Blueprint

Expanding educational opportunities for students in under-resourced communities

PCSD

Why it’s important to have legal representation

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Who did you meet with today?

Mera Baker Ramos

Where do they work? What does the company do?

She works with Blueprint as a real estate legal representative .

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

I learned that it’s good to have lawyers to back you up in construction in case things go wrong or just in case someone isn’t committing to their side of the deal.

What insights did you gain into the field of lawyers in construction? 

An insight I gained is that lawyers play a big role in the construction field. Although they might not be hands on with the construction, they are the ones that allow the construction to proceed because they are the ones that get the contracts completed.

What did you find the most interesting about the field after today?

Their job might be very stressful, but they push through and keep going to keep everyone happy and make sure big problems are avoided and solved.

Photos: Danae Esparza, Spring Intern

A virtual presentation slide titled Actionable Career Tips lists three suggestions: connect with professionals, seek academic guidance, and understand the importance of legal representation. The video call includes several participant windows at the top.
Blueprint interns learn about Actionable Career Tips from Mera Baker Ramos
A virtual meeting screen shows five participants at the top and a PowerPoint presentation in presenter mode. The slide discusses Diverse Legal Practice Areas and the importance of legal representation for litigators vs. corporate attorneys.
Blueprint interns learn about Diverse Legal Practice Areas from Mera Baker Ramos
A virtual presentation slide with a speaker and participants visible at the top. The slide features advice on career exploration, highlights the importance of legal representation, a photo of a woman in graduation attire outside a courthouse, and three key points about finding your passion.
Blueprint interns learn about career exploration from Mera Baker Ramos

Focus on the School First. The Facility Will Follow.

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At Blueprint, we often say that facilities should support great schools—not define them. In a recent contributor column for CharterFolk, our President and CEO, John Sun, shares a perspective shaped by decades of experience working alongside charter school leaders across the country.

In the article, John reflects on his own journey into this work and the lessons he’s learned partnering with schools navigating one of the sector’s most persistent challenges: access to affordable, sustainable facilities. His message is clear and grounded in practice—strong academics and school culture come first. Facilities follow.

For many charter leaders, the facilities journey can feel overwhelming. From site selection and financing to construction and long-term planning, the process can pull focus away from what matters most: students. As John writes, the most successful schools start by building a strong foundation—investing in instruction, culture, and community. From there, enrollment grows, demand increases, and the path to a permanent facility becomes achievable.

This isn’t about thinking smaller but about starting in the right place. Build a strong foundation, show what’s working, earn families’ trust, and grow from there into a space that truly fits the school community.

John also highlights what it takes to make facilities solutions possible at scale. From aligned local partners and philanthropic investment to supportive policy environments, the most successful ecosystems bring together multiple stakeholders working toward a shared goal: expanding access to high-quality schools.

At Blueprint, this is the work we are committed to every day—helping schools navigate complexity, access affordable capital, and ultimately secure facilities that support their long-term success.

We invite you to read John’s full column in CharterFolk for a deeper look at these ideas and the real-world examples behind them.

👉 [Read the full article on CharterFolk]

Building from the Ground Up: How Projects Come to Life

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Who did you meet with today?

James Heugas

Where do they work? What does the company do?

He works as an Executive Director and senior consultant at Blueprint. He helps with strategic cost management and analysis for real estate projects.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

Today I learned about his career path and different areas that he has worked in, which include due diligence and geotechnical engineering. Something I would like to highlight is how his education at UCLA and his experience working with communities helped shape his career. I also found his explanation on project entitlements and zoning captivating.

What insights did you gain into the field of real estate development?

Personally, I learned that real estate development is not just about building structures, but its profound ideals involve multiple strategies to complete its objectives. His experience shows how important due diligence is, along with the understanding of zoning laws, city planning, and environmental conditions.

What did you find the most interesting about the field after today?

What I found most interesting was how his background in geotechnical engineering ties into developments; furthermore, his innovation to work through limitations like zoning restrictions makes him well suited to get projects done. It was also fascinating to gain knowledge about how engineers study soil, foundation stability, and environmental factors before taking the next step in construction.

Blueprint interns asking James questions.
Blueprint interns learn more about due diligence from James Heugas.

A Day at the Swinerton Site

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Who did you meet with today?

Today we met with Aaron Carruth, Samantha Kleinschmidt, Aolan Chen, Kristina Poliseri, and Garrett Fawley, who all work at Swinerton. We also met with Eric Swenson, who is representing one of our sponsors, Cal Geo.

Where do they work? What does the company do?

