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Sustainability Newsletter

Fall 2021 - Making a difference in DPS

SustainabilityNewsletterFall 2021 - Making a difference in DPS

Welcome!

Welcome to the return of the DPS Sustainability Newsletter! Our team manages utilities for the district, works to reduce our resource consumption by optimizing our buildings for efficiency and to create comfortable learning spaces.

We engage students and clubs with their own projects and sustainability initiatives and share opportunities.


Our website is full of resources for educators and students. Check out our grants page for opportunities to get the funding you need to support your project or sustainability initiatives. Reach out to Christopher Woodburn or Eric Punkay to connect with resources, opportunities and to schedule class workshops.

Sustainability Annual Report

DPS Sustainability has been working hard to have an impact on our schools, community and beyond. Conserving resources, saving the district and taxpayers money and transitioning the district to more sustainable practices is only part of the work we do. Read the full report here.

Sustainability Student Engagement

Are you looking for ways to get your students engaged with a real world learning experience that can make a difference? There are two programs for which the Department of Sustainability is actively seeking passionate champions. The first is Resource Central’s Renew our Schools competition and the second is the National Wildlife Foundation’s Eco-Schools USA program. Both programs aim to have students lead the way in making their school more sustainable with the ultimate goal of sustainability becoming a core value of their schools.

NWF Eco-Schools USA

In the NWF’s Eco-Schools USA program, energy is just one of the things where students can engage. Eco-Schools provides teachers with a seven step framework that guides teachers and students through twelve different Pathways to Sustainability, appropriately leveled to grade level. Schools need to successfully complete three of the pathways to earn the prestigious Green Flag Award and can earn multiple Green Flag Awards.
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powerED
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NWF Eco-Schools USA
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Renew Our Schools

powerED: Students Leading the Charge for Energy Conservation

As part of the Energy Performance Contract (EPC) that DPS is engaged in with McKinstry, students have the opportunity to drive the behavioral changes necessary to reduce our resource consumption. The overall goals of this program are to improve comfort, increase energy efficiency and increase sustainability engagement and awareness. Read more here.

Did You Know?

Recycle Refresher Game

City of Denver continues to develop ways to divert waste from landfills and salvage precious resources with their expanding recycling and composting programs. Click here to play an interactive sorting game and learn what items go into which bins.

Youth Sustainability Board

The Youth Sustainability Board supports our sustainability and climate action clubs, bringing a united voice to the concerns of our students. Clubs can reach out to connect with YSB for support, networking and advocating for policy change.

Start Planning for Earth Day Now

Start planning for Earth Day now. Let us know your ideas and we can support you. Reach out to dept_sustainability@dpsk12.net and firstcall@dpsk12.org with your project or tree planting plans and we will connect with the applicable departments and set you up for success. Plan now for tree planting in the spring.

Sustainability Celebrations

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DPS Proudly Adds Our First Electric Bus to the Fleet

DMLK students participated in the ribbon cutting for DPS's first electric school bus. Nicknamed Elvis, the bus was purchased with funding through the Colorado Alt Fuels program and will save the district thousands of dollars in maintenance and fuel over the life of the vehicle.
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MLBA volunteers improve garden at Morey MS

Leading up to the All Star Game, the Major League Baseball Association came to Denver and spent a day improving the garden and outdoor classroom at Morey Middle School. Volunteers and team mascots built pathways, added mulch and even planted trees. Even Rockies mascot Dinger got into the spirit moving mulch and giving high fives.
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Stephen Ritz visits Denver Green School

Educator and author, Stephen Ritz, visited Denver Green School to share his experience bringing indoor gardening and nutrition to students in the Bronx. As the founder of Green Bronx Machine, Ritz brought hands-on learning to thousands of students with indoor tower gardens producing food for students and their families. His efforts have dramatically improved attendance and test scores as students engage with the living curriculum. Read the full article here.
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DPS Gardens Grow Produce for our Community

Our gardens have never produced more food for our students, schools and community than the summer of 2021. Working alongside community partners like Denver Urban Gardens, SustainEd Farms, Grow Local, International Rescue Committee, and Focus Points Family Resource Center, DPS gardens grew hundreds of pounds of produce that went directly into farm shares, food banks and school distribution centers. Read full article here.
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Garden of Youth 10th Anniversary

After canceling all summer programming in 2020 due to Covid-19, the Garden of Youth job skills development program returned to six school gardens in 2021. Interns practiced soft job skills in small groups with a dedicated job coach, earning money as they learned. Read more here.
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West HS and MS get a new Outdoor Classroom

The garden at West High School expanded to include an outdoor classroom area. Tables and shade umbrellas provide a new area for students to learn outside and connect with nature. When an old diseased tree nearby needed to be removed the stump was incorporated into a table and sections of the trunk into artwork.
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About DPS Sustainability

We are here for educators, students and clubs alike. Please reach out for support on class sustainability projects and initiatives, garden workdays, Earth Day events and to schedule class or school -wide workshops on energy, waste diversion and more.

Email: dept_sustainability@dpsk12.net
Website: https://sustainability.dpsk12.org/
Phone: (720)456-9083

Renew our Schools

With Renew our Schools, students are focused on reducing electricity usage in their building. A real time electricity gauge is installed in the school and the school earns points for reducing their electricity usage and energy saving actions such as auditing the building or presenting to their peers on why it’s important to conserve electricity. The Department of Sustainability will cover the costs of entering the competition and the students have the chance to win prize money that will ideally be put back into sustainability initiatives in the school. Past DPS winners include East HS, Marie Greenwood ECE-8, South HS and Academia Ana Marie Sandoval.