Jun 20, 2025 | J-KOA June BOD Meeting

Attendees: Koya, Toni, Andrea, Oscar, Amy, Kayla, Harini, Erik, Abhishek, Kevin, Ana

Excused: Alexi, Brisa, Humberto, Jeffrey

Notes

• Pre-meeting: Koya brought treats from France!!

  • He’s also clumsy and hurt himself

  • Andrea is literally graduating TODAYYYYY (we’re kicking her off at 5 PM so she can get ready)

• Icebreaker: What does summer mean to you?

  • Koya: Walking outside and a blanket of warmth enveloping you

  • Erik: Freedom

  • Abhishek: (hi, I’m new!!) Sitting at the park with cocktails

  • Oscar: Heat, fun, tomfoolery

  • Andrea: Studying (has not had a summer off until NOW) this summer means FUN!! concerts!!!!

  • Kayla: when the ice coffee bill is competing with the xcel bill

  • Amy: Long days, evening walks with the dog <3

  • Harini: Popsicles and the pool

  • Kevin: used to be recovering, now it’s kind of TBD! CHILL TIME!!

  • Toni: Being 15 different shades of brown and having to change foundation colors

• CUPS Summer Academy recap

  • CU Pre-health Scholars Program

  • Agreement: facilitate a few classes (10th and 8th graders), then help with saturday sessions

    • Success!! We got through it, even with Koya needing to pivot due to injury

    • Shout out to Kayla for leading a session with AI at 12 hours notice!!

    • Big shout out to Ana and Oscar as well, and Amy for ordering supplies

  • 8th grade cohort - points of frustration between our volunteers and CUPS folks

    • Koya let CUPS know volunteers should not be addressing conflicts to our facilitator volunteers

    • Needed more support with discipline from CUPS facilitators

    • J-KOA volunteers should never be alone with the students, there should always be a CUPS facilitator in the room

    • Conversation could be had to set behavior expectations with the students

      • With the overarching goal to get students into the science fair, maybe CUPS and parents need to filter students into the program who want to participate in the Science Fair

  • Overall, the Collaboration hasn’t been easy, but a learning experience

    • Do we continue, modify, pull out?

      • Benefit: was are reaching students in Aurora, CUPS actively trying to support students in underserved communities

      • Modify: do we stay committed to the two grades?

      • Modify: out of the class there is maybe like, 8 or so students from the class who was actually interested

      • Modify: If students are entering 9th grade, it would be for the senior science fair instead of juniors; are the students we are working in the correct pipeline?

      • Pull out: conflict with a particular CUPS person (?)

      • Benefit: keeps us funded and allows us to have more budget flexibility

    • Koya can handle any difficult conversations, but decision would ultimately be up to Aurora KOA to continue

  • To do: Oscar to discuss suggestions to make collaboration smoother

  • To do: Aurora KOA board to discuss continuing this partnership

• Budget updates

  • Did not apply for Adams County Grant due to paperwork complications (too much paperwork needed from both J-KOA and ACC, not enough time)

  • Budget goal: $10,000

  • Koya and Daniela to meet with ACC on Monday, 6/23

  • Koya to sort out how to use money for Bay Area KOA needs

  • Aurora KOA to tentatively get an affiliation with Anschutz 

    • Erik and Koya to discuss pros and cons

• ACC event planning

  • Summer Camp in session!

  • Science week has passed (while we were doing CUPS, unfeasible to do both)

  • We will be coming in during their culture week to do sessions that combine science with culture!

  • Week of July 14, volunteers needed!!

• Other board transition updates

  • Bay Area KOA: Andrea will be out of the country for a few weeks; meeting biweekly prior and when she returns they will have weekly meetings

    • Planning to host events throughout the summer after Andrea gets back

    • Potential Topics: robotics, guest speakers with activities, also involving parents

  • Science Fair: February 20th, 2026 (or the 27th) top of HR’s list to get a student worker so YAY FOR THAT

  • Koya: meeting with APS within the next month or two

  • TEKS: TEKS met a month ago to transition, most things will stay the same except with relation to ACC and CUPS

  • Historians to have a branding meeting for cohesiveness across boards

    • Toni needs updated headshots for all board members for the upcoming website update! Koya may schedule a time to take photos

  • Koya to host a virtual game night on Discord!!

    • Date and time TBA

    • Opportunity for everyone to get to know each other better and hang out across all KOA boards

  • Recruitment campaign upcoming (Koya to talk with Toni about new flyers)