The Earth Task Force (ETF) at New Vista High School in Boulder, CO has heard a lot about fracking, or hydraulic fracturing. Everything from the horrifying idea that fracking could contaminate water supplies to how beneficial it is as a lower emission fossil fuel. Most people in Colorado rely on natural gas, which comes from… Read more »
For the last six weeks, STRIVE Preparatory students at the Westwood Campus have been a part of the Cottonwood Institute Mini-CAP program. For the final two weeks of their project, these middle school students joined an organization called N.O.W. (Neptune Ocean Warriors). This organization was started by students at Excel High School. This organization is helping make… Read more »
This past March, students from New Vista High School’s Earth Task Force (ETF) hosted an exciting community event called Bring Your Own Mug Day (BYOM). The purpose behind the event was to encourage students and staff to use their own reusable mugs, in place of taking advantage of disposable cups. Reusable mugs are an important… Read more »
For the fourth year in a row, Cottonwood Institute collaborated with Johnson & Wales University (JWU) and the JWU Student Government Association to host the 2014 Environmental Leadership Summit. Students were able to get out of the classroom for the day and connect with for profit and nonprofit environmental leaders who are making a difference… Read more »
Cottonwood Institute had a great time attending sessions and presenting at the 14th Annual Teaching Outside the Box Conference in March 2014! As always, the conference was inspiring and rejuvenating, filled with sessions, roundtable discussions, networking opportunities, and celebrations. Each year, the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education hosts the Teaching Outside the Box Conference. The conference… Read more »
In mid-March, the Mini Community Adventure Program (Mini-CAP) crew from STRIVE Preparatory Schools’ Westwood campus embarked on an overnight camping adventure in the foothills of Colorado with the Cottonwood Institute. Highlights of the trip for the students were learning and practicing primitive survival skills, and simply spending time away from the city and within the… Read more »
Last month, students from the Earth Task Force at New Vista High School in Boulder, CO hosted a clothing swap. The purpose of the event was to encourage peers and staff to pursue their fashion interests in a more eco-friendly manner. Due to the money and materials that are invested in the purchase of new… Read more »
Endangered Wolves and Animal Tracking This spring, we will facilitate our Endangered Wolves and Animal Tracking Program to students from Littleton Academy, Logan School, Colorado Academy, and STRIVE Preparatory Charter Schools. As part of the program, students will camp out for nearly a week at Mission:Wolf, a wolf refuge located in south central Colorado, to… Read more »
2013 marked the 10th year Cottonwood Institute (CI) has been teaching at New Vista High School! That’s 10 years of exploring, adventuring, playing, and taking action in the Boulder community. Back in the summer of 2003, Ford Church, CI’s founder and executive director, approached New Vista High School about implementing the Community Adventure Program (CAP),… Read more »
Within the first couple weeks of their Cottonwood Institute Mini-CAP class, students at STRIVE Prep Excel decided they were frustrated with the closed system of food in their community. They saw heaps of wasted food and food scraps and started to cultivate a passion and motivation to tackle this issue. Their first step was to… Read more »
