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Sunny Days on Local Trails with New Vista CAP

Written by CI CAP Instructor Chelsea Tossing “Hoot, hoot!” I hollered across the field at Chautauqua Park to gather my students. “Ca-CAWWW” my students yelled back at me in their best bird impressions. On September 10th, the New Vista High School crew headed out to the Enchanted Mesa trailhead for our first walking field day… Read more »

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Staff Spotlight: Program Relationship Manager Teagan Papke

Our next staff spotlight features Program Relationship Manager, Teagan Papke! Teagan taught as a classroom teacher in the Boulder Valley School District for many years in bilingual and international schools. She changed gears from teaching and went into event planning so that she could pursue her love of travel and adventures in the outdoors including… Read more »

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Nature Walks & Games with Casa de la Esperanza

Written by CI Field Instructor Aileen Palma (Escrito en español más abajo) Time flies when you’re having fun…Erin and Aileen had the pleasure of working with a group of students from Casa de La Esperanza for a short two weeks before we geared up for a culminating day hike. Although the students grew up together, this didn’t… Read more »

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Staff Spotlight: Logistics Coordinator Dru Falco

Meet Dru Falco, CI’s Logistics Coordinator! Dru is responsible for risk management and logistics behind our field programs, from choosing locations to cleaning gear to figuring out how to acquire fishing poles for a trip. If she’s not working on a spreadsheet, you can find her running in the mountains or trying to find the… Read more »

Playing water games

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Breakthrough Students Dive into Water Topics

Written by Sara Runyan, Cottonwood Institute Instructor Hello Cottonwood supporters!  Christina and I had the pleasure last week of working with Breakthrough at Kent Denver, a program for motivated middle and high school students. We had 29 students for four afternoons on the Kent Denver campus. The High Line Canal, which is one of the… Read more »

We Ride 4

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Move-A-Thon 2021: Moved by CI

The CI Move-A-Thon was a magnificent celebration of movement and a ceremony to honor CI’s triumphant work. We are happy to report that we raised just over $44,000 to support our students and programs, which we couldn’t have achieved without the generous and amazing We Ride 4 community! To kick off the evening, Curriculum Manager,… Read more »

AXL students at Cal-Wood

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Xcel Energy Foundation Grant 2021-22

Cottonwood Institute is excited to receive a $10,000 grant from Xcel Energy Foundation to help support our CAP Classes at AXL Academy, William Smith High School, Angevine Middle School, Centaurus High School, and New Vista High School during the 2021-22 school year! We are honored to partner with Xcel energy and their commitment to transition… Read more »

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Move-A-Thon Week On Social Media

Stay tuned on CI’s social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for fun things you can do each day this week leading up to the Move-A-Thon Virtual Party on Saturday, July 31, 2021 from 6pm – 7:30pm MT.   MOVE-A-THON WEEK ON SOCIAL MEDIA   Here is a preview of some extra credit ways… Read more »

Zapata Falls

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Changemakers Spend A Night in the Sand Dunes

  What was your favorite part of the trip? What will you always remember? You’ll get different answers to these questions depending on who you ask. Last week, Cottonwood’s Changemakers spent three days in the San Luis Valley exploring Great Sand Dunes National Park, Zapata Falls, and Earth Knack. As the culmination to a yearlong… Read more »

STRIVE Prep Federal Explore Outside

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STRIVE Prep – Federal Students Find Wonder at White Ranch

Fire is both destructive and a source of regeneration. The students of STRIVE Prep – Federal took this lesson of the duality of fire to everything they accomplished over the two weeks of their Explore Outside program. They broke down barriers and generated new and incredible skills! The students came together to overcome challenges, spend… Read more »