Outreach News

It takes a village: School of Education and community celebrate new campus home

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Oct 2024 22:05:52 +0000

It takes a village: School of Education and community celebrate new campus home Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/21/2024 - 16:05

Jessica Winter , CU �鶹ӰԺ Advancement Marketing and Communications

After more than five years of fundraising efforts, CU �鶹ӰԺ’s School of Education celebrated moving into its new campus home: the Ofelia Miramontes and Leonard Baca Education Building. The milestone, made possible by collective philanthropy, was marked with a festive building dedication and community open house on Oct. 4 to showcase the school’s collaborative new spaces, highlight its influential research, celebrate educators and honor the passionate community that made this project possible.

Launched in the spring of 2019, the initiative to move the School of Education to its newly renovated home (previously known as the Fleming Building) was a multi-phase renovation project. The school’s dean emerita, Kathy Schultz, spearheaded the move with donor and campus leadership support.

A united effort

An extraordinary 97 families donated to the renovations — resulting in 23 named spaces in the building, from classrooms to meeting spaces and private study rooms, demonstrating the strength of the school’s community support.

“It took a whole village … The building was much-needed, to be competitive with other universities and to provide a state-of-the-art location for students, faculty, staff and our community,” said Barb Quinlan (Edu’65, MA’86), donor and member of the school’s Development Advisory Board. Quinlan is also a member of Women Investing in the School of Education (WISE), which supports faculty research, initiatives, and a student scholarship. In addition to contributing to the project, she led a group effort to inspire other passionate WISE members to name one of the school’s classrooms.

The building’s name honors two former CU �鶹ӰԺ School of Education faculty members, Ofelia Miramontes and Leonard Baca, and their lasting legacies of exceptional mentorship and groundbreaking leadership — particularly in the field of bilingual education, which continues to uplift educators and support historically marginalized students today.

Miramontes, who passed away in 2005, was represented by her sister and niece at the dedication, and Baca was present with his wife and grandson. The heartwarming ceremony featured stories of gratitude from their former students, and many family members, mentees and former colleagues were in attendance to honor Miramontes’ and Baca’s impact.

Together at last

Moving to the Miramontes Baca Education Building marks the first time in recent history that the entire School of Education will be together under one roof. Previously, the school’s centers and programs were housed in a variety of buildings. In addition to providing more space, the new location is equipped with the technology and facilities to support modern teaching methods and community-building opportunities.

A hallmark of our School of Education is a commitment to collaborative and interactive communities, both in our classrooms and in the entirety of our work as scholars and educators. Our space reflects this commitment — I am excited to see where we go in the future.." — Melissa Braaten, associate professor in the School of Education

View event photo album

"This renovation has allowed the School of Education to create spaces that suit the programming and classes that it offers,” said Suzanne Hoover, development board member and longtime supporter of the school. “It has allowed the school to have up-to-date technology that is so important to education in the 21st century." Suzanne and Dave Hoover helped kick off the fundraising effort for the school in 2019. In recognition of their generosity and dedication to education, the school named its new central collaborative space the Hoover Atrium.

"For us, our educations have been paramount to our ability to dream of a future and to reach those dreams,” said Suzanne Hoover. “Education broadens horizons and opens doors for those who pursue it."

Additional features of the Miramontes Baca Education Building include modernized classrooms and conference rooms, private study rooms, a food pantry and community kitchens, and learning labs for specialized disciplines such as STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education.

Associate Professor Melissa Braaten, program chair for STEM education in the School of Education, remarked that the new spaces are being used exactly as they’d hoped — with students from all over campus connecting and collaborating in ways they weren’t easily able to before.

Heartwarming support

Braaten noted that teaching in classrooms named after the dedicated and generous families that support the school offers a sense of “legacy and community.” She said future philanthropy for the school can continue to ensure adequate classroom space and enhance learning for tomorrow’s educators.

“The fundraising effort has taken many years and many contributions, large and small, to generate the resources that we need to renovate our building,” said Braaten. “I have had the opportunity to meet the donors and families responsible for supporting the classrooms where I teach — it’s so special to hear their stories of the compassionate, dedicated teachers in their families and see their commitment to education.”

