Send us a text This second episode in Keystone’s agriculture series tells the story of how a simple idea became one of the most influential sustainability collaborations in modern farming. In the mid-2000s, Keystone convened a groundbreaking dialogue among farmers, agribusinesses, conservationists, and scientists to define what sustainability reall…

Send us a text From honey bees to monarch butterflies, pollinators are vital to our food system and to the collaboration that sustains it. This first episode in Keystone’s three-part agriculture series highlights the organization’s foundational work to strengthen pollinator health and agricultural sustainability. Featuring the Honey Bee Health Coal…

Send us a text One of Keystone’s most inspiring education partnerships is Growing Ute Futures, a collaboration with the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe that led to the creation of Colorado’s first tribal charter school: the Kwiyagat Community Academy. In this episode, we revisit the history of Indigenous education, the vision behind the Academy, and the pow…

Send us a text Keystone’s education work isn’t just about facilitation, it’s also about providing trusted data that helps communities act. This episode takes a closer look at the research and reports Keystone has produced on a range of issues, with a special focus on the crisis of unaffordable housing for teachers. Through data, interactive maps, a…

Send us a text Education is not just one stage of life, it’s a journey that begins in the earliest years and continues into the workforce. In this episode, we explore Keystone’s Center for Education and its “cradle to workforce” philosophy. From expanding access to preschool and childcare, to building stronger family engagement, to shaping the futu…

Send us a text In this second installment of our special 50th anniversary podcast series on collaborative governance, we turn our focus to the federal level, where Keystone’s experience and steady hand have guided some of the nation’s most complex public policy challenges. This episode highlights our work with the Department of Energy on siting fac…

Send us a text As part of our year-long series celebrating the 50th anniversary of Keystone Policy Center, this episode kicks off a two-part look at collaborative governance, a cornerstone of Keystone’s legacy. In this first installment, we explore what happens when local, state, and tribal governments turn to Keystone to help solve complex challen…

Send us a text In our continuing celebration of Keystone's 50th anniversary, we look at how Keystone Policy Center’s tribal engagement work is being implemented today. From government-to-government consultation to collaborative education initiatives, this episode highlights the deep relationships and trust required to turn policy into action. Featu…

Send us a text In this extended interview, Ed Gabriel joins Ernest House Jr. for a powerful conversation reflecting on the beginnings of Keystone Policy Center’s work with tribal nations. From the formation of the Council of Energy Resource Tribes (CERT) to the creation of the Indian Business Roundtable, Gabriel shares personal stories, pivotal mom…

Send us a text As part of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Keystone Policy Center, we explore how Keystone’s work with tribal nations began. We revisit a pivotal time in the 1970s, when Native leaders were asserting sovereignty and building new alliances. Through clips from an interview with Ed Gabriel, we hear how a ski trip, a conversation…

Send us a text Few wildlife issues have been as divisive as gray wolf reintroduction in Colorado. In this episode, we take listeners behind the scenes of developing a wolf reintroduction and management plan, including the extensive public engagement process that followed. We explore how Keystone facilitated discussions among ranchers, hunters, cons…

Send us a text Public lands belong to everyone—but managing them requires balancing conservation, recreation, and access. This episode delves into Keystone's role in major public lands projects, from the designation of Browns Canyon National Monument to the Colorado Outdoor Strategy. We explore how Keystone has worked to ensure that voices from all…

Send us a text For decades, Keystone Policy Center has helped address the environmental legacy of abandoned mines and military munitions sites. In this episode, we explore Keystone’s role in mine cleanups and munitions remediation, where balancing environmental restoration, economic realities, and community concerns was key. From navigating complex…

Send us a text In our second series of Keystone's 50th anniversary celebration, we explore Keystone’s influential work in the energy sector. The Keystone Energy Board has been at the forefront of some of the most significant energy policy discussions in the United States. This episode takes a deep dive into how the board was established, the key pl…

Send us a text In our second series of Keystone's 50th anniversary celebration, we explore Keystone’s influential work in the energy sector. In the final episode of this series, we examine Keystone’s long-standing leadership in climate and decarbonization policy. From early dialogues on climate change in the late 1980s to modern efforts in federal …

Send us a text In our second series of Keystone's 50th anniversary celebration, we explore Keystone’s influential work in the energy sector. In this episode, we explore Keystone Policy Center’s pioneering work in energy during the 1970s and 1980s. From tackling the complex issue of nuclear waste management to facilitating critical energy policy dis…

