We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate Mishara and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate, how does your business help the community or world?
Wyatt Academy is a K-5 community school where students thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. Phenomenal academic programming is at the core of what we do. But our model is unique because we don’t stop there. We understand that student success depends on more than just academics. That’s why we provide the essentials children and their families need to reach their full potential. Our Family Empowerment Center provides wraparound services like a laundromat, food pantry, and clothing boutique, so families from all backgrounds feel supported and valued as part of Wyatt’s diverse community. The Family Empowerment Center has changed the way that we operate as a school and as a community hub. We are committed to elevating community voice, and ensuring that our schools meets the needs and desires of our families.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Through my work at Wyatt Academy, I am most proud of the work that we do to empower and encourage people from different backgrounds, cultures, and socio-economic statuses. We believe in supporting the whole child, which means meeting their social, emotional, and academic needs. A huge part of this is supporting their basic needs, including those of their families. The empowerment center is home to a laundromat, a clothing boutique, a grocery and computer lab, all at no cost for families through partnerships with local organizations like We don’t Waste, Denver Food Rescue and Conscious Alliance. The Family Empowerment Center has changed the way that we provide wraparound services to our families. While running a school, I also learned that there are certain limitations that impede the way I wanted to support families. This realization is what led me to launch Amigas in Action, with my colleague Maria. We learned that instead of taking “no” for an answer, we needed to find the courage to follow the path that we knew to be right.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
There are so many amazing things to do and see in our city! First stop, I would take a friend to visit the Cole/Whittier neighborhoods. Wyatt Academy is the oldest school building (1887) in Denver that was built to be a school and is still a school today, and it is a beautiful first stop to any tour. Three powerful pieces from the Black Love Mural Festival grace our campus, as does a mini-pitch soccer field that we received in a partnership with the US Soccer Foundation and Target. Behind the building is a thriving Denver Urban Gardens site, which speaks to the community spirit of Wyatt. After the Wyatt tour, I would take a friend down the street to Los Molinos for lunch! It isn’t a trip to our neighborhood without the most authentic tacos, gorditas, and tortas in town. After a walk around the neighborhood, we would then stop by Prodigy Coffeehouse – a social enterprise run by the talent of young adults from Northeast Denver who have previously been disconnected from school and/or work. There is so much to do and see in Northeast Denver, and as the Wyatt community we are so lucky to call it home.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many shoutouts I want to give here! My journey has been so heavily influenced along the way by others who have spent a lifetime committed to the causes that I am so passionate about today. One of my largest sources of inspiration is my dear friend, and Amigas In Action co-founder, Maria Estrada. Maria and I met at Wyatt in 2010, and I have learned so much from her along the way. Maria is a strong Latina woman who has broken down many barriers in her lifetime. She has shown me the power of empathy and empowerment, and that when we come together as a community we can make impactful change.

Website: www.wyattacademy.org. www.amigasinaction.org
Instagram: @wyattacademy @amigasinaction
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-mishara-806759101
Facebook: @wyattacademyk5 @amigasinaction
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qmZZwBdWr8&t=4s

Image Credits
Andrew Kelly, @akinstagraphs Esther Lee Leach, @estherleeleach

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