An innovative component to the school’s new classrooms is their ability to be reconfigured — the seating has been designed to be movable, offering a more interactive approach to teaching and classroom collaboration. The building dedication and open house on Oct. 4 allowed attendees to tour the newly renovated spaces and see these features firsthand. Guests also engaged in a research showcase and family-friendly activities and enjoyed live mariachi music, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and remarks honoring the community’s commitment to education.

“As one of the most important things we can provide for children, education is top of the list — it’s a gift of a lifetime,” said Marty Coffin Evans (A&S’64), donor and board chair for the school. “I believe strongly in the power of education. It has the ability to change, enrich, inform and mold lives.”

A bright future

Evans remarked that the school’s new home reinforces its value and formally acknowledges “the powerful education found within its walls.” She hopes gratitude and a passion for education can drive future philanthropy efforts.

“If you've had a special teacher, counselor or coach in your life, this is a wonderful way to say: ‘Thank you for believing in me, thank you for teaching me,’” said Evans.

In addition to enhancing innovative education and bringing the whole school together, the renovated facilities will help attract and retain top faculty, as well as support the school’s mission of preparing the teachers and leaders of tomorrow.

“A hallmark of our School of Education is a commitment to collaborative and interactive communities, both in our classrooms and in the entirety of our work as scholars and educators,” said Braaten. “Our space reflects this commitment — I am excited to see where we go in the future.”

View event photo album

Photo captions:
Above: The ribbon-cutting ceremony included Angela Snyder and Marcela Martinez-Jones (Ofelia Miramontes' sister and niece), Dean Emerita Kathy Schultz, Interim Dean Fernando Rosario-Ortiz, Chancellor Justin Schwartz, Chancellor Emeritus Phil DiStefano, Leonard Baca, his wife and grandson, Eleanor Baca and Jaylen Baca
Center: Melissa Braaten teaching elementary education students in the new Learning Sphere Classroom, a space named by Trish Shapiro in the Miramontes Baca Education Building.
Below: Leonard Baca and family, and Ofelia Miramontes' family and close friends.

After more than five years of fundraising efforts, CU �鶹ӰԺ’s School of Education celebrated moving into its new campus home: the Ofelia Miramontes and Leonard Baca Education Building. The milestone was marked with a festive building dedication and community open house to showcase the school’s collaborative new spaces, highlight its influential research, celebrate educators and honor the passionate community that made the project possible.

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Join us for the School of Education Building Dedication on Friday, Oct. 4

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Sep 2024 16:21:58 +0000

Join us for the School of Education Building Dedication on Friday, Oct. 4 Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 09/05/2024 - 10:21

The CU �鶹ӰԺ School of Education Building Dedication and Open House will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Ofelia Miramontes and Leonard Baca Education Building and a family-friendly open house will follow. Learn more about the education research, student work, donor support and community impact through stations designed to spark creativity and joy while uplifting the power of educators.

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High school student curiosity drives new open-source science curricula

Anonymous — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 21:48:42 +0000

High school student curiosity drives new open-source science curricula Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 07/24/2024 - 15:48

A coalition of educators from 10 states and led by CU �鶹ӰԺ has released a new series of free science curricula for high school students—touching on issues critical to the lives of young people, from wildfires to rising sea levels and cancer biology. The new curricula, called OpenSciEd High School, is a three-year high school science program designed by a consortium of developers led by the inquiryHub, a research-practice partnership.

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Research partnership with youth in rural New Mexico centers collaborative discovery, action, transformation

Anonymous — Mon, 13 May 2024 21:25:54 +0000

Research partnership with youth in rural New Mexico centers collaborative discovery, action, transformation Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 05/13/2024 - 15:25

Iman Fagan

In the heart of Cuba, New Mexico, an impactful collaboration aims to confront systemic inequities in education by centering student voices. Launched in the summer of 2021, the collaboration brings together �鶹ӰԺ researchers and Cuba Independent School District (CISD) students, teachers and stakeholders during an annual six-week summer program focused on educational equity. CISD serves the diverse town of Cuba, along with several neighboring rural communities and Navajo Nation chapters. Cuba lies near the western edge of the Santa Fe National Forest, about 80 miles northwest of Albuquerque.

