In Denver, Colorado, the Denver Afterschool Alliance (DAA) serves as a vital connector, building partnerships, sparking conversations, and strengthening systems to ensure every young person in the city has access to high-quality afterschool opportunities. Born from a long-standing collaboration between the city, the school district, and community organizations, DAA acts as a trusted intermediary, aligning programs and resources to maximize impact.

John Lewis, Quality Counts Lead at DAA, explains, “Our main mission is to build the capacity of organizations to deliver high-quality programming to as many kids in Denver as possible.” For DAA, this mission is the foundation of every initiative and service they offer.

DAA organizes its work around three interconnected lines of service: Learn, Connect, and Advocate. Central to this effort is the DAA Collective, a space for professional learning and collaboration tailored to meet the needs of Denver’s afterschool professionals. The Collective hosts free professional development sessions on topics ranging from data use to arts engagement, all shaped by the input of providers themselves. “It’s a grassroots space where multiple members of the community are involved in the decision-making process,” Lewis explains.

Since 2012, DAA has supported hundreds of programs across Denver through its tiered membership model, designed to build organizational capacity, strengthen staff skills, and make data tools more accessible. The three tiers—Explore, Venture, and Trailblaze—invite programs to engage in quality improvement at a level that matches their current capacity and goals. Each tier reflects where an organization is in its quality journey, providing a clear and accessible pathway for growth. “None of our membership levels come with a cost,” Lewis explains. “It’s about meeting organizations where they are and connecting them with the right opportunities to grow.”

As programs deepen their engagement with DAA, they gain access to expanded supports, including professional development, peer networking, data collection tools, and technical assistance from national leaders—all at no cost. The Trailblaze tier, for example, offers the most comprehensive support for programs ready to take their quality improvement efforts to the next level. “We didn’t want to create tiers that label one organization as better than another,” Lewis shares. “Instead, we focus on meeting partners where they are, recognizing that capacity and quality evolve over time.”

Benefiting from the expertise of staff and the insights gained through provider relationships, DAA has continually refined its supportive offerings since launching to ensure that their tools and frameworks are adaptable for organizations of all sizes and capacities.  “Whether it’s a large organization already immersed in quality improvement or a smaller one just starting out, we want to meet partners where they are,” Lewis shares.

This commitment to adaptability stems from DAA’s practice of listening and learning. Partner feedback is central to shaping offerings, and one insight is clear: the importance of shared spaces. “We consistently hear how valuable it is to have spaces where people can connect, share strategies, and learn together,” says Lewis. These collaborative spaces build a community of practice where everyone grows together.

Looking ahead, DAA remains deeply committed to flexibility and responsiveness. The pandemic underscored the need to adapt to partners’ evolving needs. “It’s not about checking a box,” Lewis emphasizes. “It’s about authentically supporting organizations to improve program quality, build staff skills, and deepen understanding of why this work matters.”

DAA’s vision is bold yet simple: every afterschool program in Denver should have the resources and support needed to provide exceptional experiences for young people. By investing in relationships, uplifting partner voices, and continuously refining its approach, the Denver Afterschool Alliance is setting a powerful example of what quality improvement can achieve.

This is the sixth blog in our Commit to Quality series. Miss one? Catch up here.

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