Middle Schoolers Immersed in Hands-On Learning

Our middle schoolers enjoyed another successful Community Day on Wednesday, getting off campus to dive into hands-on service and experiential learning tailored to each grade’s curriculum and Service Learning themes.

Each fall and spring, middle schoolers spend one full school day participating in Community Day, an extension of our Social Responsibility & Impact program. From exploring Colorado’s Indigenous history in 6th grade, to investigating endangered species at the Denver Zoo in 7th grade and touring the Colorado Supreme Court in 8th grade, our students spent the day experiencing how their classroom learning applies to real-world challenges in real and relevant ways. Read below to learn more about each grade level’s focus and enjoy photos of all the fun!

Community Day Topics

6th Grade: Grow Your Roots
After researching Kent Denver’s land history and the native species found on campus in the fall, our 6th graders turned their attention to Colorado’s origins for our spring Community Day, which corresponds with what they’ve been learning in history class. 

Students spent the morning exploring History Colorado Center, with a focus on the Indigenous History Program and Exhibits. When they returned to campus in the afternoon, each 6th grader rotated through two stations with the Denver Indian Center: one on identity and the medicine wheel, and the other on the Indigenous roots of the game of lacrosse.

7th Grade: Branching Out
Seventh-grade students spent their fall Community Day learning about human migration and hearing from a Colorado refugee. For the spring Community Day, the grade shifted its focus to animal migration, in line with what they’re learning in English, science and math. Students created a PSA for an endangered species and then visited the Denver Zoo to gather field evidence for their projects.

8th Grade: Leaf a Good Impression
Building upon their exploration of city government in the fall, on Wednesday, our 8th graders scaled their civic understanding to the state level with a tour of the Colorado Supreme Court in the morning. In line with the theme of leafing a good impression, students spent the rest of the day partnering with six different organizations to work on the following service projects:

• Assistance League: Organizing the Thrift Store.
• Denver Parks and Recreation: Cleaning up Bible Park.
• Denver Public Schools Foundation: Cleaning up Bromwell Elementary and tending the school grounds and gardens.
• Family Promise: Cleaning the day room where unhoused families seek safety and refuge.
• Sunrise Cherry Creek: Playing games with senior residents and hosting an ice cream social.
• Project Worthmore: Tending and planting in Delaney Farm, a space that helps refugees through sustainable agriculture and farming.