In a collaborative co-design process, the CU �鶹ӰԺ Research Hub for Youth Organizing faculty and graduate students worked with local school leaders and teachers to develop the summer curriculum. Led by School of Education researchers Michelle Renée Valladares, Vandna Sinha, Kate Baca, and Revaline Nez, this profound collaboration confronts barriers facing CISD's diverse student body.

The journey began with a pilot summer program, in which the CU �鶹ӰԺ team, plus colleagues Adam York, Matt Garcia and Siomara Valladares, engaged middle and high school students in youth participatory action research on educational equity within CISD schools. Youth participatory action research is an approach where youth identify pressing issues in their communities and engage in research to help inform social change and action in their lives, communities, and the institutions intended to serve them. Students in Cuba diligently collected data and elevated recommendations to administrators, spurring policy changes still reverberating today.

Each year brought fresh insights and challenges. The first summer examined educational opportunities within CISD schools, with students and researchers studying the past and present in hopes of developing plans for a more inclusive future. Subsequent programs explored language, cultural representation and student identities in relation to the land, by examining pressing local issues like oil and gas extraction, environmental justice and decolonization.

After the first summer, students recommended improved mental health services, student support groups, accessible transportation and extracurricular activities. This student-driven research led the district to implement policy changes to address these needs. In the second summer, students examined food justice, collecting data that showed limited healthy, affordable food access. They subsequently started a community garden and farmers market to increase food security.

Seeing the need for more reciprocal research practices, Nez reached out to Diné students, families and community leaders. Her outreach and open dialogue laid the foundation for an evolving collaboration rooted in trust, mutual understanding and elevating previously marginalized voices.

Last summer’s focus on language and cultural representation sparked greater integration of students' diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds into the school curriculum through translanguaging training for teachers, which helped provide educators with pedagogical supports for students moving between languages. The partnership has evolved to include teacher development and leadership coaching. The research continues expanding theoretical frameworks and challenging existing narratives – from teacher identity to student leadership. By pushing back against limiting beliefs, the project empowers educators and learners to see themselves as capable leaders who can actively shape their educational experiences and communities. It is particularly crucial to focus on rural school districts, especially those serving Indigenous populations, as these communities have historically been underserved and marginalized. By centering the voices of the community, the project shapes a more inclusive educational landscape, validating their perspectives and highlighting the transformative power of their actions.

Navigating challenges, supporting educators and nurturing youth leadership, the team models open communication, intentional reflection and community-centered praxis. While funding and capacity issues remain, the partnership has expanded possibilities for students, with educators reporting youth displaying greater confidence, leadership abilities and seeing college as newly imaginable despite limited exposure to recruiters and campuses.

Though complex, initiatives elevating student and community wisdom can drive meaningful change in rural education. By centering voices often left out of policy decisions, this project offers lessons for expanding equity across marginalized schools nationwide. As co-lead researchers and doctoral students Baca and Nez reflect, their understanding of the local context has been key for building authentic community relationships, uplifting youth experiences and confronting systemic barriers across CISD’s richly diverse student body.

While uncertainties lie ahead, the partnership remains committed to this ongoing journey of collaborative discovery, action and positive transformation. Additionally, this partnership may shift mindsets on conceptualizing rural student populations, which are often presumed predominantly white. Centering the experiences of rural students of color in CISD could have ripple effects on educational equity across rural schools nationally.

Baca emphasized the complex value of partnership work, stating the partnership “is ongoing, relational, and messy but it's really important to find what is generative for both partners and have transparency in that.” This program's impacts show that valuing student voices and community expertise can help bridge divides and lead to humanizing, relevant education. This summer, Nez will advance research on translanguaging while continuing to support partners in Cuba by developing a guide for teachers to help them implement the recommendations formulated from previous summer programs.

