About Us
VISION STATEMENT
We envision a world in which all youth have equal opportunities to reach their dreams, and in which educational attainment and meaningful careers are open to all regardless of their circumstances. We believe that self-determined and fulfilled individuals strengthen our collective future.
MISSION STATEMENT
Peak Education walks alongside youth as they prepare to pursue the education and training they need to reach their dreams – illuminating the possibilities after high school, guiding them as they chart their course and providing support, resources, and skills to equip them for the journey.
OUR WHY
Peak Education disrupts the status quo by closing opportunity gaps in our community. We believe that every student deserves to reach for their full potential and that all willing learners can do so. We do this by working to enact change at multiple levels beyond the individual students that participate directly in our program. Our work impacts families, schools, and our city to further access to education as well as social and economic inclusion.
HOW
Peak Education works to create change at every level that impacts a student's trajectory. This includes working directly with their families, schools and the greater Colorado Springs community to work toward positive outcomes for our scholars.
SOLVING THE CHALLENGE
Low-income graduates from Colorado Springs high schools are less likely than peers across the state and nation to enroll directly in college. Despite nearly 75% of all careers following high school requiring college or postsecondary training, only 43% of low-income high school graduates enroll in a postsecondary option from Colorado Springs. This is significantly lower than the national (67.9%) and statewide (56%) postsecondary enrollment rates.
Since Peak Education's founding over 23 years ago, we have built off our founder's mission of ensuring that our scholars are empowered to take ownership of their educational journey and receive the support and mentorship to overcome any barriers that may impede them from reaching their full potential. By starting programming in 7th grade, we change a student and family’s expectations about what is possible in terms of educational and career attainment. Our high school program prepares students to apply to college and provides them with the skills to be successful when they enroll. Once in college, we provide them with the support to graduate and leverage their degree to begin a meaningful career. All of our programming and curriculum is supported by strong mentoring relationships with our students.
To create the greatest impact, we focus on four peak areas of students lives:
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Social Skills and Mental Health
We prioritize the development of social skills and mental health by providing students with resources and support that foster emotional well-being. Through workshops, counseling, and peer interactions, we equip scholars with the tools they need to navigate relationships, build resilience, and manage stress, ensuring they are prepared for both academic and personal challenges.
Our Story
In response to a drive-by shooting in 1997 that left two Harrison School District students dead and two others imprisoned, our co-founders, Dr. H. Dalton Conner, a periodontal surgeon, and attorney Steven U. Mullens set out to design a program to positively impact the lives of students in southeastern Colorado Springs. Through a collaborative effort with Rick Price, the principal of Carmel Middle School, Peak Education was founded with the mission of empowering students to take ownership of their educational journey and receive the support and mentorship to overcome any barriers that may impede them from reaching their full potential.
Initially conceived as a scholarship-based incentive program, over more than two decades Peak Education has evolved into a mentoring and college access organization that provides long-term engagement with students and families focused on four strategies for success: developing college and career readiness, building students’ capacity for leadership, fostering full family engagement in their students’ journeys, and creating broad-based community connections.