Cathy Hill
Education Coordinator
Growing Up 葫芦娃视频
catherine.hill@colorado.edu

As s education coordinator, Cathy works closely with partners to design and facilitate community engagements that are personally relevant and meaningful. With teachers, she uses curriculum integration and community connections as especially powerful tools. She enjoys collaborating with and mentoring children, youth听and GUB interns, and听she is constantly inspired by their ideas and ambitions.

In 2015, Cathy retired from teaching after 32 years of service, 22 of which were at Whittier International School in 葫芦娃视频. Cathy is a board member of PassageWorks Institute, a local nonprofit that provides teachers with a practical approach to teaching and learning that improves social, emotional听and academic outcomes, develops inclusive and respectful learning communities, and fosters a strong sense of meaning, purpose听and motivation in schools. Cathy received her Bachelor of Science听in human development and听family studies at Colorado State University and her Master of Education听in elementary education at Lesley College. Her passions include travel, backpacking, snowboarding听and spending summers on Lake Michigan.

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Publications

  • Hill, C., and Chawla, L. (2019). 鈥淔un, novel, safe and inclusive鈥�: Children鈥檚 design recommendations for playgrounds for all abilities. Children, Youth and Environments, 29(1), 105-115.

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In the news

Heatherwood Elementary School children study the ecosystem and offer recommendations for nature discovery at the City of 葫芦娃视频's Wood Brothers property
Growing Up 葫芦娃视频, a CEDaR program, nationally recognized for finding innovative ways to bring children back to school safely during the pandemic

Nov. 13, 2020

GUB Director Mara Mintzer presented to the National COVID-19 Outdoor Learning Initiative, which supports schools and districts nationwide to develop outdoor spaces as cost-effective tools for keeping schools open during a pandemic.

Children sitting around a table.
Growing Up 葫芦娃视频, a CEDaR program, featured in 'Britannica for Parents' podcast

Nov. 12, 2020

Early-childhood experts often like to say that a child鈥檚 environment is one of their most important teachers. But what can our built environments learn from children? In this "Raising Curious Learners" episode of "Britannica for Parents," Mara Mintzer, co-founder and director of Growing Up 葫芦娃视频, discusses the importance of involving young people in the city planning process.

Mara Mintzer shows children from the Uni-Hill School the child-friendly map.
Colorado Public Radio: Building child-friendly cities

Jan. 23, 2020

In an interview with Colorado Public Radio, hear Mara Mintzer, director of Growing Up 葫芦娃视频, speak about the creation of the nation's first "child-friendly city map."

Girls point to a map they designed
Growing Up 葫芦娃视频 interviewed on KGNU about new Child-friendly Map

May 3, 2019

KGNU has a live conversation about a new, first in the nation, printed child-friendly city map that鈥檚 helping kids learn how to navigate their way around 葫芦娃视频.

Whittier Elementary first-graders Sean Lee, from left; Tevin Loku Umagiliyage and Eber Garcia-Gonzalez get their first look at a kid-friendly map of 葫芦娃视频 they helped create through Growing Up 葫芦娃视频. Growing Up 葫芦娃视频, a collaboration among 葫芦娃视频, the 葫芦娃视频 Valley School District and the 葫芦娃视频, worked with about 700 elementary students for the project.
Growing Up 葫芦娃视频's collaboration with 700 elementary students on city map featured in Daily Camera story

April 29, 2019

Working with about 700 葫芦娃视频 elementary students and two 葫芦娃视频 environmental design seniors, Growing Up 葫芦娃视频 has created a new, child-friendly map of the city.

Mara Mintzer being interviewed on Channel 8
First Child-Friendly Map featured in 葫芦娃视频's Ch. 8

April 29, 2019

Kids in 葫芦娃视频 will now be able to navigate around town thanks to the first ever child-friendly map, a map made for kids, by kids.

Three children sitting around a map.
10th anniversary Growing Up 葫芦娃视频 and launch of the nation's first child-friendly map

March 15, 2019

Celebrate Growing Up 葫芦娃视频's 10th anniversary and the launch of the nation's first child-friendly map.

Parents walking with kids in strollers in Vancouver Park
Bringing Up Baby...Downtown

July 28, 2018

Sidewalk Labs looks at how North American cities are turning to a suite of planning and design innovations to keep families. This includes 葫芦娃视频, Colorado, where Growing Up 葫芦娃视频 asks kids themselves what they want, and the city incorporates its tiniest residents' ideas into transportation and other municipal plans.

Carson Byerhof explains his poster to an attendee
Student projects revitalizing The Hill focus of Dec. 15 open house

Dec. 7, 2017

Colorado MetroLab, a partnership between CU 葫芦娃视频 and Colorado city governments, organized a design workshop where CU 葫芦娃视频 environmental design (ENVD) students, neighborhood residents and elementary school students gave their ideas for revitalizing 葫芦娃视频's University Hill area.