This program has been supported by the School of Education Place-Based Partnership Initiative, the Women Investing in the School of Education (WISE) giving circle, and a CU �鶹ӰԺ Public and Community-Engaged Scholarship grant. This article was written by Iman Fagan as part of graduate research assistantship focused on collaborative partnerships between School of Education researchers and community partners working toward transformative change in education.

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5th annual Children’s Book Festival addresses censorship and more

Anonymous — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 22:08:00 +0000

5th annual Children’s Book Festival addresses censorship and more Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/31/2023 - 16:08

Over the past five years, the School of Education has held the Children’s Book Festival, featuring nationally renowned authors and illustrators who introduce their work on panels and then split into breakout groups to give K-8 students hands-on interaction opportunities. As authors visit schools across Colorado, the festival fosters excitement for reading and offers first-hand experience with writers.

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New documentary about LGBTQ+ students’ experiences to make campus debut on Oct. 23

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 22:46:54 +0000

New documentary about LGBTQ+ students’ experiences to make campus debut on Oct. 23 Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 10/13/2023 - 16:46

On Monday, Oct. 23, the Center for Student Involvement and A Queer Endeavor are co-hosting the on-campus screening and discussion about the path-breaking documentary, Reclaiming the Narrative: A Documentary �鶹ӰԺ LGBTQ+ Students.

The film was locally produced by A Queer Endeavor, a nationally renowned center for gender and sexuality in education based in the �鶹ӰԺ School of Education, in partnership with Denver Public Schools.

The film provides a level of depth that’s often missing from professional development opportunities focused on gender and sexual diversity, which tend to focus on foundations of learning—pronouns, inclusive vocabulary, and all-gender bathrooms. While those are incredibly important, there’s more that’s needed to support educators so that they can develop and nurture authentic relationships with these students.”

First released this summer, Reclaiming the Narrative is an hour-long film that features the stories and perspectives of 16 students in 13 Denver high schools. Their stories paint a broader and more nuanced picture of LGBTQ+ youth. While recognizing some of the challenges LGBTQ+ students face in schools, their stories reframe and disrupt detrimental narratives with moments of joy and celebrations of intersectional identities.

The on-campus screening will be followed by a talk back with film's producers Bethy Leonardi, co-founder of A Queer Endeavor and associate professor of education, and Levi Arithson, LGBTQ+ equity program manager for Denver Public Schools’ Culture, Equity and Leadership Team.

The film provides the foundation for a new professional development for educators, a central focus of A Queer Endeavor, which has worked with more than 15 school districts. In addition to providing educators with a deeper understanding of the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth, the film layers in perspectives from leading queer scholars in the field of education research.

“Stories of LGBTQ+ youth often feature damage-centered narratives, ignoring the systems that create the damage to begin with,” said Leonardi. “By focusing only on the damage, we miss the opportunity to understand the rich complexity of who these students are and what they need.

“In our view, the film provides a level of depth that’s often missing from professional development opportunities focused on gender and sexual diversity, which tend to focus on foundations of learning—pronouns, inclusive vocabulary, and all-gender bathrooms. While those are incredibly important, there’s more that’s needed to support educators so that they can develop and nurture authentic relationships with these students.”

Leonardi points to the depth and perspective that only the young people can provide.

As Maddie says in the film, “There’s a lot going on in the world. You can flip on the news and see on the news, like, ‘Oh, this law was just passed.’ And that's a lot for LGBTQ people, especially LGBTQ youth. I think a lot of us need people to just listen and hear us.”

Attendees of the screening are invited to gather in community and to practice listening to what LGBTQ+ students need us to hear.

The on-campus screening will begin at 5 p.m. Seating is limited and registration is required at colorado.edu/involvement/dscc-events. A Queer Endeavor and the Center for Student Involvement, part of the Dennis Small Cultural Center, invites students, staff and faculty to attend the screening as a way to mark LGBTQ+ History Month.

For educators interested in learning more about the film or A Queer Endeavor’s partnerships and professional development opportunities, visit colorado.edu/center/a-queer-endeavor.

