DSST: Stapleton High School senior Tevin Thompson poses a question to a group of CH2M HILL engineers during a panel discussion.

On February 25, DSST: Stapleton High school students were given the opportunity to explore the engineering field with top professionals from global engineering and construction company CH2M HILL as part of National Engineers Week. Through a presentation and panel discussion, CH2M HILL engineers shared the exciting, varied and growing opportunities available to students in the field of engineering and talked with students about the significant role engineers play in our world today.

"We support DSST Public Schools and their commitment to a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum that is in keeping with our philosophy and focus. Engineers are in great demand and our community investment is important for the progress of the field and advancement of our youth. DSST is preparing students well for careers in engineering and other science disciplines," said Lee McIntire, CH2M HILL Chairman and CEO.  

"The most interesting thing that I learned from the engineering panel was that in order to be successful you have to be creative and innovative. Not many schools stress that," said DSST: Stapleton High School senior Jordan Hallman. In addition to her senior engineering course, Hallman participated in an engineering summer program during her junior year through DSST. After graduation, she plans on attending Knox college and pursuing two degrees through their 3-2 engineering program. Through that program, she will earn a degree in physics from Knox college and a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois-Urbana.

In addition to having professionals talk with students about the field of engineering, CH2M HILL recently made a generous financial contribution to DSST Public Schools to support its science and technology focus, and has sponsored DSST's annual fundraising event since its founding in 2004.

"Students were energized by the CH2M HILL engineers," said Mark Heffron, DSST: Stapleton High School Director. "Corporate partnerships are important to DSST as we look to provide vital career information for our students." CH2M HILL is a global leader in the consulting, design, design-build, operations and program management for government, civil, industrial and energy clients. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, the firm's work is concentrated in the areas of water, transportation, environmental, energy and power, facilities and infrastructure.

DSST: Stapleton Middle School 6th grade students Ruja Parikh, Tessa Rollo and Max Stein pose next to their India presentation board at Multicultural Night

On the evening of February 17, DSST: Stapleton Middle School students festively celebrated global diversity during the school's first Multicultural Night. Though participation was voluntary, more than 50 students stayed after school to present on countries they researched to fellow students, teachers and community members. Presentations, many of which included audio-visual components and ethnic food, lined the cafeteria, and many students chose to dress in clothes from their own ethnic backgrounds.

"We have so many cultures in our school," said DSST: Stapleton Middle School Student Life Committee Member (and Athletic Director) Peter Barclay. "We wanted to celebrate them and give the kids a chance to present them in a fun way." The Student Life Committee divided 6th, 7th and 8th grades into different regions of the world from which the students chose countries to present. "The students had to learn to work collaboratively outside of school with group members they chose on their own. We provided them with a brief rubric and they ran with it. It was exciting to see."

Dance aficionado Malia Jackson, 8th grade, entertained community members with a Tahitian dance during the evening. "My family is from Hawaii and it's been very interesting studying a dance that is so similar to the Polynesian culture." Eesam Hourani, 6th grade, chose to present on Jordan, which he visits every summer with his family. "It was fun telling my classmates about my culture - I'm glad I was able to share it with them." Tessa Rollo, 6th grade, shared how excited she was to learn about the culture of her friend Ruja Parikh, also 6th grade, while working on their India presentation together. "I've been her friend for a while, but I didn't really know a lot about where her family was from."

"It was nice to see the students opening up their eyes to different walks of life," said Barclay. Fellow

Student Life Committee Member (and English teacher) Taylor Corley added that the conversations that resulted from Multicultural Night were beneficial to the school community as a whole. "We don't reflect on our school's cultural diversity enough. I'm glad we were able to put something together to get the kids talking about it. I'm happy with how the evening turned out and am excited to add to the event next year."

DSST: Green Valley Ranch (GVR) High School Director Rochelle Bell poses with DSST: GVR 6th grade students Davenport Brantley, Aysiah Chung and Auvion Cobb

DSST: Green Valley Ranch (GVR) High School Director Rochelle Bell has experienced first-hand the educational disparity in America. Growing up in inner-city Minneapolis, Bell attended a struggling elementary school that was later shut down. While in middle school, Bell's family moved, and she finished her education in the suburbs. "The change was drastic, to stay the least," said Bell. "We had access to computers, textbooks, field trips and were in a culture of success rather than survival - it was a totally different atmosphere. The differences in terms of expectations, materials, programs, activities, community involvement and achievement between my schools were huge."  

After high school, Bell attended Harvard University, where she studied Psychology and played on the basketball team. Though Bell graduated from her high school with straight A's in honors and AP courses, she struggled through her first two years at Harvard. "With private school backgrounds, my peers were far more prepared than I was. I discovered that many public schools don't adequately serve even top-performing students. I was never held to the level of accountability to which my Harvard peers were held. I saw that my peers were not smarter than I was, just more prepared, and this realization inspired me."  

Bell attributes her personal secondary and post-secondary experiences to her commitment and sense of urgency for solving educational equity issues. After graduating from Harvard, Bell taught science in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas for three years as a Teach For America corps member. The school at which Bell taught was located just ten minutes north of the Mexican border and all of her students were English language learners and qualified for free lunch. Additionally, only about half had social security numbers. "The challenges were numerous. Many of my students' families could not afford to properly feed and care for their children, most students were far behind grade level in terms of literacy and some of my students left for months at a time to work as migrant farm workers in Northern states. In some schools in the Rio Grande Valley, these circumstances have created a drastic achievement gap."

During her time teaching in the Rio Grande Valley, Bell sought solutions to end the cycle of low achievement for her students. By the middle of her first year teaching, Bell's students averaged 90% on the district science assessments. Further, her students were able to independently formulate hypotheses and create scientific settings to test the hypotheses. "I was filled with an enormous amount of optimism - and proof - that all kids can learn when given the opportunity to do so."

Since her time in the Rio Grande Valley, Bell worked in tough middle and high schools in both Austin, TX and Denver, CO. "I spent a long time battling the achievement gap in the trenches. I always sought out the challenging, tough schools. I learned a lot about what it takes for all students to be prepared for college and was ready to lead a team toward that goal. So I started looking for organizations were doing that and was blown away by DSST. What we do with instruction is outstanding - students at all levels of academic preparedness are being pushed at an extraordinary level - but what sets us apart is our culture. I've never been to a school where there is such a strong, values-based culture in which high expectations permeate every aspect of the school environment. The culture of success is tangible; you notice it just walking down the hallway."

In the fall, Bell will lead a team to open the second DSST Public Schools high school at DSST: GVR (currently only a middle school). She looks forward to providing another culture-based DSST school for students in Green Valley Ranch and Montbello. She is particularly excited about the community in which DSST: GVR High School will be located. "I love the energy and the involvement of the community members. The steps the community took ten years ago to make this high school and our facility possible show how committed they are to educational opportunities for their children. The Far Northeast has been a pioneer in educational choice and will ultimately affect the educational opportunities of all students in Denver Public Schools. I am excited to prepare our graduates for success in college and to be responsible, engaged citizens."

      


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