South of the Border

When Veronica Montoya first met students with the Denver Center for International Studies, a Denver Public Schools magnet program for grades six through twelve, she was so impressed, she wished she could go back to high school. "I'm vicariously living through them," she says.

That was four years ago. The real-estate agent has volunteered on the DCIS Foundation's board ever since, and this year organized the 2007 Passport to Knowledge: A Night in South America to raise funds for travel scholarships and other programs. "I plan to take people on a mental journey from the mountains of Peru to the streets of Argentina to the jungles of Brazil," Montoya says. "Celebration is the one thing all cultures have in common."

The party, which takes from 6 p.m. to midnight at the Walnut Foundry (3002 Walnut Street), will include capoeira, tango and samba demonstrations and live music from Boulder band Sambadende. There will be South American food from local restaurants and a limited open bar. Tickets for the 21-and-up event are $50 in advance at www.blacktie-colorado.com or $75 at the door. For more information, call Montoya at 303-868-8496 or visit www.cisdenver.org.
Sat., April 14, 6 p.m.-midnight