On Monday, Oct. 23, the Center for Student Involvement and A Queer Endeavor are co-hosting the on-campus screening and discussion about the path-breaking documentary, Reclaiming the Narrative: A Documentary �鶹ӰԺ LGBTQ+ Students, as part of LGBTQ+ History Month. The film was locally produced by A Queer Endeavor, a nationally renowned center in the School of Education, in partnership with Denver Public Schools.

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Ed Talks videos about the fight for civil rights and education now available

Anonymous — Fri, 19 May 2023 18:57:28 +0000

Ed Talks videos about the fight for civil rights and education now available Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/19/2023 - 12:57

In April, the CU �鶹ӰԺ School of Education hosted Ed Talks about the personal legacies of changemakers and the ongoing fight for civil rights in education. Inspired by TED Talks, these short, engaging talks are now available online.

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Best Should Teach Ceremony on May 1 to honor outstanding educators

Anonymous — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 21:03:02 +0000

Best Should Teach Ceremony on May 1 to honor outstanding educators Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 04/21/2023 - 15:03

Best Should Teach keynote to address supporting educators teaching after tragedies and traumas

The �鶹ӰԺ 2023 Best Should Teach Lecture and Awards Ceremony will celebrate excellence in education by recognizing outstanding CU �鶹ӰԺ faculty members, K-12 teachers and graduate student instructors with Best Should Teach Awards on May 1 at 6 p.m. in the University Memorial Center Glenn Miller Ballroom.

Free and open to the public, the ceremony will feature award-winning author and University of Connecticut Associate Professor Alyssa Hadley Dunn, who will deliver the keynote talk, “Teaching on Days After: Educating for Equity in the Wake of Injustice.”

Dunn is a highly regarded educational researcher, whose research focuses is on how to teach for justice and equity amidst school policies and reforms that negatively impact teachers’ working conditions and students’ learning conditions. Recently, her work has focused on what educators do in their classrooms the day after a tragic or traumatic event and how they attend to their students’ needs while teaching for equity and justice.

Her research examines examples of days after that teachers remember, including 9/11, elections, natural disasters, gun violence, police brutality, social uprisings, Supreme Court decisions, immigration policies, and more. She also shares examples of days after that K–12 and college-aged students remember, including what their teachers did and didn’t do and how they experienced these moments.

Dunn’s talk will provide useful and thought-provoking guidance for educators and staff in across at all levels of education who navigate these very difficult and “all-too-frequent days after.”

The event, co-hosted by the Center for Teaching and Learning, School of Education, and College of Arts and Sciences, will honor six CU �鶹ӰԺ faculty members, three K-12 teachers from the School of Education’s partner school districts and lead graduate teachers in the Graduate Teacher Program with Best Should Teach Gold and Silver Awards.

The 2023 Best Should Teach faculty award recipients include:

Sara Avila Forcada, Economics
Melissa Braaten, School of Education
Laurie Gries, Media, Communication and Information
Nii Armah Sowah, Theatre and Dance
Ross Taylor, Journalism
Bethany Wilcox, Physics

Teacher honorees from partner school districts include:

Tara Kawalec, STEM Launch K-8, Adams 12
Vera Moreno-Hamm, Columbine Elementary School, �鶹ӰԺ Valley
Emily Fiebig, Northridge Elementary, St. Vrain

The Best Should Teach awardees were selected for their embodiment of the beliefs, behaviors, and skills of exemplary teachers. The call for nominations for CU �鶹ӰԺ faculty also include nominations from students from all colleges and schools across campus.

The late, lifelong educator Lindley Stiles and his wife Marguerite Stiles established the Best Should Teach Initiative in 1996 to celebrate excellence in teaching, and Stiles’ inspiring motto is inscribed on the Lucile Berkeley Buchanan Building:

“To those who come, I leave the flame! Hold it as high as you can reach. If a better world is your aim, all must agree: The Best Should Teach.”

