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The theme of the 2006-07 school year was this simple refrain: “quality, quality, quality!”
The staff of FrontRange Earth Force worked harder than ever to ensure that every young person, educator, advisor and administrator involved in Earth Force programming received the highest quality support and assistance. The result?
- More service-learning projects finished than ever before!
This year, our Earth Force youth completed 73 awesome service-learning projects of their own design. The issues addressed by these projects ranged from the very environmentally-oriented (to name a few: energy conservation in schools, water quality at local natural areas, and xeriscaping school gardens), to broader social issues (for example: providing necessity kits for homeless women and their children, educating other youth about the dangers of drug use, and combating gang violence), to school and community struggles (such as: respect on the playground during recess and helping to reduce the neighborhood stray pet population).
- Stronger teacher teams in our partner schools!
To have an even greater impact on the youth in our partner schools, FR Earth Force staff worked with our most committed educators to recruit even more teachers to use the Earth Force process with their students. In five of our strongest partner schools, FR Earth Force worked with teams of five or more teachers! This shows us that our teacher-partners believe in the work we do, and continue to see very positive results in their students, both academically and personally.
- Deep and inspiring wide service-learning commitments in several great partner schools!
At multiple schools over the course of this school year, we witnessed an ever-deepening commitment to service-learning and the work of FR Earth Force. This kind of deep commitment usually involves: strong teacher teams of multiple educators using the Earth Force process; Earth Force classes at several grade levels and in several different subject areas; and a supportive administration and school culture! At Ellis Elementary, the administration and teachers are so supportive of our efforts that the school held a “service-learning mini-Summit” of their own…even after attending our Annual Youth Summit at the Denver Zoo! At Pinnacle Charter School, Mr. Sharif Abdelhamid – who used Earth Force with his social studies class last year – recruited five of his colleagues and helped to support them, in his new role as the school’s Community Development Coordinator (and main service-learning advocate!). At Gilpin K-8, Service-Learning Coordinator Rhonda Mizeur helped to support seven Earth Force classes and a Student Leadership Action Council…and brought them all to the Summit at the Zoo!
- The highest ever turn-out for our Annual Youth Summit at the Denver Zoo!
The great relationships that FR Earth Force has developed with these teachers and their students translated into our best attended Annual Youth Summit ever. We actually had four classrooms on a waiting list – definitely a Summit first! - as we were well over our 1,000 attendee capacity by the registration deadline! The final count was 999 students from 49 Earth Force groups – with 177 teachers, chaperones, staff, volunteers and community partners also in attendance. Special thanks to this year’s Summit Sponsors: Suncor Energy and the City and County of Denver’s Division of Wastewater Management.
- Multiple news stories – both print and television - covering Earth Force classes and projects!
From the Earth Force T-shirts worn by Ms. Bonnie Staack’s first-grade students when their class was visited by newly-elected Governor Bill Ritter…to the YourHub article about the “dog poop patrol” undertaken by Ms. Jill Leitner’s Earth Force class at Lincoln Elementary…to the Fox 31 coverage of the highly successful 10th Annual Youth Summit at the Denver Zoo, we were lucky to accomplish a great deal of community recognition for the hard work of our students and teachers!
- A high-profile award from the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education!
FR Earth Force was very honored to receive the Citizen/Community Environmental Education Award from the premier environmental education group in the state. In addition to the many environmentally-oriented service learning projects completed by Earth Force youth, the efforts of Dr. Lisa Bardwell (who is deeply involved in the Greenprint Denver Initiative and other community-based environmental efforts) help to keep our organization closely connected to the environmental education community.
- National recognition of staff member Tash Mitchell, as part of National Youth Leadership Council’s Emerging Leaders Initiative!
Tashmesia Mitchell, or “Tash” for short, is just completing her first full school year as a member of the FR Earth Force Professional Development & Technical Assistance Team. Her strong educational background (as a former DPS teacher), passion for service learning and social change, and commitment to her own on-going professional development landed Tash one of only 22 highly coveted spots in this national initiative.
- Special Thanks to our Great Funding Partners!
- AMGEN Foundation
- Anschutz Family Foundation
- Beim Foundation
- City and County of Denver
- Colorado Department of Education
- Community Shares of Colorado
- Corporation for National and Community Service
- Daniels Fund
- Denver Water
- Denver Foundation
- El Pomar Youth in Community Service
- ERM Foundation
- General Motors
- Green Fund
- Groundwork Denver
- Janus Foundation
- National Service Learning Exchange
- National Service Learning Partnership
- Quick Foundation
- Rose Community Foundation
- Scientific and Cultural Facilities District
- Sheila Fortune Foundation
- State Farm Insurance Companies
- Suncor Energy USA
- Tony Grampsas Youth Services (Colo. Dept. of Public Health & Environment)
- University of Colorado Health Sciences Center
- US Environmental Protection Agency
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