Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak
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photography by Jonathan Iocco (ashby); Dan DavIs (LIL buck) Ideas Festival, this year running June 25 through July 4, on The Aspen Institute's campus. "If you look at what they're doing in Denver, and Los Angeles, and Washington, DC, you see stu- dents tackling problems, and finding solutions to those problems that you don't even see the govern- ment solving," says Isaacson, also the author of best-selling biographies on Steve Jobs, Henry Kissinger, and Albert Einstein. Isaacson is right. This year students at Los Angeles's Westchester Enriched Sciences Magnets High School figured out a way to manage the water- supply shortage in their schools. At SEED School, in Washington, DC, students created the FRESH (Finding Real and Equitable Solutions for Health) program, which integrates nutritious dishes into the community's diet. And in Denver, George Washington High School's top team created a sys- tem to combat racism by forming new community groups discussing literature, music, and the arts. Isaacson says these are just a sampling of dozens of successful projects that have been implemented in schools since March, many with the potential to provide long-term solutions. And while students undoubtedly gain valuable experience simply by participating in the program, the chance to travel to Aspen and present their ideas to inf luential attendees and decision makers offers its own benefits. "It's moving to watch," says Kitty Boone, vice pres- ident of public programs (and Aspen Ideas Festival director) at The Aspen Institute, in reference to the student presentations at Ideas Fest. "I've been in tears almost every time I've seen them come to Aspen. They win in March, but when they're here, they turn everything up and they're just amazing. This is a very transformative experience for them." Founded by Jacklyn and Mike Bezos, mother and stepfather to Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos, the Bezos Family Foundation has dedicated itself to improving education across the country. In 2014, it celebrated the ninth successful year of its Bezos Scholars Program, one of the foundation's many initiatives that pay for students from underserved communities to come to Aspen and attend Ideas Fest. The Bezos family saw how, while in Aspen, students were exposed to ideas they likely would never experience in their home schools. Just look at the program's past speakers: President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates, Sandra Day O'Connor. The success of the Scholars only inspired the foundation to do more. "We witnessed the profound impact young peo- ple can have on their community when given the tools and support," says Mike Bezos. "[Once] given the opportunity, participants in both the Aspen Challenge and the Bezos Scholars Program have transformed into community leaders." On a warm Saturday in March, a palpable ex- citement rippled through the cool auditorium at Garfield Senior High School, in East Los Angeles, as some 100 students, administrators, and teachers watched teams present their final projects for this year's Challenge to a panel of judges. Inside, orange LED lights projected the Aspen Challenge logo onto the walls, while triangular, orange mesh dis- plays straddled either side of the stage. Presentations on this final day ranged from the practical to the ambitious. One solution proposed concrete steps to improve the cleanliness of rest- rooms in an LA school of 2,000 serviced by only three janitors. Another posited a new program for student victims of alcohol abuse. One of the most popular presentation topics was bullying. "We want to use this as a foundation for youth engagement," says Isaacson, "because every kid in America deserves the opportunity to change the problems that impact their own communities." Ultimately, the Aspen Challenge is about more than providing student-driven solutions to chal- lenging problems; it's about empowering those students with the necessary confidence to over- come everyday adversity, while also bridging the opportunity gap that divides them from more privi- leged counterparts. "you see students finding solutions to problems you don't even see the government solving." —walter isaacson In LA, in 2013, Astronaut Jeff Ashby spoke to students from 20 different schools in the shadow of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which he piloted. left: Dancer Charles "Lil Buck" Riley was among the featured presenters at the Challenge in DC this year. continued on page 84 PEOPLE Spirit of Generosity 82 aspenpeak-magazine.com