Send us a text What makes the Keystone process so unique? In this episode, we delve into Bob Craig’s model of collaborative problem-solving that brought together scientists, policymakers, and industry leaders to tackle contentious issues. From pioneering dialogues on energy policy to empowering Native American tribes, Bob’s legacy continues to insp…

Send us a text This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Keystone Policy Center. In 2025, we will embark on a year-long celebration, highlighting its most impactful and foundational achievements. We’ll explore the organization’s journey from its innovative beginnings to its ongoing legacy of collaborative problem-solving. In this …

Send us a text Discover how Bob Craig’s respect for science and belief in dialogue as a tool for progress laid the groundwork for the Keystone Policy Center. This episode traces the steps from Bob’s time at the Aspen Institute to the creation of the Keystone process. Featuring stories from the center’s earliest days, we’ll explore how Bob’s commitm…

Send us a text The creation of the Kwiyagat Community Academy is the cornerstone of Growing Ute Futures, but it is not the only impact of the endeavor. Growing Ute Futures is an education masterplan for the entire community as there are so many more families with students –from Kindergarten all through high school—who don’t attend KCA than do. Grow…

Send us a text Kwiyagat Community Academy officially opened in 2021 and was finally able to put into practice what had previously just been an abstract plan – a culture-based curriculum grounded in Ute traditions that also delivers a modern academic education to prepare young students for the world. When you hear the world trailblazing—that’s exact…

Send us a text In the second part of our four-part series on the Growing Ute Futures initiative, we highlight the bold steps taken by Tribal leaders and their partners to upend generations of educational missed opportunities: the creation of the state’s first-ever tribal-run charter school operation on an Indian Reservation. This is the story of th…

Send us a text In 2020, at the direction of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council, educators, and families, Keystone Policy Center began facilitating strategic planning to develop an innovative, culturally-based education system for students and their families on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation. A central pillar of this plan was integrating Ute arts…

Send us a text We're thrilled to announce the recipients of the 2023 Keystone Leadership Award. Keystone Policy Center established the Keystone Leadership Awards in 1994 to recognize extraordinary leadership by individuals and organizations whose work embraces our model, spirit, and mission of creating lasting solutions through strategic collaborat…

Send us a text Agricultural soils are a large land-based sink for atmospheric carbon with additional potential to contribute to the sequestration of atmospheric carbon, though questions still remain as to the magnitude and rate of this mitigation opportunity. This potential has spurred a desire to connect growers with carbon markets to realize the …

Send us a text The Browns Canyon National Monument was designated for federal protection in 2015 and encompasses more than 21,000 acres of scenic and diverse natural resources along the upper Arkansas River in Colorado. It was the culmination of decades of advocacy from local residents to protect the pristine lands. However, federal designation was…

Send us a text Collaboration is a powerful concept that requires a methodical approach to be most effective. To streamline this approach and help other organizations foster collaboration, Keystone partnered with Dow to create a step-by-step guide called the Collaborative Action Toolkit that provides a roadmap for anyone to develop a more collaborat…

Send us a text Federal and state governments are legally required to consult with Native American Tribes on issues impacting them, but city governments don't have the same mandate. In this episode, we highlight the work of the city of Boulder, Colorado, which has partnered with Keystone to develop and implement a city/Tribal consultation process th…

Send us a text In the final episode of this three-part series, we how leaders in Northwest Colorado are working together on collaborative initiatives that have impact for their communities. We also highlight how these collaborative efforts, in partnership with nonprofit leaders like El Pomar Foundation and Keystone Policy Center, help these communi…

Send us a text In this second episode of a three-part series, we highlight how rural communities are navigating the obstacles they face in accessing the influx of federal funding coming to Colorado in the wake of COVID-19. These rural communities are meeting the challenge by working together along with the assistance of nonprofit partners. Almost t…

Send us a text Federal and state lawmakers have dedicated billions of dollars in resources in recent years to address the impacts of COVID-19. But challenges in underfunded, understaffed regions of Colorado reduce the opportunities these communities have to apply for and access this one-time surge in funding. In this first episode of a three-part s…

Send us a text The Keystone Policy Center recently released its second report analyzing public data to assess the impact the COVID-19 disruption had on Colorado education. The report, entitled Colorado’s Missing Year: Charter School Performance, explores recent enrollment and academic performance data to examine how charter schools fared relative t…

Send us a text What impact did the shift to virtual learning have on students during the COVID-19 pandemic? A report from the Keystone Policy Center titled Colorado's Missing Year analyzed test data to tackle that question, and some of the findings may surprise you. The report also spurs a greater conversation on student assessment, transparency, a…