They work at Swinerton. Swinerton is a construction company that provides a variety of services for commercial offices, retail, multi-family residential, hospitality, healthcare, education, energy, and the entertainment sectors.

What did you learn today? What were some highlights?

Today I learned more about building in case of earthquakes and how they were able to remodel a building from the 1940s to have better resistance against earthquakes with concrete. A highlight was going inside of the main building of the school and seeing the vision for the site under construction.

What insights did you gain into the field of real estate development?

An insight I gained was seeing how a building from the 1940s could be reused and improved; they are also improving the design by removing interior hallways and adding exterior hallways for more classroom space, maximizing the use of their building and reinforcing it.

What did you find the most interesting about the field in the field after today?

What I found the most interesting about the field after being inside the site is how the site’s environment changes with more people working in it. We went to the site when it was somewhat empty. I wonder how much noise there would be and how people would be moving around on the site, considering the safety rules. When we were going over the safety rules, there was a lot of noise; we were able to see workers coming in and out of the site.

A group of people wearing orange safety vests and white hard hats stand together at a Swinerton construction site, with scaffolding and a partially built structure in the background under a sunny sky.
Blueprint staff and interns with Swinerton team and CalGeo at Cox Academy construction site.
A group of people wearing orange safety vests and white hard hats stand on a sidewalk near a Swinerton construction site, listening to a woman speaking. A fence, signs, and trees are visible in the background—a day in the life on site.
Blueprint interns listening to Swinerton team outside the construction site.
A group of people wearing hard hats and safety vests stand inside a partially constructed Swinerton building, listening to a speaker. It's a typical day in the life on a construction site, with equipment outside and sunlight streaming through the open side.
Blueprint interns on the walk through inside the building site.
Construction workers in safety gear observe a busy construction site, surrounded by equipment, ladders, and materials on a sunny day at work.
Blueprint interns and team walking outside the building under construction at Cox.
A group of people wearing hard hats and orange safety vests stand on a dirt pathway at a Swinerton construction site, surrounded by buildings, scaffolding, and construction materials under a sunny sky.
Wrapping up the walk through at the construction site.

One Year in Colorado: Expanding Access to Permanent School Facilities

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One year after launching its work in Colorado, Blueprint is already helping charter schools move from planning to construction, laying the groundwork for permanent learning spaces that will serve more than 1,500 students across the state.

Blueprint entered Colorado in January 2025 to address a persistent challenge in the charter sector: securing high-quality, financially sustainable facilities that support long-term growth. Across the state, many schools still rely on temporary or leased spaces while navigating rising real estate and construction costs, making access to permanent facilities a defining factor in whether they can grow.

In its first year, Blueprint has partnered with four public charter schools to help move long-term solutions forward, each shaped by its community’s needs.

Supporting Schools Across Colorado

In Aurora, Lotus School for Excellence is constructing a new 31,000-square-foot building designed to improve campus safety, strengthen circulation, and expand capacity for students and families.

In Fort Collins, Academy for Arts and Knowledge is renovating its second floor to add 12 new classrooms, along with a commercial kitchen to better support students throughout the school day.

In Colorado Springs, Colorado International Language Academy is transforming a 38,000-square-foot commercial office building into a school through a full interior renovation, paired with reimagined outdoor space for play and recreation.

In Fairplay, High Rockies Community School (working in partnership with Mountain Area Land Trust) is renovating an existing barn into a multi-use Education Center that will serve both students and the broader community. 

Meeting a Growing Need

These projects reflect a broader reality: facilities remain one of the most significant barriers to charter school growth. Even as demand for high-quality public school options continues to rise, many schools lack access to permanent spaces that support stability, long-term planning, and strong student outcomes.

Blueprint’s work in Colorado is grounded in a simple idea: facilities shouldn’t limit a school’s ability to serve families. By working closely with school leaders and community partners, Blueprint helps align real estate solutions with each school’s model, enrollment, and long-term plans.

Building with Partners

This first year of work has been made possible through collaboration with school leaders, philanthropy, and local partners. Blueprint’s efforts in Colorado have been supported by the Gates Family Foundation, The Anschutz Foundation, and Colorado Schools Fund.

Looking Ahead

One year in, the need—and the opportunity—remain significant. With enrollment growing in many communities, access to permanent facilities will continue to shape how schools expand.

Blueprint’s first year offers an early look at what’s possible when long-term thinking and strong partnerships come together. By helping schools move beyond temporary spaces and into permanent homes, this work is creating more stability for schools and better outcomes for students across Colorado.