More Night Owls Information
- Family Page with links to registration forms
- Pagina para la familia, con formas para registrarse en Espanol.
- Volunteer page with links to registration forms
- Frequently Asked Questions
- See Night Owls Footage
What is Night Owls?
Beginning April of 2008, on one Friday night a month, trained volunteers will provide an evening of individualized care and fun for children with special needs and their siblings, ages 1 month to 12 years at the Fisher Early Learning Center. They participate in pre-planned activities and events according to each child’s interest. Nurses are there to assist with any medical needs. DU's security team monitors the Center throughout each evening. The evening is free of charge to the families attending.
Attendees may be children with special needs and their siblings from the greater Denver community. Volunteers may be community members, ranging from DU professors and students to young professionals to retired citizens to people in the neighborhood who are eager to help. Training will be provided to all volunteers to ensure each child has the best care and everyone has the most fun possible.
How does it work?
The Fisher Early Learning Center opens its doors to families throughout the community with children with special needs one Friday night a month. Families must pre-register prior to their first Night Owls evening. This allows the Night Owls team to pair the children with the appropriate volunteers and plan activities accordingly. The parents and caregivers complete forms telling the team about each of their children to allow the team to get to know the children before they arrive.
A unique aspect of Night Owls is that each child has his or her own “special friend” for the night– one-on-one attention from their own adult playmate for the whole evening! The volunteer for each child will greet the families asthey arrive and parents will have an opportunity to share any special and important information that will help the child have fun that evening. At this time, parents will also have an opportunity to go over special instructions regarding medication or special procedures for their children with a nurse. All activities are child-directed, and the children may move from room to room with their adult friend as they choose. Activities will be anything from art to music to gymnastics in the motor room to surprise guests such as dancers or musicians. The evening winds down with child-appropriate movies.
Food is not provided, but parents may bring food for their children if they wish. Parents are also welcome to bring their children’s pajamas, if needed. Families may choose to attend any or all of the three nights they would like, space permitting. Parents and caregivers may drop their children off at 6 p.m. and pick them up at 10 p.m. (or anytime in between).
For question or more information, please email: NightOwls@du.edu
An important note:
While the Fisher Early Learning Center at the University of Denver generously donates its space and materials to Night Owls. Night Owls receives no University money for the continuation of this program. Private donations alone fund Night Owls evenings.
For this wonderful, essential program to continue hopefully indefinitely, Night Owls needs private donations, which are tax deductible. You can send a check made out to the Fisher Early Learning Center, with "Night Owls" in the memo line to the address below. Please put it to the attention of: Night Owls Program Coordinator. Please see FAQ's for more information on donations. You may also contact us at NightOwls@du.edu or 303.871.2095, for more information on how to contribute to this program. Thank you!
Night Owls Brochure