Syah at our staff/ board retreat

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Celebrating Black History Month

We’re halfway through Black History Month, and the team at Cottonwood Institute (Cottonwood) would like to highlight some incredible partners and local organizations we’ve worked with and connected with over the years.  Escrito en español más abajo People you should hire:  Parker McMullen Bushman is a Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) consultant and founder… Read more »

AMS winter field day

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Angevine students out of their shells!

Angevine Middle School students came out of their shells and bonded on their winter field day. Escrito en español más abajo Written by Field Instructor Barbara Ramsdell. See photos here! Eleven students from Angevine Middle School’s CAP class set out on Friday, January 28th for their first winter field day at Caribou Ranch Open Space…. Read more »

Changemakers Winter Field Day

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A Skeletal Surprise for Changemakers

The Changemakers winter field day featured a skeletal surprise,  quinzhee, avalanche training, and plenty of falls in the snow! Written by Chelsea Tossing. Check out more photos here. Escrito en español más abajo If you’ve ever been to Brainard Lake in the winter, you know how absolutely beautiful it is; endless miles of trails take… Read more »

Packing sleds

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Winter Staff Training 2022!

Winter Staff Training with Cottonwood! Written by Teagan Papke. Check out our photos here! What does a winter staff training at Cottonwood Institute entail? A snow-stomping hoedown (or… “snowdown”); a beloved quinzhee named Quinn; lunch with hot cocoa and donuts; snowshoes and sunshine; laughter; teamwork; reflection; sharing; and a ski-in guest star appearance from Paul… Read more »

Snow cream on the AXL winter field day

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Winter Delights and Rays of Sunshine with AXL Academy!

AXL’s first winter field day of the year at Staunton State Park! Check out more photos on Flickr. Written by CAP Instructor Carly Winner (Escrito en español más abajo) On January 7th, AXL Academy CAP Class set out on the FIRST winter field day of the school year! The students arrived at school after a… Read more »

CHS water testing marshall mesa

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Activism Through Self Expression at NVHS

“If anything, art is… about morals, about our belief in humanity. Without that, there simply is no art.” –Ai Weiwei – Chinese contemporary artist We only have 8 years to create and execute a plan to stop the worst effects of climate change. This 8 year window comes from an IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate… Read more »

Happy students!

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Fall 2021 CAP Class Impact Report

Find out what students thought of CAP Class during fall 2021! Written by Curriculum Manager Chelsea Tossing (Escrito en español más abajo) Our 2021 CAP classes have wrapped, and it’s been an eventful semester here at CI! After COVID put a pause on our field experiences during the 2020-21 school year, we were thrilled to… Read more »

LYC interns test Coal Creek

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LYC at Cottonwood Park with Cottonwood Institute!

Written by Field Instructor Carly Winner (Escrito en español más abajo) See more photos here! As our partnership continues with Lafayette Youth Corps and Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, we ventured to Cottonwood Park and the Coal Creek Trail in Lafayette! The interns have previously done trailwork along the waterways at Waneka Lake and Coal Creek. Today,… Read more »

William Smith field day at Roxborough State Park

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An Unseasonably Summer Field Day in December With William Smith!

In the beginning of December, Cottonwood and the William Smith High School CAP Club in Aurora ventured to Roxborough State Park in Littleton, Colorado. The weather was a warm 65 degrees with sunny skies and not a cloud in sight. As much as we enjoyed the weather, the group decided that the unseasonably warm temperatures… Read more »

Re:Vision volunteers

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Double Holiday Volunteer Days at Re:Vision!

Have you ever seen over 36,000 pounds of food distributed to approximately 560 families in a single day? Volunteers from Cottonwood Institute, Re:Vision, We Ride 4, Elsmere Education, and Google have! This holiday season, these outstanding organizations teamed up to create boxes filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, delicious pumpkin pies, cookies, potatoes, bread, eggs,… Read more »