Community Resources

Community Service Awards

These awards are presented on local, state, and national levels to individuals and groups who have contributed to their communities in an outstanding voluntary, heroic, civil, or benevolent manner, or who have participated in or organized community activities.

DAR Distinguished Citizen Medals

These medals are awarded to emergency first responders, active duty military, veterans of the armed forces, and citizens who have contributed to the defense and security of the nation, state, or local community in an exceptional manner.

DAR Outstanding Cadet Medals

These medals are awarded to student cadets who distinguish themselves through outstanding leadership, honor, courage, service, and patriotism in non-ROTC, military-affiliated cadet programs funded by schools or privately, including but not limited to Naval Sea Cadet Corps and Civil Air Patrol Cadet Corps.

DAR Youth Citizenship Medals

These medals foster a greater appreciation of the qualities of citizenship that Americans must possess if our country is to remain sovereign and independent. These medals are presented to children in grades 5-11 who are dedicated to honor, service, courage, leadership, and patriotism.

Patriotism Awards

These awards are presented to American citizens for outstanding contributions to the nation including the prestigious DAR Medal of Honor which is awarded to native-born American citizens and the Americanism Medal which is awarded to naturalized citizens.

ROTC Medals

These medals are awarded to student cadets of outstanding ability and achievement in high school, college, or university ROTC programs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.

Veteran Service Awards

These awards are presented each year to honor those working with veterans including the Outstanding Veteran Volunteer, Outstanding Youth Volunteer, and Outstanding DAR Service for Veterans Award.

More Information

For more information about these and other DAR awards and honors, contact our chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

DAR Manual for Citizenship

From as early as 1910, the DAR has helped immigrants become naturalized citizens. For close to 85 years, the DAR has compiled and published the DAR Manual for Citizenship (PDF). More than 12 million copies of this book were given free to immigrants seeking American citizenship.

More Information

For more information about this manual and other DAR citizenship resources, contact our chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

The following DAR resources may be most useful to students and teachers when they are studying subjects such as the Revolutionary War, family history/genealogy, the colonial period, and early America. Teachers and students are encouraged to explore the available resources and get involved in the different programs DAR offers.

AncestryK12 Partnership

DAR has partnered with AncestryK12 to bring these invaluable educational resources to a wider audience. Ancestry offers a no-cost program for K12 schools to give them access to a variety of resources from Ancestry and other partner organizations. Partner organizations, like DAR, feature curriculum, lesson plans, programs, and other educational materials to students and teachers.

Commemorative Events

The Captain Richard Sopris Chapter, NSDAR, is happy to join other chapters, the state, and national Society to plan local and regional commemorative events and to join in celebrations that support the goals of the DAR. Several recent or upcoming celebrations or memorializations include the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage, the Anniversary of the Vietnam War, the Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl, 150th Anniversary of Memorial Day, the Anniversary when WWI ended, the Treaty of Versailles, the Anniversary of American’s Creed, the Anniversary of D-Day, and Independence Day (annual). We are also especially excited about July 4, 2026, as the United States will mark its 250th anniversary – and we are preparing to celebrate in a big way!

Community Classroom Committee

This community is among the newest for the DAR. Beginning in July 2016, chapters have been encouraged to adopt a classroom or school to provide time and/or financial support. If you are an administrator or teacher in the Glenwood Springs area and would like to explore how we can help you, contact our chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

Constitution Week

Constitution Week is the commemoration of America’s most important document. It is celebrated annually during the week of September 17-23. The aims of the Constitution Week celebration are to:

• Emphasize citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution.
• Inform people that the Constitution is the basis for America’s great heritage and the foundation for our way of life.
• Encourage the study of the historical events which led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787.

More information can be found on this Constitution Week webpage of the NSDAR or contact our chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

DAR Good Citizens

The DAR Good Citizens program is a wonderful way to recognize and reward outstanding high-school seniors in our community. The program and scholarship contest is intended to encourage and reward the qualities of good citizenship (dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism in their homes, schools, and communities). Winning students are selected by their teachers and peers because they demonstrate these qualities to an outstanding degree. The program is open to all high school seniors enrolled in accredited public or private secondary schools that are in good standing with their state boards of education. Only one student per year may be honored as a school’s DAR Good Citizen. United States citizenship is not required.

