Growing Up Boulder is a partnership between the City of Boulder, Boulder Valley School District, and the University of Colorado. In addition, GUB partners with many youth-serving organizations in Boulder. Click here to learn more about our partners, funders and founders.
Our Team
Mara Mintzer, Executive Director & Co-Founder
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Mara Mintzer helped found Growing Up Boulder (GUB) in 2009. A passionate advocate for child-friendly cities, Mara presents and writes internationally on the topic of engaging young people in inclusive community planning and development. Her expertise in engaging children and youth in meaningful ways to shape their own cities is requested by government and community organizations around the world. In 2017, Mara delivered one of the most successful TedX Talks on the importance of urban planning with kids, accumulating almost 2 million views. She continues to be inspired by seeing the positive impact that planning equitable communities has on everyone. Mara also loves creating innovative community resources, like the nation’s first child and teen friendly city map. Prior to GUB, Mara was Director of Belle Haven Community School in California, where she oversaw child and family support services families on an underresourced school campus. She has designed and implemented a wide variety of programs for underrepresented children, families and neighborhoods in New York and California. Mara received her B.A. in Psychology from Brown University and her M.A. in Organizational Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. In her free time, Mara loves to cook, spend time with her family, and to immerse herself and learn about other cultures while traveling the globe (she speaks Spanish and French).
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Cathy Hill, Education Director
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As Growing Up Boulder's Education Coordinator, Cathy works closely with city partners and educators to design and facilitate community engagements that are personally relevant and impactful. Cathy is the creative mastermind behind GUB’s proven methodology for meaningful classroom engagements that empower children and youth of all backgrounds through project-based learning opportunities. Cathy is also highly invested in making cities more equitable by including all voices in decision-making processes. While engaged in according projects, Cathy enjoys mentoring children, youth, and interns, where 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 Boulder. Cathy also serves as a board member of Passage Works Institute, a local non-profit that provides teachers a practical approach to teaching and learning that improves social, emotional, and academic outcomes. Cathy received her B.S. in Human Development & Family Studies at Colorado State University and her M.Ed in Elementary Education at Lesley College. In her free time, Cathy loves to travel, backpack, spend summers on Lake Michigan and snowboard in deep powder.
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Deryn Wagner, Senior Project Manager
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Since the early 2000's, Deryn has facilitated over 150 visioning sessions, community working groups, public meetings, decision workshops and visual meetings – and pioneered the inclusion of youth voice along the way. While working for the National Park Service, she led the development of a student employee network that still serves more than 3,000 young adults across the country. In close partnership with Growing Up Boulder, she also developed innovative 'micro-engagement' methods for the City of Boulder’s open space program to better reach youth and families, especially those in underrepresented communities. Now on Growing Up Boulder’s staff, she manages youth engagement projects and is magnifying the organization’s impact through trainings and strategic partnerships. Deryn is also on the board of the Colorado Chautauqua Association, manages her own planning and facilitation business on the side (DW Collaborative) and holds dual Masters' degrees in Planning and Landscape Architecture from the University of Colorado, Denver as well as a Bachelor's in Literature from the University of Virginia. She has two young daughters, is married to a devoted Special Education teacher, and is deeply indebted to nature for the joy she and her family find in every pile of dirt.
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Olivia Szeliga, Development and Communications Coordinator
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As Growing Up Boulder’s Development and Communications Coordinator, Olivia works closely with community leaders to catalyze equitable community development and advance clear and sustainable channels of communication between GUB and their incredible partners. A recent graduate from the University of Colorado, Boulder where she studied Sociology and Political Science, Olivia is adept at empowering marginalized communities and creating sustainable social and environmental solutions to pressing problems. Olivia’s passion for social and environmental justice stems from her heritage as an Indigenous - Hunkpapa Lakota - woman. Driven by traditional Indigenous values and intrinsic empathy, Olivia is deeply committed to protecting marginalized communities, their cultures, and overall, our planet. When not in the office, Olivia can be found skiing, snowshoeing, painting, dancing, and enjoying all this beautiful life has to offer!
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Maya Sol Dansie, Healing Partner
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A key Growing Up Boulder partner in “Healing” work from the Table Mesa tragedy and the “Reimagine Policing” project, Maya Sol Dansie runs Mayamotion Healing, a multilingual, woman-owned practice that promotes a holistic health model and takes into account the social and political contexts that impact our mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health. She utilizes responsive modalities of healing, rooted in culture, spirituality, and community. Unlike most western psychology and therapy, MAYAMOTION Healing integrates an interactive – culturally grounded approach through mental health psychotherapy, consulting, somatic therapy, art, dance, and practices that result in self transformation, wellness and liberation. As a Xicana/Mestiza mujer & founder of MAYAMOTION Healing, Maya Sol is an activist, dancer, educator, and licensed clinical social worker dedicated towards raising awareness and political consciousness and empowering our community.
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Trang Tran, Evaluation Consultant
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Trang Tran is a 2nd year PhD student in the Learning Sciences and Human Development program at CU Boulder and previously worked as an associate researcher at the Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage. Through sociocultural and ecological lenses, Trang’s interested in studying how learners engage and develop identities in formal and informal learning environments. An important goal of her research is to inform learning designs to center the complex and multifaceted experiences of nondominant learners and honor their roles in theorizing new horizons of identities, equity, and justice in learning spaces.
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Paola Garcia Barron, Youth Leader
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Paola is a bilingual and bicultural youth advocate for social issues. She is a Colorado native; she was born and raised in Boulder, forty-five minutes north-west of Denver. Currently, she is a first year student studying Political Science at the University of Denver learning how to get involved and make an impact in her new environment. Previously, she has taken on roles to build relationships, engage in her community and further anti-racism and social justice efforts. Her work has been recognized with the Women Who Light the Community Emerging Youth Award for building a stronger community in Boulder and the Outstanding Freshman and Outstanding Sophomore awards for scholarship, leadership, character and service at Boulder High School. She also participated in an executive committee as a member for the Boulder Valley School District Strategic Metrics Plan to address opportunity gaps among students of color. As she continues to find her place within the University of Denver, she hopes to foster a positive change and ultimately use her education for that same cause.
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