A Colorado Springs-based nonprofit recently expanded one of its signature programs to include two jam-packed summer enrichment sessions.

Educating Children of Color, an organization dedicated to elevating underserved kids through education, just completed the initial session of its first Summer Leadership Academy, an initiative that combines interactive learning with a series of classroom sessions on a variety of topics, including fitness and nutrition, suicide awareness, mental and emotional health, and college/scholarship applications.

Student engagement during the summer months is essential in combating learning loss; studies show that certain academic skills can deteriorate without some form of mental stimulation. But summer enrichment serves another, equally important purpose, said Educating Children of Color Executive Director Marissa Prince.

“Summer is the most fun time to get into trouble,” said Prince, who knows what she’s talking about. As a troubled teen, she was expelled from several Colorado Springs-area schools, and on the day she should have been graduating from high school, she gave birth to her first child, she said.

“Many of the schools we serve, I was kicked out of,” said Prince, who went on to earn a doctorate in psychology before her 30th birthday. “I know what these kids need, because I know what I needed.”

Leadership Academy, which is designed to help students develop confidence and leadership ability, usually takes place during the academic year. But this summer, the organization formed partnerships with Colorado Springs school Districts 2 and 11 to expand the program.

“Without Harrison District 2 and District 11, we never could have made it happen, because we don’t have the funding,” said Educating Children of Color founder Regina Walter. “They provided the location and the transportation to make it possible. District 11 also provided food for the kids.”

The first session, which concluded Thursday, took place at Doherty High School and was structured for rising seventh- and eighth-graders.

“Because of the younger age group, the programming was mostly active,” said Educating Children of Color board member Kathy Robbins.

The STEM-based programming included a field trip to the Air Force Academy’s planetarium, a demonstration of Miracle Berries — which contain a glycoprotein that binds itself to taste buds, making sour foods taste sweet — and an interactive observation of a butterfly’s transformation from a pupa to a colorful, winged insect.

Other exercises included a fitness and nutrition class, boxing, hip-hop dancing and a Juneteenth activity.

“We tried to pack as much as we can into a short period, so we can expose them to as many empowering topics as we can and they come out the week feeling their best about themselves,” said Educating Children of Color executive assistant Aleah Cordoba.

The initial week was not without its hiccups, officials said. Organizers had prepared to accommodate 30 students. But thanks to word of mouth, about 100 showed up.

“It was a little chaotic at first,” Prince said. “All of a sudden we needed more food, more buses, more helpers, more everything. But the district has been fantastic.”

Additionally, a butterfly release was supposed to be one of the week’s culminating activities. But nature did not comply; only a handful of the winged insects had emerged from their pupae as of Thursday afternoon.

“We’ll come back and release the butterflies next week,” Walter said.

All things considered, the first academy week was a success, organizers said.

“I felt like we connected with them, and they connected with us,” Cordoba said. “I heard so many good things from the kids, and we had a lot of them tell us they want to go to college. I was really pleased with how it went.”

“We’ve had so much wonderful support from the district,” Prince added. “They understand how important this is to the community.”

The second four-day session will take place at Harrison High School in July and will focus on high school students, Walter said. The primary focus will be on restorative justice — the process of taking a hard look at the impact of an infraction while holding the offender accountable for his or her actions.

“It’s primarily used in the criminal justice system, to help make victims whole,” said Walter, a former juvenile court judge. “But it’s also a model that’s being used in schools, so we have fewer kids being kicked out of school.”

District 2 Superintendent Wendy Birhanzel is a believer in alternatives to out-of-school suspension. Studies have shown that it can lead to drastically reduced grades, lower graduation rates and a decrease in college enrollment. Repeated suspensions have also been linked to higher involvement in juvenile and adult crime.

“We need (our students) in the classroom, because that’s where the learning happens,” Birhanzel is fond of saying.

The high school students will be training to become restorative justice practitioners at their respective schools, Walter said. As with the first summer Leadership Academy session, organizers are planning for 30 participants.

“But if more kids show up, then we’ll take them,” she said. “We don’t turn anyone away.”