By: Trailblazer News Team – Special Report

One year ago, a group of Estes Park Middle School students did something extraordinary: they identified a classroom problem, researched it, and presented a solution. Now, they’re seeing the fruits of that labor—in the form of 20 brand-new, high-performance computers transforming their computer science lab.

A Quick Recap: Student-Led, Real-Life Learning

Last school year, students in Mrs. Ravi Davis’s Computer Science class noticed serious barriers to learning:

• WiFi instability

   

• Outdated devices
• Lagging device performance that made coding and digital curriculum difficult

Instead of giving up, they proposed a project where they investigated the issues, identified potential solutions, and presented them to school tech leaders and community partners—including Trailblazer Broadband. Their goal? Create a modern lab where all students can learn, explore, and thrive.

The Big Reveal: A 21st Century Lab for Future Innovators

On September 29, 2025, the students got the surprise of a lifetime. Jon Anderson, Instructional Coach, and Mary Barron, Estes Park Middle School Assistant Principal, along with Trailblazer Broadband, were present to celebrate the impact of the students’ work with them. 

Voices full of delight could be heard down the halls as Mrs. Davis revealed their new lab—now home to 20 sleek, high-powered machines, specifically chosen to support programming, coding, and creative game development platforms, a student favorite, according to the students present for the reveal.

“It’s really cool to know that the community cares about us,” said one student. Classmates and Assistant Principal Barron agreed—with cheers and wide smiles.

The room buzzed with excitement as students checked out their new machines, full of the anticipation of the upcoming semester when computers would be fully prepped for school use by district CIS Administrator and Cyber Analyst, Rick Compton. Some students were already thinking about what they could swap to be able to take Computer Science next semester before they even got the devices running!

District Budget + Community = Big Win

The transformation didn’t happen overnight. The project and getting the new devices took nearly a year. 

• The first 15 computers were purchased by the Estes Park School District, with support from Mrs. Davis, administration and the IT department.

   

• At roughly $2,000 per device, this used the available technology budget for the lab.
• With district approval, the Estes Park Education Foundation opened the door for community support.

And the community showed up.

Thanks to local donors—including Trailblazer Broadband—an additional $11,000 was raised, covering five more devices, bringing the total to 20 new computers.

But Wait…There’s More – The Final Five: Still Needed

To fully accommodate the class size of 25 students, five more computers are still needed. The cost for the middle school students to reach their goal and to finish the project is approximately $9,000.

If you’d like to support this impactful, student-led initiative, donations can be made through the Estes Park Education Foundation. Just earmark your gift for “Innovations in Learning” to be sure your donation goes to this project.

Every dollar helps bring this project to the finish line—and supports the next generation of tech innovators.

Words from the Classroom

The teaching staff who work with the Computer Science class are beyond proud—not just of the upgraded technology, but of the students’ ability to envision a better learning environment and make it happen.

“This is what education should look like,” one staff member reflected. “Students recognized a need, used data to make a case, and then witnessed the results of their efforts. It’s vision, problem-solving, and real-world impact.”

We left that classroom not only impressed—but inspired. These students reminded us that future engineers, game designers, data scientists, and changemakers are already here in our community. With the right tools and a little encouragement, their ideas can become reality. Thanks to the guidance of educators like Mrs. Davis and the support of a community that believes in its students, Estes Park’s next generation of tech talent is already blazing the trail.

Tech & Learning Impact

Now that you’ve seen the new computers, what are you most excited to try first?
(Besides gaming platforms — anything new on your radar?)
Loading times, screen quality, faster processor, graphics quality\

How do you think these new computers will help future students in this class?
(What would you tell next year’s class about what’s possible now?)
These new computers will help future students learn better with a faster processor and higher quality. It will give them more time to learn and not load.

What’s something that was hard to do on the old computers that will be easier now? Over 20% of the class time was loading and waiting to get into our curriculum and platforms. We won’t experience that now.

What does having modern technology in your classroom mean to you as a student?
“It is easier to traverse, more immersive, and a better learning experience.”

Future You: Looking Ahead

Has this project changed what you might want to study in high school or after graduation?
(Are you thinking about tech, design, cybersecurity, or other STEAM fields?)
“I would continue to pursue it in high school and college because it’s good to have a handle on modern technology.”  /  “I want to be an engineer when I grow up so having experience in creating stuff will help me.”

If you could build your own tech class in high school, what would you include?
Using more up to date platforms expanding beyond gaming, such as “pre-aeronautics education” and include a flight simulator.

Imagine it’s 10 years from now—you’re working in tech. What job are you doing? What’s something you helped invent or build?
“I would be in naval architecture – I invented the first modern ocean liner.”  /  “I would be working in contract IT to help kids use modern technology.”

Community Connections

If you could say something to the people who donated or helped make this possible, what would it be?
Thank you for donating money to us. Thank you for helping our current students and future students have more time learning and less time waiting (for websites to load).
Thank you for contributing to our learning experience. This will help us in the future with hands-on experience using technology.

How do you think having stronger tech education here in Estes could help your town’s future economy?
(Ideas: more remote jobs, local startups, or even tech careers based here.)
Starting up a private company to help our elderly community.