Denver students cool classrooms, secure funding with initiative
Forget waiting for summer – a group of fourth graders at Park Hill Elementary School in Denver took matters into their own hands, and their ingenuity is now providing immediate relief from sweltering classrooms while also bolstering the school's long-term sustainability plan.
A simple idea, a significant impact
The Sustainability Club, led by students like Chloe Prom and Tegan Williamson, noticed a glaring problem: the third floor classrooms were unbearably hot. “It was like 80 degrees average in the summer,” Prom explained, “and it was really hard for students to learn.” Their solution? Ceiling fans. A seemingly simple request, but one that demonstrated remarkable foresight and resourcefulness.
While Denver Public Schools (DPS) anticipates installing air conditioning units over the summer as part of a 2024 bond, the students understood the urgency of the situation. They didn’t wait for bureaucracy; instead, they actively sought a quicker, more sustainable fix. Their efforts paid off when they secured nearly $20,000 from the city’s climate protection fund.
The grant enabled the installation of fans in ten of the school’s hottest classrooms during spring break. According to Potts, one fan consumes a mere 35 watts on its highest setting – roughly equivalent to the energy used by a single light bulb. The seemingly small investment promises significant energy savings, even after the planned AC installation.
Kelly Moses, a program manager for DPS’s sustainability efforts, emphasized the proactive nature of the students’ approach. “As soon as the students reached out, saying, ‘we want to do this,’ we were all hands on deck to figure out what that would look like to make it happen.” Moses believes the fans will reduce the demand on the future AC system, creating a more efficient and environmentally friendly learning environment.
The students are also conducting surveys – before and after fan installation – to rigorously assess their impact on classroom conditions. The initial results? “Our hard work had a big impact on the school and other kids’ learning,” Williamson declared, a sentiment echoed by teachers and administrators.
The Park Hill Elementary students have not just cooled their classrooms; they've ignited a model for student-led sustainability initiatives within Denver Public Schools. Their story proves that sometimes, the most impactful solutions come from those closest to the problem.