DAR Lesson Plans

Through our Educational Resources Committee, DAR provides original lesson plans for the K-12 community that are rich in content that focus on America, its history, government, heritage, genealogy, as well as related language and/or math topics. These lesson plans are provided for teachers and other groups to use for educational purposes only and can be found on this Lesson Plan webpage of the NSDAR website or contact our chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

Essay Contests

are provided including the American History Essay Contest which is open to all grade 5-8 students in public, private, or parochial schools, and in registered home-study programs. The theme varies each year but relates to a character — such as Paul Revere — or an event in American history. The Christopher Columbus Essay Contest is open to all grade 9-12 students. Since 1996, the NSDAR has joined with the National Italian American Foundation to sponsor an annual national essay contest on Christopher Columbus. The essay topic changes annually and the contest runs during a school year.

Junior American Citizens

contests for grades K-12 in art, creative expression, and community service are offered to encourage a deeper sense of social responsibility and interest in civics and the history of the United States. Entries are judged by grade on three levels (gifted, general, and special needs) so that every child may enter the contest regardless of ability. Children from youth groups, as well as schools, may participate in the contests. Any school, organization, or person can participate in the JAC Contest under the sponsorship of a local DAR chapter.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution created the Junior American Citizens Committee in 1901 to promote good citizenship and appreciation of American heritage and history and promote practical ideas for service to home, community, school, and country among every school-age child in the United States.

Outstanding American History Teacher Award

The state and national DAR recognizes a notable, full-time teacher of American History (and related fields, such as social studies, government, and citizenship education) in public, private, and parochial schools, grades 5–12. The candidate must have an incisive knowledge of American history who readily shares with students, foster a spirit of patriotism, and loyal support of our country and constitutional government, demonstrate the ability to relate history to modern life and events, have high academic standards, requiring excellence at all times from students, and be committed to their students and enjoy good rapport with them.

More Information

For more information about these resources, contact our chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

Colorado State Society, NSDAR

One way that the Colorado State Society, NSDAR, promotes patriotism, preserves American history, and champions education is to provide grant funding within these service areas of our communities. Our National Junior Membership Committee also provides grants through the Colorado State Society, NSDAR, with support from the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund. These opportunities are primarily provided to enhance classrooms and support educational professionals and facilities.

For more information about these funding opportunities and the application process, contact our chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

NSDAR

Our NSDAR Special Projects Grants Program provides local community grant funding to public charity 501(c)(3) entities to support projects exemplifying the organization’s mission areas of historic preservation, education, and patriotism. A Special Projects Grant application must be accompanied by a letter of sponsorship from a DAR chapter or state society. For sponsorship through the Captain Richard Sopris Chapter or for more information about these funding opportunities and the application process, contact our chapter regent using our Contact Us form. More information can be found on the Special Projects Grants page of the NSDAR website.

More Information

For more information about grant funding, contact our chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

DAR members are passionate about supporting our veterans, active duty military, and their families, and we do so in a variety of ways.

Fisher House

Fisher Houses are “homes away from home” for the families of sick or injured military members and veterans. They are built by the Fisher House Foundation on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers. The family of a veteran can stay in a Fisher House for a nominal charge (some have no charge) and be near the veteran while he or she convalesces. Fisher Houses need volunteers as well as financial support. This is truly a program where members envelop the veterans and their families in the circles of friendship, service, and commitment.

Holidays and Special Events

DAR members plan celebrations for hospitalized veterans to commemorate national holidays, special events, and veterans’ birthdays. Parties, carnivals, and picnics for veteran patients are organized to help lift spirits and provide diversions during hospital confinement. DAR members also serve on community veterans’ committees that sponsor parades and other patriotic events. Volunteers assist with military ceremonies of remembrance that are held at local VA facilities.

Homeless Veterans and Operation Stand Down

DAR members serve homeless veterans by providing buddy bags containing non-perishable food items and personal care items. Volunteers collect, distribute, and deliver food to community shelters. During Operation Stand Down, DAR volunteers serve meals, distribute clothing, work at information tables, help with medical and social screenings, and provide companionship to homeless veterans.

