An Introduction to the Downtown Denver Expeditionary School
The Downtown Denver Expeditionary School (DDES) is a Denver Public School charter which opened in August 2013 as a K-2 elementary school, and will grow a grade a year to K-5. DDES was founded by a group of parents, community members and business leaders seeking a high-performing Expeditionary Learning (EL) school to primarily serve a diverse range of families who live, work, or learn in downtown Denver. The charter for DDES was unanimously approved by the Denver Board of Education in June 2012. DDES earned the prestigious Walton Family Foundation start-up grant and the Colorado Department of Education charter start up/implementation grant. DDES’ high score on the grant application qualified the school for “distinction status”. DDES is part of a national network of almost 200 schools that work together with EL to challenge students to think critically and take active roles in their classrooms and communities, resulting in higher achievement and greater engagement in school. For more information about Expeditionary Learning visit http://www.elschools.org
DDES opened in August 2013 at Smedley Elementary School at 4250 Shoshone, and move to its permanent home at 1860 Lincoln next Spring. We opened with 175 students from over 20 zip codes, serving students with diverse learning styles and from diverse backgrounds.
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