Here at Clayton, while we are still in the chill of winter, there is warmth and hope spreading across our campus. While we face political uncertainty as a nation with severe divisions among our people, I believe we can all find common ground in Clayton’s mission that centers a multi-generational approach to ensure children have an exceptional start while empowering families to achieve life-long success. I have always believed in the power of transformation. We can help families realize their dreams and hopes and give children a competitive chance and better opportunities.  

Achieving this mission isn’t easy. It requires highly dedicated educators and support staff who are completely committed to seeing our families and children succeed. It takes community partnerships to help provide the critical support that our families and children require. And it takes a vision for our campus to bring new integrated systems to life. 

As part of our dream for this campus, Clayton will finish a year-long visioning process that was initiated on the core belief that the campus can honor its historical elegance while concurrently serving the community better. We will be sharing this vision with the community to further refine it over the next few months. 

The first phase of the vision is already coming to life. We are excited about our new partnership with Denver Health which will convert an under-utilized historic building into a new health clinic to provide mental health, primary care, and dental services. With architectural design work scheduled to begin this spring, this clinic will provide expanded access to high-quality care to Clayton families, while bringing additional healthcare capacity to our neighbors in the surrounding Clayton community. We are excited that architectural design work will begin this spring.  

Healthcare is just one support we will infuse into the campus. We are   evaluating new partnerships for affordable housing, sports and wellness, workforce development, nutritious food, and the arts to intentionally increase the community utilization of the campus.  

On the environmental sustainability front, our Educare School is officially solar-powered – thanks to our partnership with the City of Denver. This investment will provide a $1.1M return over 15 years and dramatically reduce carbon emissions. We have also retooled the campus with more efficient heating and cooling systems and recently secured a major grant to replace a damaged roof on one of our historic buildings. 

While these developments are all generating enthusiasm and hope – at the core is our ability to deliver exceptional education for the children we serve. In this spirit, Clayton has pledged to dedicate $50,000 annually to a new teacher bonus program designed to support our highest-performing educators. We will be announcing these honorees and sharing their stories of excellence at our annual gala, which will take place this fall.  

Finally, I will close with a story from one of our Child Family Educators, who presented to our Board last month. She shared the story of a young mother who was facing numerous challenges and needed additional support to finish her degree. Thanks to the wrap-around services provided by our dedicated team and additional resources from community partners, she successfully completed her degree, setting her up with opportunity to support her family, advance her career, and follow her dreams for a better life.     

We believe this campus transformation can stand as a blueprint—a model for communities across the nation—showing what’s possible when place, purpose, and partnership come together in service of the common good. For over a century, Clayton has been a refuge, a place where lives have been changed and opportunities created. It’s time for this campus to be a vibrant home for everyone in our city. This vision isn’t something we can achieve alone. It’s going to take all of us—every partner, every family, every neighbor—to bring this dream to life. And when we do, it will be a legacy we can all be proud of—a legacy that endures for generations to come. 

Ever Forward, 

William Browning 

President and CEO