The Power of Story: Creative Educators Network Invites Colorado to "Sponsor a Teacher" Ahead of Sundance's First Colorado Festival

Nov. 11 benefit at eTown Hall celebrates teachers and will help fund 30 Colorado public educators for the inaugural Colorado Educators Summit

BOULDER, Colo., Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative Educators Network (CEN) will host The Power of Story, a benefit evening celebrating storytelling and the teachers and mentors who change lives, on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. All proceeds support the inaugural Colorado Educators Summit, which brings 30 educators from across the state to the Sundance Film Festival, January 27–29, 2027, as the festival opens its first edition in Boulder.

CEN connects creative teachers with industry-based professional development, investing in the educators who are building the future of Colorado's creative workforce.

Stories that start in the classroom

At The Power of Story, four notable Coloradans will share stories of teachers and learning:

• Paige Doughty has spent more than two decades as half of the beloved children's music duo Jeff & Paige, writing science- and nature-based songs for families across seven albums. She is CEO and co-founder of the nonprofit Rainbow Socks and co-creator of its new live-action children's series on Rocky Mountain PBS. Her forthcoming memoir, Unwinding Myself Whole, traces her journey through mental illness and recovery.
• Bill LeBlanc grew up surrounded by teachers: his father spent a lifetime teaching and coaching baseball in Kansas City, and his mother, sister, and sons all became teachers. His own path ran through Apple, Disney, energy consulting, and he's now a Director at Tierra Resource Consultants and MC for Boulder's Switch, he was recognized as a "Game Changer" by the Association of Energy Service Professionals.
• Stephen Brackett, aka Brer Rabbit, co-founded the platinum-selling Flobots and Youth on Record. A lifelong Denver resident, he leads ONE Denver, the city's Office of Nighttime Economy, and Foundation Music School in Fort Collins, and is a former Colorado Statewide Music Ambassador.
• Brad Lidge, the former MLB closer nicknamed "Lights Out," went a perfect 41-for-41 in saves in 2008 and made the final out of that year's World Series for the Philadelphia Phillies. After retiring from baseball, he became a professional archaeologist, and he is now pursuing his PhD at CU Boulder.

Live music from Ryan Dart

The evening opens with live music from Colorado singer-songwriter Ryan Dart, starting at 6:45 p.m. before the program begins. For Ryan, every song starts as a story, which makes him a natural fit to open The Power of Story.

A fourth-generation Colorado native, Ryan Dart turns hard-won stories of loss, love, and resilience into Americana. His latest album, If Love Don't Break You, named "one of the year's best" by Americana Highways, carries the spirit he calls "Hard Ground, Open Heart": songs about showing up, starting over, and believing growth is always possible, the same things educators work toward every day.

Before stepping out front, Dart spent two decades on the road behind the scenes for artists like Ryan Bingham, Dinosaur Jr., and Jack Johnson. Those years taught him what every great teacher already knows: a story told honestly can change a room.

Why we're raising funds

The educators in the first Colorado Educators Summit cohort are passionate about elevating student voice, helping young people find, shape, and share their own stories.

"Storytelling, across cultures, families, and communities, is one way we keep the past alive," said Josette Lorig, an educator at Vista PEAK Preparatory in Aurora and a member of the Summit's first cohort. "Storytelling is also a way to imagine the future: to world-build, imagine otherwise, and ask what could exist beyond the reality we currently know."

From a competitive pool of more than 80 applicants, 30 educators were selected to join the first cohort of the Colorado Educators Summit, including film and media instructors and general education teachers. Every dollar raised at The Power of Story goes directly to their experience:

• Screenings, creative conversations, and professional development during the Sundance Film Festival
• Hands-on industry experience in the Sony Lab
• Networking with Colorado creative industry professionals from Coupe Studios, La Storia Productions, 11 Dollar Bill, and SoundSpace
• Lodging, meals, and transportation throughout the Summit
• A year-long professional learning community, so each teacher brings a Summit-inspired project back to the classroom

The Colorado Educators Summit is the first step in CEN's plan for statewide impact: a growing network of educators who uplift young storytellers and prepare Colorado's next generation of creative professionals.

Adopt a Teacher

A gift of $5,000 fully sponsors one teacher for the entire Summit experience. And every gift, at any level, helps puts a Colorado educator in the room.

Invest in Colorado's creative workforce

Here's how you can support the Colorado Educators Summit:

1. Buy a ticket. Join us Nov. 11 at eTown Hall. Tickets are $65
2. Donate. Give at any level or sponsor a teacher for $5,000

Can't attend? Donations and pledges are welcome whether or not you join us in person.

About Creative Educators Network

Creative Educators Network (CEN) connects creative teachers to industry-based professional development, investing in the growth of Colorado's creative workforce. By bringing educators face to face with working artists, filmmakers, and industry leaders, CEN helps teachers bring real-world creative practice back to their students. The 2027 Colorado Educators Summit is CEN's inaugural statewide cohort. Learn more at creativeeducatorsnetwork.org.

SOURCE Creative Educators Network