Denver Public Schools, American Climate Leadership Awards 2025 Finalist

Winner, Runner-Up will be Announced on April 16, 2025

The following blog is a part of our American Climate Leadership Award 2025 Series.

Denver Public Schools is among 10 American Climate Leadership Award finalists to be recognized at the American Climate Leadership Awards Broadcast on April 16.

The acceleration of the climate crisis from a vague threat to an everyday reality led 30 students from eight schools to mobilize into the advocacy group “DPS Students For Climate Action” and urge Denver Public Schools (DPS) leadership to take significant and urgent climate action. The DPS Board of Education responded by unanimously passing a climate action policy on Earth Day 2022, which states: “DPS shall be a national leader in establishing an organizational culture anchored in sustainability, climate action, and environmental justice in both the conservation of natural resources and in minimizing the carbon footprint of DPS’ practices.” The DPS Sustainability Team responded by publishing the district’s first-ever Climate Action Plan in Dec. 2022.

The plan contains 3 North Star Goals to be reached by 2050 and 23 comprehensive goals to be reached by 2028. The goals were developed with extensive community input, used an equity lens, aligned with the student’s vision, and they span the pillars of the triple bottom line. The DPS Climate Action Plan is focused on six frameworks: Built Environment, Transportation, Resource Management, Wellness, Engagement & Environmental Justice, and Career & Curriculum.

The DPS Sustainability Team also completed a Financial Impact Assessment in 2023 to understand and educate stakeholders about the economic pathways for achieving the plan’s goals.

Through this Climate Action Plan and Financial Impact Assessment, the DPS Sustainability Team is implementing tangible climate action at the local level and spurring others across the nation to implement climate action.

Join us for the American Climate Leadership Awards broadcast to honor Denver Public Schools and the other ACLA finalists. For more information about the ACLA finalists, Register Today.

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