The new yurt in the garden of the Monarch Montessori School.

Rain drove a crowd inside, where they waited for the storm to pass before a significant ribbon cutting. Likewise, a group of students at Monarch Montessori School have weathered a storm of media attention since a Denver City Council meeting in May, where an unwelcome participant tried to waylay their efforts to make changes at their school.

The students (girls in fourth and fifth grades at the time) attended the council meeting to plead for changes at their school, located along 4895 Peoria St., including safer pedestrian access and added classroom space for the growing school population. Their pleas were interrupted by a racist rant from someone accessing the meeting via Zoom.

A wet red ribbon marking the entryway to the new yurt.

The City Council and the community immediately came to the students’ support. The council issued a proclamation recognizing the students and a pledge to meet their needs.

On Thursday, August 22, one day after it was completed, a new yurt was dedicated in the school garden. The space will be used for music lessons.

“Despite facing a painful moment of racism during their advocacy, they persevered,” says Monarch Montessori Executive Director Laura Pretty. “The entire city rallied around them, demonstrating incredible support and unity. This ceremony is not just about opening a new building, it is a celebration of our students’ bravery and the community that stood behind them. Their voices have not only brought about this beautiful new space but have also paved the way for future improvements that will benefit the entire community.”

The first people who got to look inside the yurt were those students who called for change. The evening belonged to those students (who are not being named or depicted here per requests from parents). Denver City Councilwoman Shontel Lewis, on hand for the event, says the students need to know “that their voices will be heard and their needs met, even when there were attempts to suggest otherwise.”

Monarch Montessori Teacher Gio Breaux told the girls, “Children’s voices remind us of the potential divides in all of us. Whether it’s advocating for an earlier snack time or getting a yurt implemented and constructed in such a short time, their voices call on us to listen and to act in purpose.”

The students were reminded that their legacy will be the changes made at their school and their perseverance—a lesson learned outside the classroom.

Front Porch photos by Linda Kotsaftis