Empowered Voices

Welcome to Empowered Voices!

You have landed in a vibrant space where we celebrate the voices of our youth who have explored the science of optimal learning, social and emotional learning, brain-based best practices, and components of a healthy and happy school climate and culture.

Here we recognize and share important and beautiful work from our youth who have emerged ready to make an impact by informing and inspiring all learners to be more empowered and nurture healthy climate and culture in our schools and our community.

We invite you to explore these three realms below that support the district's mission and provides an all important foundation to successful academic growth and life long learning:

• The Science of Learning and Brain Health

• Optimal Physical Learning Spaces

• Dimensions of Safe, Supportive,

Positive School Culture and Climate

Explore! Enjoy! Learn! Be Empowered!

"Every voice matters and can make a difference" Riverview Elementary 4th Grader



Healthy Learner It's All Connected! A Healthy Learner is a Whole Learner; Mind, Body, and Brain. This area of inquiry, exploration, and discovery involves empowering students to research their own unique brain, their mind, and their biology through the lens of science as it relates to learning and living.	Healthy Learning Spaces Here students examine how the organization and use of a space, whether a classroom, outdoor "classroom", or shared learning spaces, can help with student physical and emotional safety, engagement, and promoting productivity for mind, body and brain!	Healthy Climate and Culture Starting with physical and emotional safety, what helps create a supportive, engaging, positive, and joyful school community? Beyond best practices in any learning environment are the people that practice and shape the energy and feeling in those spaces! Building community, connection, and care, has many dimensions. With youth at the center of this conversation we can nurture healthier schools and community.

It's a great idea to revisit the website often as it will GROW over time like a garden with new submissions. As it grows with the wisdom of our youth, it will provide a variety of resources archived on the site for all stakeholders. The process for submission of student work starts at the school with their Empowered Voices Team. The district Empowered Voices Committee makes final selections and uploads monthly. For more information contact committee members at empoweredvoices@durangoschools.org or inquire at your school!

Click for Process/ Protoco l

Click for Permission Slip