Current Projects

"The goal here is not just to get you out the door. At CRMS they prepare you for beyond that door, for college and for life."   
                                                                                   --David Brokering '04

Glass Blowing Studio Expansion and Solar Array

A generous grant from past parent and grandparent Ellen B. Powers funded the remodel and addition of solar panels to the Glass Blowing Studio this winter. Glass Blowing Work Crew students and teacher David Powers are enjoying the updated space, and the school is further decreasing its carbon footprint. Check out the variety of glasses that students have made for the Bar Fork the next time you are on campus.

Colorado Rocky Mountain School Garden Expansion

In keeping with the school’s values of stewardship of the land, meaningful work, and sustainability, the Colorado Rocky Mountain School garden is growing. One of the eight target goals of the CRMS Strategic Plan, adopted by the Board of Trustees in 2007, is sustainability. Strategies included in this goal are to “Develop a behavioral framework that is designed to conserve energy and resources and that respects the need to reduce wasteful habits,” and “to invest in a campus infrastructure to reduce energy and resource consumption.”

The garden expansion will increase learning about how food is grown and what is required of a person to produce high-yielding, reliable, and healthy food crops, while doubling the yield of the garden to provide 40% of the produce consumed on campus. The expansion of the garden will be a three-year project, with an estimated total cost of $38,000. At the end of the three years, it is expected that the increased yield will pay for the cost of the expanded garden.

With funding from several generous individuals, the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE), and the Environment Foundation (employees of the Aspen Skiing Company), and the Captain Planet Foundation, the first phase of the garden expansion has Been completed. To date, $35,000 has been raised for this project.

Half of the new garden space has been prepared through clearing rocks, tilling, installing irrigation lines and planting. The recycling program was revamped as well, as part of this project, to make room for cold storage. Summer interns and the Garden Work Crew Students worked very hard, and the entire school community continues to benefit from the fruits of their labors. As Fiona O'Donell Pax, Director of Food Services reported on September 28:
    
"Thanks to Linda and her garden crew we are at present serving sprouts, carrots, potatoes, beets, beet greens, turnips, onions, leeks, cabbage, swiss chard, kale, beans, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, zucchini, winter squash, lettuce, edible flowers, basil, parsley, shiso, chives, spring onions, sage, chervil, cilantro, dill, fennel, sorrel, rosemary, thyme, raspberries and apples. All of our garden produce is organically grown. Check out the apples that are in the Bar Fork today, they were just picked this morning. Not one worm hole can be found thanks to Linda’s and Meagan hard work. They lovingly hand placed stockings over each apple! 
   
"We’ve frozen rhubarb, squash, raspberries and beans to last us till next year. Thanks to Jeff Schlep we have a root cellar that will store enough potatoes, carrots, onions, beets and winter squash to keep us going through the winter. We made home made jam with apricots."

Just added to this project--a new greenhouse! With a $20,000 grant from the Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust, the aging dome greenhouse will be replaced with a new state-of-the art greenhouse this spring. This will increase the growing season, along with the number of plants that can be started for the annual Plant Sale. Donations for the greenhouse are still being accepted as an additional $10,000 is needed for construction and equipment.
   
Adobe Arts Studio "Re-Skin"

The beloved Adobe Arts Studio, constructed in the 1960s by students, has a new skin! Over time, the skin had deteriorated, allowing moisture to reach the adobe bricks the building is constructed of, which threatened the building's integrity. After much research on methods, vendors, and costs, CRMS contracted with a company named Foam Tech, who sprayed the Adobe with an elastomeric coating. Take a look next time you are on campus—the Adobe looks great and remains a fabulous venue for the Visual Arts program.

Bar Fork Kitchen Remodel

A new, energy efficient hood was installed in the kitchen this summer, as were new serving counters. This project will decrease heat loss in the kitchen, will increase energy efficiency, and has improved both the esthetics and the functionality of the food service area.

New Back Entrance and Parking Areas Pave the Way to a Safer Campus

One of the summer projects at CRMS was to build a new back entrance and parking area off of the Dolores Way side of the campus. With this addition, CRMS buses and delivery vehicles can enter the campus and load or unload goods and supplies without driving through the main campus entrance, and the buses have a new place to park. This increases pedestrian safety on campus, and it opens up space for one of the new planned dormitories.