A Con for a Cause: How Pop Culture Classroom Gives Back Through Denver Comic Con

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

A myriad of quotes exists about the importance and beauty of giving. There are few places where the joys of giving are on display as much as they are at Denver Comic Con. At DCC, charity and education are ingrained in the entirety of the event, though that is sometimes easy to forget amidst all the excitement. Lost in the sea of art, cosplayers, celebrity guests, and merch, there’s a chance you were having so much fun you didn’t quite realize how much you were giving back.
 
Denver Comic Con is an educational event put on by Pop Culture Classroom, a local organization that aims to introduce comics and pop culture to kids in need as a means to increase literacy, foster a love of learning, and make an impact in the classroom. DCC has firmly established itself as one of the biggest conventions in the nation, only trailing New York and San Diego in attendance. The 100,000-plus annual attendees of DCC contribute to the cause just by walking in the door, as all proceeds from ticket sales fund the classroom program, including staffing and supplies.
 
Children’s education is at the forefront of what Pop Culture Classroom and DCC both do. That is evident when strolling through DCC, as over 9,000 square feet of the convention is used for the ‘Kids’ Laboratory’, an area that gives children their own panels, activities, and chances to engage with comics, art, STEAM learning, and other programming. I had a blast just walking through the Kids’ Lab and seeing the excitement and wonder on kids’ faces.
 
One particular highlight was watching former Denver Bronco and Super Bowl 50 champion David Bruton’s story time. Clad in an Iron Man and Spider-Man team up shirt, Bruton read Quit Calling Me a Monster to the kids in attendance before fielding questions from them, chatting with them, and taking pictures. Bruton, a former substitute teacher and founder of his own reading-centric charity ‘Bruton’s Books’, is a true champion in the realm of children’s literacy. Seeing all of the kids that were so engaged when he read was just one example of the power of community and learning that was evident all weekend long. 

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In addition to their focus on the kids, Pop Culture Classroom and Denver Comic Con also make it a point to give back to teachers. This year’s con schedule featured a slew of programming specifically aimed at educators of all levels, including panels on starting a school book club, using meaningful gaming in education, creating standards-based lesson plans for graphic novels, and incorporating comics into college classrooms. I had the chance to chat with a few educators that attended some of these panels and all of them talked about how fired up they were to try some of the new approaches they discovered.
 
I’d like to give a personal testimony on Pop Culture Classroom’s staff and their commitment to the organization’s mission. Last December, I made a small donation to Pop Culture Classroom on Colorado Gives Day, the state’s annual donation campaign. Not long after I donated, I received a personal call from Vicki Carey-Davis, PCC’s Development and Sponsorship Director. She thanked me for my donation, asked me why the Pop Culture Classroom mission was important to me, and discussed other opportunities to stay connected and get involved. That call let me know that they are an organization that is passionate about what they do and that they truly care about the impact they have on kids across the state.
 
We attend Denver Comic Con and similar conventions because superheroes or fictional worlds or fantastical stories have captured our imagination. Right behind us is a generation seeking the same adventures. Unfortunately, not all kids have the same access to books or haven’t yet found comics that might pull them into reading. Good news is, there are plenty of opportunities to change that! You can donate used books, money, or your time. You can see what great organizations like Pop Culture Classroom and Bruton’s Books are doing. You can spend some time reading with a younger family member or personally introduce them to comics. And keep in mind when you’re taking a trip to Denver Comic Con next year, even that helps put books and comics in the hands of kids who need them.

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