Imagination Celebration

09/12/2026

08/08/2026

Years of research demonstrate the impact of early childhood Head Start programs.

Statement on proposed Head Start deregulation from Steve Barnett, the founder and senior director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University:

“The Trump Administration’s proposal to remove 80% of Head Start regulations could undermine the program’s ability to fulfill its purpose of improving the school readiness of children in poverty.

"Among the most important targets of the proposed deregulations are the elimination of child-staff ratios, which could lead to higher child to teacher ratios, double or even triple for infants and toddlers in some Head Start programs.

"Low child-staff ratios are linked to better school readiness. The most comprehensive research reveals that success depends on individualized teaching 1:1 and in small groups. That is why our Institute recommends no more than 1:10 as a staff:child ratio among 10 research-based preschool quality standards, and why Head Start and most state-funded pre-K programs mandate lower child-staff ratios than child care licensing standards.

"Also of concern are the reduction in required hours to just 3 hours per day for 128 days a year and a new requirement for English-only instruction. Fewer hours make it even more difficult to individualize instruction. Limiting instruction to English has no advantage for learning English and increases loss of home language, while dual language fluency has cognitive, social, and economic advantages.

"While reductions in federal micromanagement of Head Start have long been needed, the program should align with the best state pre-K standards rather than defaulting to states’ child care licensing minimums as the administration proposes. Whether public or private, high-quality pre-K programs have been found to produce large improvements in school readiness and success, educational attainment, and adult earnings."

https://nieer.org/research-library/statement-proposed-head-start-deregulation-nieer-director-steven-barnett

07/31/2026

Celebrate - the folks at Pikes Peak Diversity Council have brought back their Everybody Welcome Festival... (this is not an Imagination Celebration event, as has sometimes been advertised, but we are glad they are doing it.)

Non-Stop Music & Dance: The Full Entertainment Lineup for the Everybody Welcome™ Festival!

07/24/2026

Our friends are putting on the "Everybody Welcome Festival" in honor of the many beautiful cultures located in our region.

Pikes Peak Diversity Council, Inc., Everybody Welcome Festival is proud to bring back the region’s most joyful, inclusive, and curiosity‑driven cultural celebrations, now aligned with the historic milestones of America 250 and Colorado 150.

06/19/2026

Celebrating Freedom and the mutliple excellent celebrations within our region! Three here:
https://www.visitcos.com/events/annual/juneteenth-colorado-springs/ with a shout out for the African-American Genealogical Museum https://aahgscs.net/events

06/03/2026

Fascinating and free:

We welcome you for an afternoon of BEAR TALKS. Polar Bear artist Barbara Stone will host a storytelling circle for participants to share experiences, dreams, and curiosities regarding bears. Whether you have a story of your own or simply wish to listen, we invite you to join the conversation.
"Most people have a bear story; a memory of a childhood zoo trip, a provocative dream during a time of transition, an account shared by a friend, or a discovery of bear sign while camping. These stories are meant to be shared." — Barbara Stone
Barbara has made Polar Bears the exclusive subject of her artwork since 1980. She has traveled 38 times to the subarctic shores of Hudson Bay, Canada, to research them. Her studies encompass the bear lore of the North American Cheyenne, Scandinavian Sámi, Japanese Ainu, and the Inuit of Nunavut.

Saturday, June 13, 2026
1:00–3:00 PM

The Citadel Mall
750 Citadel Drive East
Imagination Space ( #3116),
Upper Level by JCPenney
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
RSVP here. ❤️

06/03/2026

Fascinating and free.
We welcome you for an afternoon of BEAR TALKS. Polar Bear artist Barbara Stone will host a storytelling circle for participants to share experiences, dreams, and curiosities regarding bears. Whether you have a story of your own or simply wish to listen, we invite you to join the conversation.
"Most people have a bear story; a memory of a childhood zoo trip, a provocative dream during a time of transition, an account shared by a friend, or a discovery of bear sign while camping. These stories are meant to be shared." — Barbara Stone
Barbara has made Polar Bears the exclusive subject of her artwork since 1980. She has traveled 38 times to the subarctic shores of Hudson Bay, Canada, to research them. Her studies encompass the bear lore of the North American Cheyenne, Scandinavian Sámi, Japanese Ainu, and the Inuit of Nunavut.

Saturday, June 13, 2026
1:00–3:00 PM

The Citadel Mall
750 Citadel Drive East
Imagination Space ( #3116),
Upper Level by JCPenney
Colorado Springs, CO 80909
RSVP here ❤️

09/23/2025

09/23/2025

Come see this clever, funny, original play with a beautiful, smart, heartful cast🌟. Our theater space is back!

07/07/2025

Freshly cooked Afghan meals - this Saturday, July 12.
https://www.culinaryconnections.us/