Send us a text The economic and health devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are widespread, but we’ve disproportionately heaped the burden of holding up the economy and preserving our way of life on certain groups of people—many of which we never see. In the second episode of this two-part series, we highlight the Farm Labor Practices Group,…

Send us a text The economic and health devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are widespread, but we’ve disproportionately heaped the burden of holding up the economy and preserving our way of life on certain groups of people—many of which we never see. In this first episode in a two-part series, we highlight the essential contributions of far…

Send us a text The Keynotes Podcast returns from its summer hiatus with a few updates on three projects profiled in the podcast that spurred state legislative action: the Education System Resiliency and Innovation Initiative, Next 100 Colorado, and funding the Colorado Water Plan. Please help us continue this podcast by making a financial donation …

Send us a text The annual migration of monarch butterflies is one of the world’s great natural phenomena. Unfortunately, monarch populations are in an alarming decline. That's why the Keystone Policy Center brought together a diverse group of committed stakeholders, including scientists, conservationists, farmers, and the private sector, to find co…

Send us a text It's Pollinator Week! So, naturally, we decided to talk about the impact Keystone Policy Center is having in two projects that are focused on supporting healthy pollinator populations and habitat. In this first episode of this two part-series, we’re focus on a project Keystone leads to improve honey bee health. Honey bees support mor…

Send us a text In part 1 of our two-part series examining the inequality of access to our public parks and green spaces, we discussed the isolation that can be felt by members of marginalized communities from their experiences in outdoor spaces. We talked about the Next 100 Coalition forming in 2016 to set a vision of inclusion for the Next 100 yea…

Send us a text Outdoor spaces are often places of solace for many Americans, particularly during time of great stress, as evidenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. But like many things, there is an inequality for many Americans because not everybody has equal access to these outdoor and green spaces. And even when they do, they are often times made to fe…

Send us a text Meeting the dietary of a global population would require doubling the current output of the fruits and vegetable production system. That would dramatically impact the environment, growers, and increase inequity. A report released this month examines these issues and argues that simply scaling up our current fruits and veggie producti…

Send us a text Tourism is an industry that is vital to the economy in every state, but more so in a state like Colorado. While the industry has suffered well-documented impact from COVID-19, it already had its own set of challenges even prior to the pandemic, including relying on a transient and often untrained workforce. To activate the full poten…

Send us a text Being successful at working collaboratively is a learned skill and valuable one at that. No matter which sector or what kind of work you're involved in, knowing how to effectively work collaboratively should be a priority of any organization. So, how and where can professionals learn this skill to effectively implement it in their wo…

Send us a text Even under the best of circumstances, there are so many demands on water and in the arid Western states, the demands are heightened. That is the case in Colorado, where an exploding population, increased demand, and climate change make its current statewide water trajectory unsustainable. That is why state leaders decided to develop …

Send us a text Is it true that there can be bipartisan agreement on climate change policy? Can different sectors come together to recommend a comprehensive approach to decarbonization? In mid-2020, Keystone began discussing with the Great Plains Institute about collaborating on a formal dialogue that could develop policy proposals aimed at reducing…

Send us a text As state and local education leaders continue to focus on meeting the immediate needs of students during the abrupt shift to remote instruction due to the COVID 19 pandemic, Keystone Policy Center and the Public Education and Business Coalition gathered more than 80 educators, leaders, and stakeholders to begin a parallel effort look…

Send us a text The Education Leadership Council (ELC) sets a long-term vision for education for the state of Colorado. It is a distinctive entity from a legislative initiative that is uniquely positioned to run the marathon of educational transformation, not the short-term sprint that is often upended by more immediate legislative objectives. Pleas…

Send us a text Like the other topics so far in this series, we examine an issue that has been intensified by the COIVD-19 pandemic: that being the collaboration, or sometimes lack thereof, among the sovereign governments at the tribal, state, and federal levels. Specifically, we why it is so crucial that governments work together, respecting each o…

Send us a text The Colorado Broadband Office designates a significant portion of the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation as an unserved area for internet service, which is defined as those areas that have download speeds of 5 megabits per second or fewer, or areas with no reported existing service at all. In a year that nearly every activity possible was …

Send us a text Mental health concerns for Americans have significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Elevated levels of adverse mental health conditions, substance use, and suicidal ideation were reported by adults in the United States in June 2020. The prevalence of symptoms of anxiety disorder was approximately three times those reporte…