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Welcome to Watershed’s Blog! Check back often for the latest news, happenings and ponderings of our staff and students.
April 4, 2024 marked Watershed's first fundraising gala since 2019. With more than 150 people in attendance and over $219,000 raised ($119,000 that night plus receipt of a $100,000 gala matching gift challenge), this was Watershed's largest and most successful gala so far!
What does a Watershed educator do when longtime community partners who have become friends enter a crisis period in their lives? Pablo Stayton, humanities educator, helps build a core group of people with relevant skills and similar heart connections to problem-solve with the people in crisis.
Watershed’s inaugural Empty Bowls fundraiser event for the Harvest of Hope Food Pantry brought the Boulder community together for a cause that resonated deeply with its members: tackling food insecurity in our area.
The next time you visit the Denver Art Museum or 40 West Gallery, you may recognize the names of more than one artist! Currently displayed amongst each location is a collection of impressive and original works by two of Watershed’s own artists: Zora Eckert ‘24 and Calvin Boal ‘26, both of whose submissions were recently selected among thousands of Colorado teens to receive several Scholastic Art Awards!
At Watershed, your work doesn't land in the recycling bin; it lands on the Senator's desk. The students in the 11th and 12th grade Materials Science Expedition course certainly have a grasp on the concept of engaging in work that matters. Students know that by exercising their agency, leadership, and communication skills, they truly can make a difference beyond the walls of the school.
Watershed alumnus Kevin Freymiller ‘13, was recently awarded the Eisenhower Fellowship for his doctoral research at Carnegie Mellon! Reflecting on his academic journey to this point, Kevin shares, “Watershed [taught me] to relentlessly pursue my own curiosity. I think many schools do a good job of stifling this, and I find that I am unique among my peers in my eagerness to pursue things that truly interest me.”
Committee work, a CU collaboration project, tours, a grandparent giving challenge- oh my! A lot has been happening at Watershed’s new campus this fall.
What could be better than doing what you love and serving the common good at the same time? That’s exactly what Community Cycles in Boulder, CO is all about and one of the (many) reasons Watershed School is proud to partner with them!
Tim Breen writes, “By engaging students in what we, at Watershed, call ‘work that matters’ – academic work that is meaningful to students, has real-world applications, and makes a contribution to our communities – we can help students develop a commitment to the common good. What kind of society do we want to build, and how can we craft an educational experience that aligns with this vision?”
As part of the Extended Fieldwork portion of Borders & Immigration course, our 9th and 10th grade students trekked to El Paso, TX and across the border to Ojinaga, Mexico, to observe segments of the U.S./Mexico border wall and to interact with people who live and work in the region.
Longtime Watershed educator and administrator, Hannah Nelson, has been selected as Midland School’s next Head of School! Hannah will begin her new position on July 1, 2024.
The essential question in this class, “What can art teach us about the past?” drove students to explore firsthand how pottery was a crucial component of ancient Puebloan life. Students were offered glimpses into the entire pottery-making process, from gathering raw earth material to participating in ancient trench-firing demonstrations.
Campus updates include, renovation work with Caddis Collaborative architects, a volunteer work day video, CU partnership, and a Watershed art class collaboration.
Watershed middle schoolers know that their Expedition courses are just that: exploration that pushes them to learn within the real world and beyond the classroom.
“One thing that was special about this experience was that we all got to collaborate together on one piece, which isn’t something I had ever done in art. It was my first time working with mosaics, and it was cool to work together as a class on a large project like this.”
We are thrilled to announce that Watershed has purchased the additional building needed to complete the new Watershed Campus!
La Mariposa is special to my family as we visited in 2018; it was a life-changing experience for us. This July my mom and I returned to volunteer, helping with the animal rescue projects, and to help with the dog/cat sterilization clinics.
We’re thrilled to welcome some new folks to the Watershed staff for the 2023-24 school year!
Meet Gray Carr Bridgers, Assistant Head of School for Enrollment Management, and Jeff Steele, Middle School Dean of Student Life!
On May 31, 2023, Watershed welcomed 45+ alumni, staff, and former staff members to our new space at 5400 Spine Rd for Reunion 2023!
“Watershed educators and staff showed me what it meant to really live your values. So, from the earliest days as a student, I decided what was going to motivate me the most was the idea of challenge and meaning. That I would feel fulfilled in my future if I felt challenged, that I would enjoy my pursuits the most if they felt meaningful, and that I would ultimately be the happiest living a life in service of others…”
“I can look everybody here in the eyes and picture them doing meaningful things in the world. Creating medicines that will save lives, creating technologies that will feed people, creating pieces of art that truly change people's perspectives…”
“Watershed seemed like a great fit for the way I learn — I’m a visual person and I learn by DOING, not reading how to do things. So we applied…”
“Today we are growing up, but we are not growing out of being little kids with big dreams. As we part today, we are leaving to become. We are a collection of beautiful souls, large hearts, and unique minds, each destined to create a legacy…”
In a world with complex, systemic problems, we must help young people become creative problem solvers with the passion and vision to solve the challenges of the future…to work toward the common good…to listen, learn, and lead across differences..to build hope.
With the help of Pixel Mill Studios, we made a video about SHEDTalks…take a look!
“My first thought was, Who is this student?” laughs Laura Armstrong, Robotics Application Engineer at Archytas…”
Watching my kids thrive in this environment has been incredible. I sometimes wonder where we’d be if we hadn’t found Watershed - or if a school like this didn’t exist.
Tim Breen writes, “It's been exciting in the last few years to see other educational institutions exploring a move away from the conventional curriculum toward a focus on deep dive, real-world learning…”
Weaving together aspects of a collective vision amongst the class’s 13 students - seven of them seniors - a mosaic that reflects a sense of community, the beauty of Colorado’s natural landscape, and the ethos of Watershed School has taken shape.