reward each Digital Connector with a flip camera AND a netbook computer!

“We have encouraged our Digital Connectors to think about the program as a job, complete with important responsibilities, high expectations and tangible rewards,” said Andrea Herrera Moreno, Mi Casa’s Digital Connectors Program Coordinator.

Perla Jimenez, 19, participated in the program with her two younger brothers and will be recognized on July 17. “I’m a Digital Connector because I see myself as a leader to my younger siblings. I know that if I do something good they’ll want to follow in my footsteps,” Perla says.

Perla was named Mi Casa Digital Connector of the month in February 2010 and received the same honor nationally in March. Perla has been an enthusiastic participant in the Digital Connectors classes and service projects even as she gets ready to attend Community College of Denver in the fall. Perla is proud and excited to be the first person in her family to graduate high school - and in four years, she plans to be the first to graduate from college.

U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis Visits Mi Casa

Labor Secretary Hilda Solis was in Denver yesterday, where she visited Mi Casa and the Denver Green Jobs Initiative - a DOL-funded project in the 80205 zip code to provide job training, supportive services, and job placement assistance to unemployed and disadvantaged residents.

Secretary Solis blogged about her experience in Denver and at Mi Casa in the White House Blog - check it out!

Secretary Solis praised Mi Casa and its partners on the Denver Green Jobs Initiative for providing low-income workers with the skills needed to start a promising new career - not just a job. Sec. Solis said that she and the Obama Administration are fixated on creating opportunities in the renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) industries - even if jobs in these sectors are not yet abundant.

"It's our future," Sec. Solis said. "We have lost more than one million jobs overseas, but I think green-collar jobs can bring those jobs and more back home to the United States ... The President and I feel strongly that in order to realize our vision to create sustainable energy sources and reduce our dependence on foreign oil, we need to invest in our most valuable resource - our people."

That's why the Department of Labor is investing in job-training programs across the country - part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. For more information about green jobs training through Mi Casa, visit our website www.MiCasaResourceCenter.org.

MSCD Center for Urban Education Teaches Programming to Mi Casa Youth

Mi Casa volunteer and Metropolitan State College Professor Dr. Don Gilmore is a math whiz.

In fact, he’s so good he teaches math to math teachers. So you might be surprised to meet his sidekicks in the classroom – Rajon and Deon – students at Lake Middle School who attend Mi Casa Neighborhood Center every day after school.

Rajon and Deon didn’t have any experience with computer programming until Dr. Gilmore and his student assistants from the Metro State College Center for Urban Education came to the Mi Casa Neighborhood Center to start a computer gaming program. The volunteers from MSCD taught the Mi Casa kids about Alice, a computer programming teaching tool that makes it easy for students to create 3D animated stories. Rajon and Deon dove into the project and soon were creating not just digital stories, but interactive video games.

Last year, Deon and Rajon had a chance to share what they learned about Alice with a group of math teachers, who were eager to hear their impressions of the program. The teachers asked them questions about the program and the best way of teaching it to students. The kids got a real kick out of tutoring the teachers for once!

Rajon and Deon continue to be Dr. Gilmore’s valued teaching assistants. Just last month they stopped by the Office of Urban Teacher Partnerships at the Center for Urban Education for pizza and pop before heading over to join Dr. Gilmore and his Mathematics of Secondary Curriculum course. Deon and Rajon were there to help Dr. Gilmore teach the students about using Alice in the classroom.

Students from the United States have fallen well behind students from other countries in knowledge of math and science – an issue of great concern to Dr. Gilmore. “Math is part of every science. It’s incredibly important yet the traditional approach to teaching math hasn’t been successful in engaging a broader audience,” he says. “I prefer an approach where students’ learning is focused around their own thinking and ideas. There may be just one right answer to a problem, but often there are different ways to get there, and I’ve found this approach keeps students more engaged.”

Dr. Gilmore is especially concerned that many kids in the public school system – particularly low-income children at inner-city schools like Deon and Rajon – are not being given sufficient opportunities to learn about math, science and technology. That’s why the Center for Urban Education Metro State brings professors and university students into urban schools in high-needs areas like Lake in order to provide low-income children with enriching afterschool programs focused on academic success, as well as math and science learning.

At the Mi Casa Neighborhood Center, Don supplied nine laptop computers equipped with Alice and has dedicated many hours of his own time and that of his team to supporting the children in their introduction to the world of computer science. He hopes it will be the beginning of a lifelong interest in technology that will propel the students to college and into successful careers. In the meantime, Dr. Gilmore will do his part to make sure that all children, no matter their background or socioeconomic status, have opportunities to learn about the technology that underpins our modern world, as well as the math concepts that underpin our technology.