For the Denver Comic Con a big portion of what is presented surrounds itself around education. One of the major sponsors of Denver Comic Con is Pop Culture Classroom. The mission of Pop Culture Classroom is to ignite a love of learning, increase literacy, celebrate diversity and build a community through the tools of popular culture and the power of self-expression. Pop Culture Classroom was built by teachers, artists, writers, parents, and all around pop culture activists, each of them have a personal experience with the transformational power of comics and other pop culture media.
Pop Culture Classroom was founded in 2010 as Comic Book Classroom, a Colorado charitable organization focused on enhancing and improving student’s learning experience through the use of comic book media. At the same time, the founders of Comic Book Classroom also created the Denver Comic Con event. The Original Founders of Comic Book Classroom and Denver Comic Con are Charlie LaGreca, Frank Romero, David Vinson and Kevin Vinson.
Between 2010 and 2012, the Original Founders were joined by accomplished educators Illya Kowalchuk and Christina Angel, and experienced event organizers Michael Newman and Bruce Macintosh, who became an integral part of organizational development as the foundations of both Comic Book Classroom and Denver Comic Con educational programs were developed simultaneously.
Over the last twenty years comic books, graphic novels and manga continue to grow in popularity. For too long have comics been viewed as a throw away media and many educators turn their nose up at an industry with amazing writers and artists. What many teachers and administrators don’t realize is that comics can be the gateway into creating a reader.
During the panel How educators & libraries can collaborate in the classroom, which was held on Friday, June 17th we were introduced to panelist Sara Ryan (Author and Librarian) and several local Teachers and Librarians from the greater Denver area. Each and everyone of the panelists had great ideas and insight in how to integrate comics into the classroom from the choice of books, topics and ways of soliciting the approval from co-workers and administration. As someone who is in the educational field I appreciated this panel very much and wanted more.
have been to other cons and they usually only designate one day for the kids, but Denver Comic Con and Pop Culture Classroom open up everyday for kids. Denver Comic Con was and is a family fun place to not only get your geek on, but allow the whole family to do the same.
What do you think about Comic Conventions being more family friendly? Let us know in the comment section below.
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