Supporting Veterans from Home

Home volunteers sew items needed by facilities, including wheelchair bags, trachea bags, bibs, lap robes, and tote bags. Volunteers are urged to contact their local facility to inquire about what is needed and to obtain patterns and/or the dimensions for these handmade items. Party favors and tray favors are created and assembled by home volunteers. Personal care items, magazines, games, puzzles, and other gifts are collected by home volunteers for delivery to facilities. DAR home volunteers prepare handwritten cards and notes that are sent to facilities and distributed to veterans.

Thank You Cards for Our Veterans

DAR members distribute thank you cards to veterans during visits to VA facilities, shelters, and state facilities. Veterans displaying veteran stickers on their cars or wearing caps noting their service are thanked as well. DAR members find any occasion to thank our veterans for the tremendous sacrifice they have made for our freedom.

The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration

The Vietnam Commemoration has over 10,600 Commemorative Partners all across the United States and its territories. Nearly 2,000 partners are DAR chapters, 51 state societies, and the national society. The DAR is the Vietnam Commemoration’s largest and strongest Commemorative Partner with chapters joining every day. Commemorative Partners serve as a representative of a grateful nation as we thank and honor a Vietnam veteran or family member. We are, in many ways, turning back the pages of history and righting a wrong for some of these veterans and families by simply saying “thank you for your service and sacrifice.”

VA Hospitals and non-VA Facilities

DAR members volunteer their time to provide assistance to veterans in both Veterans Administration hospitals and non-VA facilities and provide more than 200,000 hours of volunteer time to veterans annually.

Veterans History Project

DAR is proud to be a founding partner of the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress. The purpose of the project is to collect and preserve oral histories on audio and videotape, letters, diaries, maps, photographs, and home movies of America’s war veterans and those who served in support of them.

Women Veterans

DAR volunteers give special support to our nation’s women veterans, with an emphasis on the sick, the homeless, and the lonely. Chapters provide support and volunteer in special healthcare programs and the Adopt-A-Veteran Program. Clothing is collected and donated to facilities for women veterans, as well as donations of gender-appropriate gifts and personal care items. Members provide support for maternity services for female veterans with gift baskets for the new baby and mother.

Youth Volunteers

DAR works with youth volunteers on veterans’ projects in local communities. Younger children make greeting cards, make tray favors, visit nursing homes, march in parades and help stuff ditty bags for stand downs. Older children volunteer at facilities, visit with and play games with veterans, help with craft/rehab activities, run errands for veterans, deliver meals, assist in veteran services offices on campus, deliver mail, and help decorate for the holidays.

More Information

For more information about our service for veterans and active duty military, contact our chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

Colorado State Society, NSDAR

One way that the Colorado State Society, NSDAR, promotes education is to help students achieve a college degree with the following scholarships:

• Adult Advanced Education Scholarship:
  This scholarship is provided to further the education, in any field, to an adult whose education was interrupted for at least one year.
• Virginia Leyda Roberts Nursing Scholarship:
  This scholarship is awarded to a student who has been accepted or is currently enrolled in a nursing school for an associate or bachelor’s degree in nursing.
• Honorary State Regents’ American History Scholarship:
  This scholarship is awarded to a college or university junior or senior with a concentrated study in history, government, or political science (or proof of intent to teach history or government).
• Elementary/Secondary Teacher Education Scholarship:
  This scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate or postgraduate student who is majoring in elementary or secondary school teacher education.

NSDAR

Our NSDAR awards multiple scholarships to students showing dedication to the pursuit of degrees in diverse disciplines including history, law, nursing, and education. More information about these scholarships can be found on the Scholarships page of the NSDAR website.

More Information

For more information about these and other scholarship opportunities, visit this Scholarships page of the Colorado State Society, NSDAR website or contact our chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

Speakers

The Captain Richard Sopris Chapter,  Colorado State Society,and NSDAR have experienced speakers who offer excellent programs to other civic and service organizations. Some topics include American history, genealogy and lineage research, education, historic preservation, patriotism, and various programs on the Daughters of the American Revolution.

More Information

For more information about speakers and programs provided by the DAR and the Captain Richard Sopris Chapter, contact our chapter regent using our Contact Us form.