2020 has been a lot of things, and while “inspiring” may not be the first word that comes to mind, there were in fact many things to be inspired by in the world of Cottonwood Institute! Our instructors stepped up to the challenge of adapting their programs in a big way, and our students were more than open minded to these new experiences. The CI community went above and beyond to support us in our work, and some amazing new partnerships bloomed out of that process. In fact, we have so much to celebrate that we had to get creative in narrowing down the Top 10 inspiring stories from this year. Read on for just a sampling of our favorite stories from this year!
10. CAP Students Discover Their Superpowers
It’s easy to forget, but we had two full months of Winter Field Day fun before our field programs went on hiatus in the spring. This trip with the Centaurus High School CAP class was one of our favorite adventures from last season, where students pondered their superpowers while building snow shelters at Caribou Ranch Open Space.
9. Alumna Tess Eckert in the Spotlight
We’re always inspired by our alumni, but it was a special treat to catch up with former NVHS CAP student Tess Eckert given that she recently circled back into the Cottonwood Institute universe by coincidence! When we spoke, she had just moved back to Colorado and was babysitting for her former CAP Instructor, Paige Doughty. Tess inspired us with stories about her work as a youth mentor and independent dance artist!
8. New Vista Students Turn Art Into Activism
Another favorite story from pre-COVID times: this small but mighty class of young artists at New Vista High School created some amazing work to highlight their impressions of environmental crisis, using clay, paint, and even fire! We always see amazing work out of this class and this year was no exception.
7. Thrival Kits Help Students Stay Connected
If we can’t bring our students outdoors, how can we bring the outdoors to them? That question inspired the creation of our first “Thrival Kits” full of supplies and activities students can enjoy from home. The entire CI team collaborated to design the materials for these kits, and since then hundreds of students across Colorado have been able to continue their adventures from home.
6. Welcome Katie and Chelsea, Good Luck Amy!
In January, CI welcomed new Program Director Katie Vega to the team. Katie has quickly become a force for change, helping us navigate a year of many transitions while strengthening the ways we connect to the communities we serve. We caught up with her again recently for a Staff Profile.
Another major transition this year was saying goodbye to CAP Instructor Amy Atkins, who was indispensable during the transition to online programs in March (more on that in a moment). We all miss Amy and wish her the best in her next adventures, but we are also pleased to Chelsea Tossing, who has ably filled her shoes through the first two quarters at New Vista. Katie Morton also started this fall as the CAP instructor at AXL Academy, and we can’t wait to see how these two will make the program their own.
5. Re:Vision’s Grocery Program Inspires Collaboration
One of the things that has inspired us the most this year is the work Re:Vision, Lifespan Local, and their partners have done to fight food insecurity in the Westwood neighborhood of Denver. They’ve distributed hundreds of boxes of groceries and essentials each week during the pandemic and will continue to do so through the end of the year. Our team has been able to support their distribution days on a few occasions this year, and we’ve been thrilled to see our partners like We Ride 4 and Salesforce jumping in as well!
4. New Programs Connect Students to the Outdoors
The three new programs we (co-)launched this year—Explore Outside, the Youth Stewardship Internship, and the Changemaker Program—deserve mention on this list not because we are amazing innovators, but because they gave students new ways to connect when they needed it most. Check out what our Explore Outside summer sessions and the first group of Interns got up to, and tell us if you’re not inspired!
3. We Ride 4 Cottonwood Institute
Here’s an inspiring story of the community stepping up to support CI: in June, we inked a new partnership with local bike club We Ride 4, who have since raised thousands of dollars for Cottonwood and spread the word about our work all across Colorado by way of their brightly-colored jerseys! Be sure to give them a shout (and a safe passing distance) if you see them on the road!
2. CAP Classes Adapt to Online/Hybrid Learning
We’re going to cheat here and highlight a few different stories, because the work our Instructors have done to adapt CAP from an in-person experience to an online one is nothing short of amazing. Despite ever-changing rules and restrictions, CI Instructors managed to keep students engaged with programs that made long days in front of their screens a little brighter and inspired them to take action to improve their worlds even while stuck at home. Here are a few highlights:
New Vista CAP Adapts to a Virtual World (Spring)
Angevine and Centaurus CAP Students Make the Most of an Unusual Semester (Spring)
Real Action Projects in a Virtual World (Fall)
Breaking the Ice in AMS Virtual CAP Class (Fall)
1. Virtual Bash, Move-A-Thon Keep Us Moving and Grooving!
Even without their typical cornhole games or Snooze A.M. treats, this year’s events were a blast! We loved seeing your faces (and often, costumes) and finding new ways to connect. The first-ever CI Move-A-Thon provided some friendly competition, and the virtual Bash proved that we haven’t lost our celebratory spirit.
And though we didn’t get to acknowledge them in person, we were thrilled to honor this year’s Ripple Effect Award winners Sawyer and Anayansi at the Move-A-Thon celebration. Be sure to read their stories here. We’re so impressed with their hard work, and we can’t wait to see what they’ll do next!
Feeling inspired? Find more great stories on the Cottonwood Institute Blog and consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us increase our impact in 2021!
