Why Debra Mitchell Makes Education Foundation of the Summit a Priority

“Children are a natural resource and we need to make sure their needs are met. It takes all of us.”

Maybe this is what you’d expect to hear from someone who has spent her life’s work teaching elementary and middle school students. It’s also no surprise that while Debra Mitchell is retired, she’s still supporting students. She’s a director at the Education Foundation of the Summit, and the Summit County K-12 representative for Colorado Children’s Campaign.

Making a Lasting Impression

One of Debra’s favorite subjects is science. She recalls a story when she and Ryan Mihm split their classes up for social studies and science of which she taught the latter. Debra tells the story:

On the first day, a young boy asked, ‘Why are you teaching science? Shouldn’t that be Mr. Mihm? Isn’t that a man’s thing?’ That made me determined that I should teach science.

I would tell students, I don’t know how this is going to turn out. I loved seeing the kids’ faces when I’d say that. When kids felt bad that they had a failure, I’d tell them that’s OK. It’s OK to fail as long as you learn from it. Science is so hands-on and engaging. It’s really fun when you can engage kids like that. All the discipline problems go away.

Apparently, her teaching struck a chord in her students. One student went on to work at Keystone Science School. Fifteen years after being in Debra’s classroom, the student asked Debra to help her create the Girls in STEM program. “I can’t remember what we did, but my student remembered,” Debra said. “Teaching can have a rippling effect, like dropping a pebble in the water.”

Teaching Kids Philanthropy

Debra received The Summit Foundation’s award for Outstanding Educator a few years ago. She and her students raised over $10,000 to build a school for girls in Afghanistan. “It was an amazing experience for me and one I will never forget,” Debra said. “My students became well educated about these girls struggles and knew that they had the ability to help.” Many of these students have gone on to be philanthropists themselves.

Supporting Education

Now that she’s volunteering at the Education Foundation, she helps on the STEM committee and presents Eileen Finkel Innovative Teaching Grants to teachers. “It’s encouraging and inspiring to know what teachers are doing,” Debra said. She also enjoys the high school scholarship program because reading scholarship applications is inspiring. One year she presented an iPad scholarship to a former 5^th grade student. “I told him, ‘you did it!’ I’m glad I can do something to help kids and teachers realize their goals.”

When Debra taught, she says, “It was all about teaching. You wake up thinking about the kids. You get an idea, write it down, research it, bring it to the classroom. It’s an all-encompassing job. Even in the summer you’re taking classes that will benefit the kids.”

Best Place in the World

Now that Debra’s retired, she can bike, ski & travel more often with husband Boyd and Carmen, her dog.  She feels that traveling makes the world a smaller place. She talks about how people do the same things all over the world. Then her mind returned to Summit County, and she said gratefully, “I feel fortunate to have had a job teaching in such a beautiful place.”

Help Debra support Education Foundation of the Summit on Colorado Gives Day, Dec. 4—you can schedule your donation here