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2 DSST staff launch community-led mental health ventures in partnership with Moonshot Edventures

Did you know that two of DSST’s mental health providers have started community-led ventures that are gaining attention in the larger Denver community?

In partnership with Moonshot Edventures, Ashlee Morris from CG MS started Girl Talk, a mental health-focused program supporting middle and high school girls of color across the Denver Metro Area, empowering girls to know themselves deeply, lead the world boldly and envision a world where girls are celebrated, uplifted, and supported to awaken their power.

Megan Casimir, from the Cole campus, is the founder of Words Beyond Walls, which connects formerly incarcerated young adults from the Cole neighborhood as mentors and community care facilitators for young people with justice system experience and their loved ones. Words Beyond Walls runs a weekly open-to-the-community healing circle and a communications workshop in the Cole HS AN Center. And, next fall they will be launching a peer mental health support drop-in space.

On June 16, both ventures will be featured in an online event called Shoot For the Moon. It will be a great opportunity to meet amazing folks doing interesting work in the Denver education scene, to hear from some of the young people involved with these ventures, and to support two programs that are directly impacting DSST students every day! If you’re interested in joining, RSVP at this link. If you can’t join, but would like to donate to support either of these ventures, the link to donate is here, and all donations will be matched due to the generosity of an anonymous donor!

How to support students and families who are part of the foster care system

National Foster Care Awareness Month is a way to acknowledge foster parents, family members, volunteers, mentors, policymakers, child welfare professionals, and other members of the community who help children and youth in foster care find permanent homes and connections. In recognition of Foster Care Awareness Month, we want to share some insights about families and children in foster care, so that our community will begin a journey of support. 

Celebrating DSST's Class of 2022

Last week DSST celebrated six graduations: DSST: Byers, DSST: Green Valley Ranch, DSST: Montview, DSST: Conservatory Green, DSST: College View and DSST: Cole. Check out some of the highlights below.

What to know about the D5 school board interviews

On June 3, the DPS Board of Education will select a new representative for District 5 (Northwest Denver) in Denver Public Schools. The DPS Board of Education is interviewing applicants and accepting public comments. Read more about each of the applicants here, including our own Managing Director Adeel Khan. 

Because the current District 5 representative, Brad Laurvick resigned due to a job relocation, his replacement will be selected directly by the school board, instead of through an election process. On May 26, the school board interviewed all five candidates. This meeting was closed to the public but was available to view via live stream.

The school board is a group of seven members from the community who are elected into office by Denver voters. Their duties include:

• Establishing a vision and strategic plan for the district
• Hiring and overseeing the superintendent
• Setting the yearly budget
• Approving contracts for teachers and outside vendors
• Expanding the district and/or closing schools

Magnificent May: Here are all the reasons to celebrate this month

The Month of May is a MAGNIFICIENT time for new beginnings, renewal and togetherness. Spring is arriving and the rain that is present provides our Earth with a clean slate for the upcoming months.

Submit your EOY survey before it closes on Friday, May 20

Dear DSST Team,

As we close out the year, we want to invite you to share your reflections on this year as well as your hopes for the future of DSST through our End of Year Survey and our Strategic Planning Open Forum.

For DSST seniors, exciting futures come into focus

DSST admits students through a weighted lottery to guarantee a diverse student body. Enrollment is as high as 80 percent students of color at some campuses, with an equal balance of young men and women.

It’s a rigorous academic program, but that doesn’t change the fact that the students are still just kids. Between classes or heading to lunch, they linger to talk with friends, they laugh and joke, they sneak away to use their phones, they study.

You see Afros, long hair, short hair, multi-colored hair. Some wear hijabs, others ballcaps. They’re kids. College-bound kids who, for the time being, have found their happy place.

More Colorado kids are coming out as trans and nonbinary -- and staking a claim to be themselves at school

Ash Galaviz, 17, walked into the lunchroom at DSST: Green Valley Ranch High School one recent afternoon, and a bunch of friends were excited. A senior who loves an afterschool nap and watching anime, Ash is working on a book that will soon be self-published.

4 DSST teachers honored by Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalanches as MVTs

We know DSST is filled with top-tier teachers who love our students and want the best for their education and life, but it is always nice when others outside the network recognize our wonderful educators.

That's a wrap: A look back at Senior Signing Day 2022!

Thursday, April 28 we celebrated the Class of 2022 with over 5,000 DSST students, staff, parents and community members. The morning was filled with performances from middle and high school groups from across the network, a mascot race, and of course, post-secondary decisions from our over 700 seniors at DSST: Montview, DSST: Green Valley Ranch, DSST: Cole, DSST: College View, DSST: Byers and DSST: Conservatory Green.