Zero Dropouts

This month at ZD, some of our staff read books (Atomic Habits by & The 8th Habit by Stephen Covey) about building habits. Although each of us embarked on this journey for slightly different reasons, our general goals were to learn how to set more realistic expectations and become more disciplined on the trek to succeeding at those new goals & habits.

So, what’s a new habit you want to develop? & how do you plan to achieve it?

Today is earth day! Here are some easy ways to help make a positive impact to restore our earth:

1. Purchase a reusable water bottle to cut down on plastic waste
2. Eliminate food waste by composting! Look into Common Goods Compost in Northern Colorado or Compost Collective for the Denver Metro area
3. Opt-in to paperless billing options – this saves trees and fuel!
4. Purchase reusable grocery bags to cut down on the single use plastic grocery bags at the supermarket
5. Educate yourself! Visit earthday.org for more information

Fun student art from our Next Littleton site!

Learning to love yourself is no easy feat. But once you’ve accepted you are exactly who you are meant to be, loving others becomes just as fulfilling. Never stop seeking love.

The exact origin of April Fool's Day remains a mystery (or does it?) (insert emoji) Some historians speculate that the day came to be when France switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, moving the new year to January 1st rather than April 1st. Those that were late to catch on to the new calendar and continued to celebrate the last week of March were “April foolsed”.

Spring cleaning isn't just for dusting off your shelves. Is there a habit you want to break, something you need to rid your life of moving forward, or maybe it is just that your car really, really needs to be cleaned out! Do some evaluating and make the appropriate changes for growth.

Our COO, Joy Smith, shared her thoughts, “This past year I have found myself paying more attention to the negative than the positive. I am ready to let go of that moving forward by recognizing the small, perfect moments in any given day. They can be as simple as a cup of good coffee, a pleasant walk outside, or the beauty of a blooming flower after a long winter. See you later, negativity bias!” Swipe to see her beautiful representation of her daily reminder to find the positive.

Do you have an elevator pitch? You know, if you were stuck in an elevator with someone for 30-40 seconds, what would you say to best describe yourself or your passions?

It’s important to learn how to talk about your ideas and what makes you, you. You can start by making a list of common words or phrases you see used in the field your passionate about or strengths you are proud of. From there, practice, practice, practice! Your pitch should forever evolve, just as you do.

Happy St. Patrick’s day!

Just like these ants, find a group of likeminded people to support you and keep movin’ on up!

This past month, several of our staff members read The Alternative by Mauricio Miller 📚 The Alternative explores the gaps in poverty. As stated in his website (www.thealternativebook.org), “His [Mauricio’s] simple solution is to invest in people’s demonstrated strengths, rather than weaknesses. The evidence provided shows that families, when working together with friends creates sustained positive change. Recognizing low-income families as contributors rather than takers from society begins to break the negative stereotypes that divide us and helps to bring our society together.” ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
We asked a few of our students what they thought their greatest strengths were....swipe to see their answers! ⁠⁠👉
⁠⁠

This past month, several of our staff members read The Alternative by Mauricio Miller. The Alternative explores the gaps in poverty. As stated in his website (www.thealternativebook.org), “His [Mauricio’s] simple solution is to invest in people’s demonstrated strengths, rather than weaknesses. The evidence provided shows that families, when working together with friends creates sustained positive change. Recognizing low-income families as contributors rather than takers from society begins to break the negative stereotypes that divide us and helps to bring our society together.”

We asked a few of our students what they thought their greatest strengths were....swipe to see their answers!

In 1863, President Lincoln addressed the nation through the Gettysburg Address. He invoked the principles of human equality held in the Declaration of Independence during the Civil War.

Soon thereafter in 1885, President’s day served as a reminder to honor those who’ve led our great nation. In an effort to provide more three-day weekends to the nation's workers, it was established that President’s day was to always fall on a Monday.

#1863 #1885