“I want to live in one of these apartments someday!” ~DC Quest Student
Last week, our Quest students embarked on a field trip to a multi-use building construction site in Denver. This hands-on experience connected to their semester-long project investigating sustainable and healthy cities.
What is Quest?
At Denver Christian, Quest is a weekly optional pull-out program for high-ability learners in 3rd-8th grades. This program addresses their unique learning needs through in-depth investigation of a topic of unique interest to the students. Students spend time with their intellectual peers, interacting and discussing issues that are important to them.
The Quest program is an exciting time for students to take risks, work together, and challenge themselves. The work that these students do is truly incredible. Last semester, our students studied community and legacy. After visiting the Littleton museum, they created their own 2022 calendar featuring stories from the Denver Christian community.
Quest’s Project on Sustainable and Healthy Cities
This semester, Quest tackled the issue of building sustainable cities and issues like urban sprawl. They spent time at the beginning of the semester looking at city edges, multi-use districts, transportation systems, public spaces, and landmarks. They studied how these elements of urban design can enhance the sustainability of a city, preventing urban sprawl and reducing air pollution. Using their incredible imaginations, students began designing their own cities. First, students drew their cities on construction paper. After that, they adjusted and created larger boards. Now, they are building their cities, incorporating the elements of sustainability.
Exploring the Construction Site
Last week, our students visited the construction site of a multi-use building downtown. This construction site is of a mixed-use building being constructed in the center of the city. It will increase density and promote less need to travel long distances by car. Watching the entire process from securing the correct zoning and building permits to building gave our students the big picture. For instance, students were surprised to see the process of bringing cranes to the site. Entire streets close down for hours!
This incredible hands-on experience helped students see sustainable city design in process and learn about the entire construction process. One student commented, “I can’t believe that 70 workers are on this site every day!” The group climbed to the very top floor. They even got a first-hand look at how all the different pieces of a huge project like this fit together.
Hands-On Learning
Our vision is that students become solution-oriented and creatively inspired. For example, in this project, students imagine solutions to real issues our cities face. Our mission is to inspire and equip students of Christian families to engage the world with Christ’s transforming power and love. These experiences play a vital role in our students using their hearts and minds to engage the world around them.
As always, our amazing teachers spend so much time making these experiences meaningful. We are grateful to DC parent Zach Smith, of Bristlecone Construction who made this opportunity possible for our Quest students.