Draft:Aspen Academy

Aspen Academy is a private, co-educational, non-sectarian elementary school and middle school in Greenwood Village, Colorado. It serves students from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. Aspen Academy was founded in 2005 and focuses on academics, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills. Middle school students are responsible for running on-campus businesses, including the school store, café, and broadcast divisions.

Aspen Academy is accredited by the Association of Colorado Independent Schools.

History
Before being purchased by Aspen Academy, Mission Hills Baptist Church moved an original structure from Buckley Air Force Base to its current location at University Boulevard & Orchard in 1952, which remains on the Aspen Academy campus today.

Aspen Academy was founded in 2005 by three women who envisioned an educational environment that served the needs of high performing students and offered the top curricula in the world, equipping students with durable skills for life. The school began in August 2005, with 100 pre-kindergarten to 4th grade students. By 2007, enrollment exceeded their capacity, and Aspen Academy found a new home in Greenwood Village. Today, they are recognized among the fastest-growing private schools in Colorado, with over 400 students from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade.

Their expansion continued in 2009 with the founding of Bear's Student Enterprises, a 100% student-managed entity that houses their 8th grader's businesses, including Bear's Café, their recording studio, and their Bear’s Store. In 2012, they continued their pursuit of excellence in leadership by founding the LiFE Program (Leadership, Finance, Entrepreneurship), which later merged into what is today called the LiFE (Leadership, Finance, Entrepreneurship) Program.

In January 2021, teachers at the school were featured in the "I Work" episode of PBS American Portrait.

As part of the 2021 Denver Startup Week, alumni participated in a panel discussion about their learnings as 14-year-old CEOs.

Rankings
According to Niche, Aspen Academy is a top-rated school in the #5 Best Suburbs to Live in the Denver Area. The school was voted an award-winner in the Colorado Parent Family Favorites category of Top Private School in 2019, 2021, and 2022. In 2022, Aspen Academy was recognized by the Denver Business Journal as a Denver Best Places to Work recipient. Aspen Academy was ranked 1st for both the 10 Top 10 Best Arapahoe County Private Elementary Schools (2024) and Top 10 Best Arapahoe County Private Preschools (2024) by Private School Review.

Awards

Aspen Academy has been the recipient of multiple news features and awards.

School Awards

• Denver Business Journal Best Places to Work Honoree (2022)

• Future Holders (LiFE Program): Denver Startup Week Pitch Competition Finalist, 3rd Place (2020)

• US Department of Education Green Ribbon Award (2020)

• ColoradoBiz Magazine Top Company Finalist (Nonprofit) (2021)

• ColoradoBiz Magazine’s Top 100 Woman-Owned Companies (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)

• Denver Business Journal Largest Denver-Area Private Schools (2019, 2020-2021, 2022, 2023)

• Colorado Parent Top 5 Winner Family Favorites (2019, 2021, 2022)

• Senior Leadership Awards (Kristina Scala - founder, president, and head of school)

• Colorado Titan 100 (2022)

• U.S. Patent (2019)

• Denver Business Journal Leadership Trust Member (2018 - present)

• Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce Top 25 Most Powerful Women (2018)

Other Aspen Academy staff awards:

• 2019 NBOA Will Hancock Unsung Hero Award (Founder, Lynda Sailor)

• 2021 NBOA Professional Achievement Award (Nicole Witcher)

• 2023 Colorado Parent Magazine Best Private Elementary School Principal Runner-up (Dana Kohls)

Notable alumni

 * Ryan Sailor, American Professional Soccer Player
 * Emily Rudnick, Founder of Rudspice
 * Hogan Phelps, Founder of ForeBox