DENVER — A group of students at Asbury Elementary is making a statewide impact — and earning top honors for the first time — with hands-on environmental projects that are transforming their school and community.
On Friday, students gathered in the Asbury Elementary gymnasium to celebrate receiving the EcoSchools "Green Flag" — the highest national certification for school sustainability efforts.
EcoSchools is a certification program, from the National Wildlife Federation, that promotes environmental learning and climate action. Just two dozen schools in Colorado have earned the distinction, marking Asbury as a standout for student leadership and innovation.
“It’s fun to be just like a role model,” said third-grader Quinn O’Neill. “I think that’s how a lot of other people feel.”
O’Neill is a member of the “Green Eagles,” a student-led club at Asbury Elementary formed to tackle sustainability projects, from managing the garden’s pollinator habitat to organizing cafeteria composting, recycling, and waste-reduction programs.
Guided by the national EcoSchools framework, students document their projects and progress throughout the school year, building a portfolio that’s later assessed for certification. This year, their collective efforts paid off at the highest level.
“The kids were very excited. They were very happy, because they knew that’s kind of what we were aiming for — that green flag level, the highest you can get,” said Stephanie Vieau, Green Eagles coordinator and a teacher at Asbury. “It’s nice to see all of that hard work pay off and to get recognized for everything that they do every day, for the future.”
But Vieau emphasizes that the work is not easy — or over.
“No, [the work] does not stop. We’ll keep going. They’ve already come up with ideas on day one of club about how we can fix some of the recycling bins in the school,” she said. “Their passion, it’s very inspiring, and it keeps us going, because the work is not easy.”
According to Denver Public Schools (DPS) Sustainability Program Manager Kelly Moses, reaching the “Green Flag” demands years of persistence and wide participation.
“If you want to get Green Flag, it really needs to be the whole school community, and students need to be leading the way,” Moses said. “What you see with Asbury is they have such a high standard for what environmental action can look like. It really is the whole school community.”
EcoSchools initiatives are part of a broader effort within DPS.
“Our district aims to have 25 schools that have and maintain EcoSchools certification,” Moses said. The program is intentionally accessible, he added, but “achieving Green Flag, that’s where there’s a lot more discernment in the evaluation process.”
Projects like the Asbury garden have ripple effects beyond campus.
“It gives a direct opportunity for students to create a large impact across their school community with very entry-level action steps that can expand,” Moses said. “Sustainability isn’t something that you achieve. It’s something that you do.”
For the Green Eagles, the honor is just the beginning. Their sights are already set on new goals, from restarting a clothing drive to leading more community action. When asked if he was going to relax and sit back, after winning the Green Flag, O'Neill said, “No, I’m gonna keep doing everything I can so that each year we can maybe get the green flag.”
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