DSST CIRCUIT

There's a poem Chad Heltzel wrote more than 15 years ago that almost never saw the light of day. It sat in a dissertation, then in a manuscript, then in a drawer - revised, resubmitted, rejected and nearly abandoned. Last September, it was finally published. The collection, Recording of Dead...

"It's not a hobby, it's my life.” — Jayden Gamboa, DSST: Green Valley Ranch Senior

Some students come to DSST knowing exactly who they are. Jayden Gamboa is one of them.

A proud seven-year DSST Raptor, Jayden carries a story that stretches across generations, borders, and open pastures — and he's...

On a bright afternoon filled with pride, gratitude and a whole lot of joy, the DSST: Elevate Northeast community gathered to celebrate something truly extraordinary - the official opening of the Elevate Library, a space imagined, shaped and championed by students.

Emily didn't arrive at interest in midwifery by accident. She traces it back to something she noticed as a little girl: the long, curved scar on her mother's abdomen.Her mother had two C-sections — one for Emily, one for her younger sister. Both children were breech, and with the second birth, the...

There's a question that sits at the heart of Savianna Gonzales-Wagner's work at DSST: Elevate High School:Do my students know they're wanted here?It sounds simple. It isn't. And for Gonzales-Wagner, an Apprentice Teacher in her first year at Elevate, answering that question - every single day, for...

On Saturday, March 21, DSST students lit up CSU Spur with their brilliance at our third annual STEM & Creative Core Showcase! The event brought together students, educators, families, and industry partners for a day filled with curiosity, creativity, and hands‑on STEM exploration.

Taking the Risk — and Watching It Pay Off

She walked through the doors of DSST: Montview as a 6th grader with a love of art and a dream of a career in New York City. Seven years later, she's walking out as a Gates Scholarship finalist, a Northwestern University admit, and one of the most...

DSST Public Schools and Colorado School of Mines have taken a major step forward in expanding STEM opportunities for Colorado students. The two institutions have announced a new guaranteed admission pathway that will give qualifying DSST graduates a direct route into one of the nation’s top STEM...

She grew up in Green Valley Ranch (GVR), the same neighborhood where she would one day teach. She sat in the same kinds of classrooms where she would later stand at the front. And when she crossed the stage to receive her doctoral degree, she did it knowing she wasn't walking alone. She was carried...

Taking the Risk — and Watching It Pay Off

When Irvin Gonzalez first walked through the doors of DSST: Cole Middle School in sixth grade, he didn't know a single person. He was nervous, unsure, and stepping into something completely new.