The CU �鶹ӰԺ 2023 Best Should Teach Lecture and Awards Ceremony will celebrate excellence in education by recognizing outstanding CU �鶹ӰԺ faculty members, K-12 teachers and graduate student instructors with Best Should Teach Awards on May 1 at 6 p.m. Free and open to the public, the ceremony will feature award-winning author Alyssa Hadley Dunn, who will deliver the keynote talk, “Teaching on Days After: Educating for Equity in the Wake of Injustice” to address teaching after tragic or traumatic events.

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CU �鶹ӰԺ's Ed Talks to focus on the fight for civil rights on April 18

Anonymous — Wed, 05 Apr 2023 20:57:44 +0000

CU �鶹ӰԺ's Ed Talks to focus on the fight for civil rights on April 18 Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 04/05/2023 - 14:57

Join the CU �鶹ӰԺ School of Education on Tuesday, April 18 for Ed Talks, a series of short talks that address some of today's most pressing issues in education and beyond. Inspired by TED Talks, spring 2023 Ed Talks will focus on the personal legacies of changemakers and the ongoing fight for civil rights.

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Join alumna, activist Christine Ahn for screening of her documentary about Korea's DMZ peacemakers

Anonymous — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 20:58:32 +0000

Join alumna, activist Christine Ahn for screening of her documentary about Korea's DMZ peacemakers Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 02/23/2023 - 13:58

Christine Ahn, an INVST Community Studies alumna and Nobel Peace Prize Social Activist Awardee, will lead a discussion following the public screening of the "Crossings" documentary on Wednesday, March 15, at 7 p.m. in the �鶹ӰԺ’s Center for Academic Success and Engagement (CASE) Chancellor's Auditorium.

The film follows the historic journey of 30 women peacemakers, led by Ahn, Nobel Peace Laureates, and activists like Gloria Steinem and more, who crossed the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea calling for an end to a 70-year war that has divided the Korean Peninsula and its people.

The screening of this new film by Deann Borshay Liem and discussion featuring Ahn is free and open to the public.

Ahn is the Executive Director of Women Cross DMZ, and led the women’s peace walk in 2015. Ahn is a CU �鶹ӰԺ alumna (PolSci’98), who earned a minor in peace and conflict studies and is also an INVST Community Studies graduate. She is also the recipient of the 2022 Social Activist Award from the Nobel Peace Laureates.

Since 1990, the INVST Community Studies program has offered unforgettable learning opportunities for students interested in community-based learning for eco-social transformation. The intensive two-year program, based in the School of Education’s CU Engage: the center for community-based learning and research, develops community leaders who engage in compassionate action as a lifetime commitment.

INVST Director Sabrina Sideris said Ahn’s visit to campus is exciting as the activist exemplifies how CU �鶹ӰԺ’s unique programs prepare “change-makers to make a positive impact with their gifts and skills.” Through INVST, the world's needs and problems meet undergraduates’ passions, and the combination often results in commitments to visionary, bold action, she said.

“We're thrilled to welcome Christine Ahn back to �鶹ӰԺ,” Sideris said. “Christine took her INVST experience, her knowledge and experience in the Political Science major, her identities as a Korean-American and as a woman, her passion for working to bring peace to a war-torn, divided peninsula bruised by a war that ended long ago, and combined all these together to build a lifetime of skillful, bold feminist activism for peace building and positive change.

“The documentary, ‘Crossings,’ is a beautiful and informative piece of media that students and educators from many disciplines will find fascinating and inspiring.”

The event is co-sponsored by CU �鶹ӰԺ's INVST Community Studies program; the Peace, Conflict and Security program; the Center for Asian Studies; CU Engage: the center for community-based learning and research; the Center for Inclusion and Social Change; and Women and Gender Studies. Refreshments will be donated by Lucky Pie of Louisville.

Seating is available first come, first served. The CASE building is located at Euclid and Broadway next to the University Memorial Center. For more info about the event, contact invst@colorado.edu.

[video:https://youtu.be/vKmkd2XAWRs]

On March 15, Christine Ahn, an INVST Community Studies alumna and Nobel Peace Prize Social Activist Awardee, will lead a discussion following the public screening of the "Crossings" documentary about 30 women peacemakers and activists who crossed the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea calling for an end to a 70-year war that has divided Korea and its people.

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