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If you spend any time wandering through Durango’s middle schools – and I do, often – you’ll notice something right away: Kids are doing things. Hands-on, sleeves-rolled-up, eyes-bright kind of doing.
It’s the kind of learning that sticks. And it’s reshaping what it means to be a middle schooler in Durango.
At Escalante Middle School, the giveaway is the greenhouse class. Step inside and you’re met with the sweet scent of basil and the steady hum of a student-run hydroponics system. Seventh graders aren’t just growing food – they’re calculating yield, managing nutrients, designing logos and selling their produce to Durango Natural Foods. It’s agriculture, entrepreneurship and sustainability woven into one real-world lesson, driven by students.
Down the hall, Escalante students are piloting CrunchLab, a magnet-style experience that lets them reverse-engineer gadgets, study mechanical systems and build things that actually work. For kids who learn best by tinkering, it’s a powerful confidence boost.
Across town at Miller Middle School, students are running a broadcast studio that would impress many college programs. High-end cameras, audio boards, lighting rigs – all operated by students who write scripts, direct segments and produce episodes of “The Miller Show.” For some, it’s their first taste of journalism. For others, it’s the moment they realize this could be a career.
Science at Miller is just as kinetic. In a recent chemistry lesson, students mixed copper sulfate with aluminum foil, watching heat rise and colors shift as science came alive in their hands. In October, Spanish students built ofrendas for Día de los Muertos, learning the language and cultural traditions by creating something meaningful and beautiful.
Then there’s the new weight room, where students learn anatomy and fitness in a space that feels more like a college rec center than a middle school gym. They study how muscles work, how to lift safely and how caring for their bodies supports learning and well-being.
This year, both schools rolled out something truly special: a districtwide Special Education science fair, a new event at DSD. Students with significant support needs proudly presented their projects to cheering families and staff members. The joy in the room made one thing clear – experiential learning belongs to every student.
At both Escalante and Miller, students can also get a head start on high school. Middle schoolers can earn high school Career and Technical Education credit in advanced classes like Principles of Engineering or Foundations of Multimedia Arts. By earning a B or higher, students receive a half credit each semester, totaling a full credit for a yearlong course. It’s a meaningful boost that lets students begin ninth grade with credits already earned – and more room to explore what comes next.
That forward-looking approach extends beyond classrooms. All middle school students take YouScience, an aptitude and career-exploration tool that helps them discover strengths – sometimes surprising ones – and imagine futures they hadn’t yet considered.
Ask our teachers why this matters and they’ll tell you adolescence is a hinge moment. Students are old enough to be curious about the world, and young enough to believe they belong in it. The more chances they get to build, grow, film, test, perform, lift and create, the more they begin to see themselves as capable.
Durango’s middle schools aren’t waiting until high school to ignite that spark. They’re lighting it now – in greenhouses, studios, science labs, music rooms and makerspaces. And as any wandering visitor can see, our kids aren’t just learning about the world. They’re learning how to shape it.
Karla Sluis is the public information officer for Durango School District. Families who want to see learning in action at Escalante or Miller middle schools can schedule a tour after Winter Break ends Jan. 5 by calling 247-9490 for Escalante or 247-1418 for Miller.
