Pop Culture Classroom Supporters,
It’s Colorado Gives Season—the best time to give!
Pop Culture Classroom (PCC) was founded on values we hold close to our hearts: celebrating diversity, fostering self-expression, and building community. These principles guide everything we do, from our Colorful History comic collection to the Excellence in Graphic Literature Awards and graphic literature teaching guides. Through these programs, we amplify marginalized voices, provide students with tools to tell their stories, and create opportunities for meaningful connections across differences—all while fostering a love for pop culture. This is always important work but this year we are all feeling it more than ever.
I am grateful for the opportunities I have to see the magic of our mission in action is connecting with our community at events like Fan Expo and Mini-Cons. At the PCC table, I greet attendees, hand out prizes, and see firsthand the impact of the spaces we create. I meet three inspiring “archetypes” of people at these events:
Cosplayers of All Ages:
At a Mini-Con, I see people embracing their true selves in a safe, welcoming environment. One standout memory is a dad in full costume introducing his kids to something he loves, even though his kids were not dressed up themselves. These moments of acceptance and joy are rare and powerful.
Educators Seeking Inspiration:
I met a teacher at our Bennett Mini-Con who was teaching research methods through cryptid stories (think Bigfoot). She drive driven over an hour to gather new ideas and resources! Our team connected her with tools, ideas, and a supportive community of educators, all to help her engage her students.
Volunteers and Partners Sharing Their Passions:
This year, we welcomed Merlin, a volunteer who performs on a harp while in cosplay. His enthusiasm and initiative has turned him into our “town crier,” drawing people into workshops and creating excitement. When we create opportunities for people to express themselves you never know what magic will be created.
I’m so grateful for moments like these, made possible by generous donors.
To continue to provide transformative opportunities we need your support. Please join us in preparing students to imagine better futures for humanity – our greatest hope for a future where all may thrive. Can I count on you to make a stretch gift this year? For you that could be $10 or $10,000 through a Donor Advised Fund.
To maximize the impact of your contribution there are a few ways to time your gift:
1. Set up a monthly gift. Monthly Colorado Gives Day gifts will have their first monthly gift matched!*
2. Double your gift—The first $1,000 donated to PCC through the Colorado Gives platform will be matched by a generous PCC board member. Act quickly to be part of this match!
3. Support during our Power Hour—Give between 3:00 and 4:00 PM on Tuesday, December 10th, Colorado Gives Day, to help us win an additional $2,000!
Together, we can inspire learning, celebrate diversity, and build welcoming spaces for creativity and self-expression. Thank you for being an essential part of our community and for your generosity this season.