Cottonwood Institute’s (CI) mission is to connect underserved students to the outdoors and empower them to take action to improve their schools, their community and the environment for future generations. On New Vista High School’s first CAP overnight backpacking trip, we mixed things up a bit by empowering them to take action on their outdoor… Read more »
For Cottonwood Institute Instructors, maintaining a strong tool kit of outdoor skills is a constant process. While the core competencies instructors teach and use in the field have long remained the same, the tools and techniques considered to be “best practices” are always evolving. So as new instructors come aboard, longtime returning champions pick up… Read more »
After 2 relaxing snow days off from the school, the CAP students from AXL Academy couldn’t wait to spend their Friday out on an adventure at Bear Creek Lake Park for their class field day. The room was buzzing with nervous, excited energy as the group waited to pack themselves and gear into the big… Read more »
Spring is (finally) here, and with it comes a delicious new way to support Cottonwood Institute! For the month of April, head to Chook Charcoal Chicken, the newest restaurant from Snooze’s Adam Schlegel and James Beard Award-winning chef Alex Seidel (Fruition, Mercantile Dining & Provisions), for a great meal and a good cause! Chook,… Read more »
The students of KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy (KSPA) worked together to create “news briefings” to share what they have done over the last month in CAP club, including their recent Field Day to Denver’s Johnson Habitat Park. A mixture of professionalism and silliness ensued as the students got into “newscaster” mode with their scripts: After… Read more »
This year Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE) is celebrating 30 years of being a statewide leader in environmental education in Colorado. Last week they put on their 19th annual Advancing Environmental Education Conference. Cottonwood Institute (CI) presented two conference sessions and received the Advancing Environmental Literacy Award on behalf of the Nature Kids/Jovenes de… Read more »
Every time we venture outdoors, whether for a day hike or for a month-long trek, we accept a certain level of uncertainty. Informed preparation and risk management are of course essential practices, but it is our ability to adapt to changing circumstances that more often determines the success of a trip. Even the most meticulously… Read more »
Last weekend, students from KIPP Sunshine Peak Academy (KSPA) headed out to Bear Creek Lake Park for a fun day of adventure and winter skills learning. Two sixth grade students, Janet and Josselyn, recounted the day: We met early at the school then spent a while checking out gear to make sure we had all… Read more »
If you’ve been part of the Cottonwood Institute family for while, Aleyna Porreca will already be a familiar face. After taking a CAP class at New Vista High School, Aleyna returned to CI as a Field Instructor back in 2010. Aleyna has been an amazing advocate for Cottonwood Institute’s mission and has gone on some… Read more »
Our day of adventure started in the Centaurus High School parking lot at 8:00 AM. It was a cold, crisp morning with the promise of a nice day ahead. We made sandwiches and then we were on our way. The van ride was a little chilly. Finally, we arrived at the trailhead. We got geared… Read more »
