VIVE

GOALS. ViVe has four primary goals: (1) Conduct program-specific strategic planning that formalizes each of ViVe’s programs and includes a structure that has separate staffing, mentoring and volunteers. (2) Expand and replicate ViVe’s programs in communities that demonstrate strong demand and request programming, e.g., Montbello, Aurora, Westwood, etc. (3) Strategically pursue grant funding by identifying local and national funders through a robust funding research process and beginning to network with funders across the state. (4) Expand staffing to allow ViVe to have the capacity to support its expanding programming, including switching from primarily a volunteer-led organization to one where key positions are paid.

ViVe’s long-term goal is to see decreased levels of obesity and lifestyle-related chronic disease in Latino communities in Denver, as a result of youth and their families developing an active lifestyle of wellness and fitness that continues through adulthood. Additionally, ViVe’s annual goal is to provide the opportunity for youth to try new physical activities that they otherwise wouldn’t have access to, and to introduce all youth and their families to city of Denver facilities (such as the recreation centers). In each year of programming, ViVe expects that 100% of participating youth will increase the number of hours spent being physically active each week, as measured by pre- and post-program surveys; 100% of participating youth will attend a minimum of two physical activity program sessions a week during the school year and three sessions a week in the summer (resulting in a minimum of 90 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each session); and each participating youth will demonstrate at least a 15% to 20% improvement in their speed between pre- and post-program evaluations for either a one-mile run/walk or a 200-meter swim.m

Our Vision : "A World Where Every Child Can Play" . VIVE provides children and their families opportunities to engage in physical activities, wellness education, sports and Youth Workforce development that would otherwise be inaccessible to them.
POPULATION SERVED. Though open to any youth in the community who would benefit from increased physical activity, ViVe’s primary target population is Hispanic/Latino youth, and other youth of color, who live in some of the lowest-income neighborhoods in Denver’s 80205 ZIP code, including Globeville, Elyria-Swansea, Five Points and Cole. The schools in ViVe’s target neighborhoods have free- and reduced-price lunch (FRL) rates of more than 85%; the majority of households have income less than 100% of Denver’s median income; and the Latino population in targeted neighborhoods is as high as 82.5%. ViVe prioritizes serving Latino youth because of the significant health disparities they face, especially compared with the general public, such as a childhood obesity rate of more than 20% and a poverty rate that is more than double that of the general population. Latinos in Colorado are more likely to exhibit chronic disease risk behaviors—more than 26% report no physical activity and 66% report a body mass index greater than or equal to 25. Additionally, there are not many accessible physical activity options in these neighborhoods. ViVe’s programs are: •Out-of-School-Time Community Physical Activity Program (CPAP) is a structured multisport program that includes yoga, cycling, running and “boot-camp” type activities after school and throughout the summer. •Learn to Swim (LTS) programs are one-hour swim lessons offered during school time in partnership with Denver Public Schools and after-school year-round. LTS specifically targets youth ages 4 to 18 but is also open to parents, because ViVe’s experience is that when a parent is involved, their children are more likely to participate consistently. LTS is ViVe’s largest and most in-demand program, with at least 40 on the waitlist. In 2017, 300 children participated in LTS. •Community outreach events are held 3 to 4 times a year in partnership with community organizations (150 to 400 community members attend each) to encourage fun, physical activity for the entire family. •Health educational seminars are held up to 12 times a year either in partnership with community organizations or independently within the community. •ViVe Multisport is a training team for youth interested in triathlon or duathlon. •Youth Workforce Development Program (new in 2018), the final step in ViVe’s continuum of fitness programming, is for youth age 15 and over who are interested in health and wellness careers. This three-month program provides training in leadership, CPR, first aid, lifeguard certification, water safety instruction and job readiness, with a pipeline to jobs with the city of Denver.aa

ViVe strives to be inclusive across all of its programs—and this desire for equity and diversity is built into all programs. ViVe’s hiring strategy is based around leadership development—all of ViVe’s staff, volunteers and instructors come from underserved backgrounds and are from the local community—representative of the youth they are working with. This is strategic—ViVe recruits from the communities in which it works and has made a commitment to help all staff get certified and trained in the sport if they haven’t had that economic opportunity in the past. Additionally, 100% of staff speak Spanish—the most common language in ViVe’s target neighborhoods. The board of directors is inclusive of the community in which ViVe works as well—of the six members, 100% are women, two are Latinas, and the rest have significant experience working in and advocating for immigrant and refugee community members, particularly children. Although the majority of participants are children of color, programming is open to anyone in need in the target neighborhoods.
GOVERNANCE. ViVe’s board of directors consists of six committed individuals representative of the community served, and they are highly engaged in setting the strategic direction of the organization and raising funds to finance ViVe’s programs. The board’s strength is in its strong community connections, networking capabilities and ability to fundraise—board members act as ambassadors for the organization, and this is how ViVe has grown over the last three years. The board has accomplished this through networking with funders and hosting two large fundraising events a year. Additionally, board members participate in annual strategic planning and help the executive director create a marketing plan and collateral each year. Board members include community members, municipal officials, business owners, experts in physical activity and health and wellness, a district attorney with a focus on children, and community advocates for the immigrant community. ViVe has a strong volunteer structure and would not exist without the strategic support of both short-term and long-term volunteers. In fact, when ViVe launched in 2015, it was entirely managed and run by volunteers from the community. Today, as ViVe has begun to receive grant funding, many instructors are now paid. In 2017, ViVe had 50 volunteers who contributed 864 hours of service. The primary roles of volunteers are as instructors for the fitness classes, administrative support, website support and transportation assistance. All volunteers must complete an application and undergo a background check. Volunteer instructors must be up to date in all certifications and licenses necessary for the class they are teaching , also undergo training that is specific to ViVe, including learning the curriculum, safety process, how to work with children, developmental and culturally appropriate programming and other topics as determined by the executive director.

ViVe has served more than 1,000 children ages 4 to 18 and their families, through in-school and out-of-school physical activity programs that use a two-generational approach to address the health needs of adults and their children. Over the last three years, ViVe has evolved significantly—doubling the number of youth served each year and continuing to tailor programming to the needs of the underserved and immigrant communities— expanding from only offering swim and community exercise classes to also offering more competitive sports training, workforce development and leadership development opportunities in 2018. Most recently, this included four high school girls who started in the Learn to Swim class several years ago and just completed their ViVe training to be lifeguards in the city of Denver as well as ViVe swim instructors. These girls are the future leaders of this program.
ViVe has partner with over 12 organizations to reach the address the organization's goal. Some of the Partnered organizations in 2018 are VUELA for health, Civic Canopy, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Academy, Centro Amistad, Clinica Tepeyac, City of Denver Recreation Department, Groundwork, Denver Public Schools, DCIS Fairmont, Cole Middle School and many more.