A petit Denver school teacher barely taller than some of her students, Emily is a giant in public education. “For All Those Who Wish to Learn,” she founded the Emily Griffith Opportunity School in Denver in 1916. This free school catered to the poor, to non-English speakers and to adults as well as youngsters, teaching students marketable skills of all kinds from auto mechanics, to barbering to hospitality, becoming a national model.
Today, according to the school’s website, the Emily Griffith Technical College is the public,
postsecondary and adult education arm of the Denver Public School system and is one of three
area technical colleges in the Colorado Community System offering career and technical education, apprenticeships, GED, English language acquisition and more.
You can learn more about this incredible educator from the Denver Public Library: https://history.denverlibrary.org/colorado-biographies/emily-griffith-1868-1947
Courtesy “Dr. Colorado” Tom Noel. Image: Emily Griffith modeled hats her student made for sale. Credit: Tom Noel Collection