“Giving Denver Kids a Hand Up, Not a Handout”
The Lonnie Porter Leadership Academy was founded in 1996 by Lonnie “Coach” Porter. In 2006, Chauncey Billups partnered with Coach Porter and the program was renamed the Porter-Billups Leadership Academy (“PBLA”). PBLA helps youth from at-risk communities who have demonstrated academic and leadership potential to successfully graduate from high school and pursue higher education. Students enroll in a three-week summer program during the summer before their fourth grade year and continue to attend the academy every summer through their junior year of high school. Upon completion of the program, graduates who qualify for admission to Regis University are eligible to receive a scholarship to Regis University that covers tuition and fees. Please join us to learn more about PBLA and how we are inspiring Denver’s young leaders.
Jennifer Clark is a former Denver Public School teacher who found her passion for educating young people was greater than the confines of a standard curriculum. As a result, she started teaching at PBLA in 2015 and then became the Assistant Director of PBLA in 2017. Jennifer’s contributions to PBLA have included recruiting students, assembling and leading a diverse faculty, developing a relevant curriculum that focused on overcoming barriers faced by the students, as well as establishing authentic relationships with the students that both support them while they navigate the world we live and while they hone their leadership skills for the future.