Denver Westword | The Leading Independent News Source in Denver, Colorado

Just One Colorado High School Ranks in Top 100 Nationwide, and It's Not in Denver

By Brendan Joel Kelley

Aug 27, 2025

Denver Public Schools didn't place in the Top 100 rankings of the best high schools in America, but JeffCo scored one

ralphie the buffalo runs on the field during football game halftime

Who's Replacing Ralphie? CU's Iconic Live Animal Mascot Retires.

By Thomas Mitchell

Aug 26, 2025

CU's first home game at Folsom Field is this Friday against Georgie Tech University.

Aurora Brothers Run Free Tutoring Service for Low-Income Students

By Bennito L. Kelty

Aug 26, 2025

"What if you need extra help? The library can help you with seventh-grade, eighth-grade math, but it won't give you the one-on-one experience that you need."

Amid Trump Administration Investigation, East High Converts Boys’ Restroom to All-Genders

By Melanie Asmar/Chalkbeat Colorado

Aug 22, 2025

According to Denver Public Schools, the new restroom was meant to address any disparity after a girls' bathroom was converted earlier this year.

Aurora Public Schools Support Staff Demand the Right to Unionize

By Bennito L. Kelty

Aug 20, 2025

Support staff at Aurora schools include special education paraeducators, custodians, IT professionals and administrative assistants, among others.

We Grew Up Here, We Deserve to Thrive Here

By Kevin Castaneda

Aug 17, 2025

Homegrown leadership doesn't need to be imported...but it needs to be recognized.

Colorado Teens Create Ballot Measure That Would Guarantee College Admission for Top Students

By Hannah Metzger

Aug 13, 2025

"Every year, you see kids who have excellent academics, they write good essays, and they're stressed out of their minds that they're not going to get into any college."

6 mariachi musicians stand on a stage while facing a crowd of supporters and fans.

MSU Denver Offers Colorado's First Mariachi Degree

By Alexander Hernandez Gonzalez

Aug 12, 2025

Move over, Texas and California. Colorado is the latest state in the country to offer a Mariachi degree.

Breaking Free: Colorado's Prison Arts Programs Help Inmates Unlock Their Creativity

By Teague Bohlen

Aug 7, 2025

A split between the Department of Corrections and the University of Denver sent some programs into solitary, but now they're breaking free.

CU Denver to Launch Psychedelic Facilitator Program

By Brendan Joel Kelley

Aug 6, 2025

Academia is getting into the psychedelic facilitator training field, and it's based in downtown Denver.

Naropa University president Charles Lief (right) speaks at a Naropa retreat in 2022.

Naropa University Spins Off Psychedelic Clinic Into Memoru Center

By Brendan Joel Kelley

Jul 24, 2025

Memoru Center for Visionary Healing Arts will conduct psychedelic facilitation training, clinical care and research in a new Boulder campus.

AI Will Live On: Will You Leave Behind a Generative Ghost?

By Brendan Joel Kelley

Jul 8, 2025

"I'm the intersection between a psychologist and a computer scientist, and these types of things tend to be right up my alley."

How Bren Bigelow Fosters Queer Joy Through Pole Dancing

By Sara Rosenthal

Jun 17, 2025

Pole in the Pearl is a queer-friendly, trans-run pole-dancing event held every third Saturday of the month at The Pearl.

A stage of people with their backs turned

Funds and Games: Checking in With the Colorado Arts Organizations That Lost Their NEA Funding

By Kristen Fiore

May 20, 2025

Colorado arts organizations comment on their lost NEA funding.

Visitors Still Need a Pass to Visit Air Force Academy, Including Nearby Bike Trails

By Brendan Joel Kelley

May 15, 2025

A Denver visitor was rebuffed when trying to visit the Southeast Asia Memorial Pavilion via the New Santa Fe Regional Trail.

Timothy Leary's Son, Zach, Releases Guide on Using Psychedelics

By Brendan Joel Kelley

May 14, 2025

Leary will be in Boulder this week to discuss his new book and the evolving world of psychedelics, from DMT to LSD.

Eritrean-Coloradan Teen Raises Thousands of Dollars for Refugees, Plans Documentary About Crisis

By Hannah Metzger

May 14, 2025

Rodas Tewelde escaped the east African nation of Eritrea as a child — but she's "never going to turn [her] back" on other refugees.

New Colorado Psychedelics Safety Campaign Targets Gen Z

By Brendan Joel Kelley

May 13, 2025

"From a public health perspective, we know that harm reduction strategies are effective, and we are supportive of the ‘Pause. Learn. Reflect.’ message approach."

Unkindest Cuts: DU Projects Hit by Science, Higher Ed Grants Purge

By Cassis Tingley

May 12, 2025

“Conducting research on DEI or women or LGBTQ communities is not some woke political agenda."

Plant Now, Eat Later: The DIY Food Revolution Starts Today

By Linda Appel Lipsius

May 10, 2025

Perhaps now more than ever, we need our food to nourish us, literally and figuratively.

Education

Air Force Canceled Speaker for Trump Posts

Edible Mushrooms Are in the Culinary Spotlight

Education

Air Force Canceled Speaker for Trump Posts

Edible Mushrooms Are in the Culinary Spotlight

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