Two young children, a girl with long dark hair in a pink jacket and a boy with short black hair in a light hoodie, smiling and posing playfully in a colorful playground setting.

Downtown Denver Expeditionary School, or DDES for short, is a tuition-free charter school and the only public elementary school located in downtown Denver.

Enrolling a diverse group of learners from across metro-Denver, we are open to students from kindergarten through fifth-grade and offer a hands-on Expeditionary Learning education.


DDES utilizes the rich resources of our Denver urban community to support students in achieving academic and personal excellence. Students explore, discover and grow through hands-on, real-world experiences.

Two children sitting on the floor in a classroom, smiling and embracing each other, surrounded by bookshelves and educational materials.