(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Parents Challenge, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing educational choice and empowerment for families, celebrated its 25th anniversary on Saturday, Sept. 27.
Founded in 2000, the organization has equipped low-income parents with tools, resources, and financial support to choose the best educational paths for their children, whether that’s public, private, charter, or homeschool.
Congressman Jeff Crank and Mayor Yemi Mobolade joined the celebration. The mayor honored the milestone with an official Colorado Springs proclamation honoring 25 years of Parents Challenge fulfilling its mission, recognizing the organization as a beacon of educational equity.
“As mayor of this great city and as a father raising three children, I deeply resonate with the Mission of Parents Challenge,” said Mayor Mobolade. “I believe in parents as partners, and I believe when families are supported, schools are stronger, communities are healthier, and the future of our city is brighter.”
The celebration marks a landmark year for Parents Challenge, which recently announced that more than $2 million in support was received between 2020 and 2025. Over the last two and a half decades, the organization has supported more than 1,500 families and nearly 4,500 children.
Congressman Crank spoke about Parents Challenge co-founders Steve and Joyce Schuck. “Steve and Joyce were early pioneers in the school choice movement,” said Crank. “They were and they continue to be giants in the fight for all parents, no matter their place in life, to be empowered to choose the best education for their children.”
Dawson, a licensed therapist, shared how when she was in high school, her family faced financial stress, and Parents Challenge helped support her family and allowed her to continue her education.
“They were such a great resource for my mom,” said Dawson. “We established some really good friendships, friendships that I still have. A lot of building blocks in my career, a lot of building blocks in how I operate as a person, it came from that time while I was working with Parents Challenge.”
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