|

Cottonwood Institute Receives $1,500 Grant From Patagonia!

Imagine a high school class where you can get academic credit for going camping and changing the world. Sounds great doesn’t it? Well, Patagonia, the outdoor clothing and gear company, thought so too. The Patagonia store in Boulder chose to show their support by awarding the Cottonwood Institute with a $1,500 grant! The grant will… Read more »

|

5280 Magazine Features the Cottonwood Institute!

The Colorado wilderness is vast and beautiful and much sought after by climbers, hikers, campers and skiers alike. But this glorious wilderness can also be harsh and unforgiving. Weather conditions can change at the drop of a hat. From sun to snow to sun to…is that hail? Mountain lions and bears inhabit the mountains and… Read more »

|

CAP Post Course Survey, 3rd Quarter 2009

As the quarter comes to a close, I wanted to get some open and honest feedback from this class about how to improve the CAP for future students. This information will not affect your grade, but please take it seriously. It will be reviewed by your school, the Cottonwood Institute, and this information will help… Read more »

|

Action Project Week is Almost here…

After speaking at length with Joe, our custodian, several other staff members, and Eco-Cycle, students came up with the following problem statement this quarter: New Vista High School Students (and others) buy excessively packaged products and do not know proper disposal methods. This leads to large amounts of trash that could either be recycled, composted, or… Read more »

|

So, what are those sticks for?

Who is this buried in the snow? An enthusiastic Quinzhee builder working hard during our overnight. For our first trip we headed up to Estes Park to participate as volunteers in Winter Trail Days. It was a busy, rich, and productive day. Throughout the course of our snow shelter construction 40-50 people came through to see… Read more »

|

Promote Bike Commuting!

Fully seizing the opportunity to make a difference in their community, middle school students in the Community Adventure Program (CAP) class at PS1 Charter School decided to focus their Action Project on alternative transportation.  Seeing as none of them are able to drive yet, they quickly discovered that they were all pretty good at using… Read more »

|

Notes From The Field: January Winter Survival Workshop

If you were spending a beautiful, snowy winter day cross-country skiing in the mountains and an unexpected storm suddenly made it impossible to return to your car before night fall, would you know how to survive? On Saturday, January 24, 2009, a group of adults headed into the mountains to participate in the Cottonwood Institute’s… Read more »

|

Welcome to the CAP Club!

Welcome to the CAP Club Blog! Hello!! Welcome to New Vista High School’s NEW CAP (Community Adventure Program) Club! I’m so excited things are finally getting rolling. Not so long ago we didn’t even know what CAP Club was going to be, and now we’ve not only figured out our purpose, but some great activities,… Read more »