A full day of adventure at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge was a spectacular way to launch Cottonwood Institute’s newest CAP Program, at AXL Academy in Aurora! A group of 13 middle schoolers and 3 Cottonwood instructors jumped at the opportunity to escape the daily grind at school to adventure off into an… Read more »
Cottonwood Institute (CI) is interested in how the Community Adventure Program (CAP) influences students long-term and  what they take with them from their class.  We continue to follow up with CAP alumni and hope to keep tabs on their adventures and where life takes them.  We caught up with this CAP student from STRIVE Prep… Read more »
Do you realize how much of modern human life depends on tiny buzzing insects? Without bees many of our favorite foods would be gone or vastly more expensive. And it’s not even just fruit we’d be missing: even *gasp* chocolate and coffee would be at risk. And bee populations are declining at an alarming rate…. Read more »
Every year, Cottonwood Institute CAP students explore environmental challenges and tackle issues of local importance in student-directed “Action Projects.” It’s one of the best parts of the program because it’s up to the students to decide. At STRIVE Prep – Westwood, CAP students Mauricio, Yadira, Armando, Adrian, Sara and Elizabeth spent the month of March… Read more »
The Community Adventure Program (CAP) students at STRIVE Prep –RISE had a lofty goal: to have their new school building reflect their values and environmental ethics. These students are the first Freshman class at STRIVE RISE and realize that their actions set the course for the school’s sustainable future. This semester they envisioned and designed a solar… Read more »
Rushing creeks and energetic boys from Longmont’s Casa De La Esperanza housing community (Casa) crisscrossed the property of Beaver Ponds Environmental Education Center this summer.  As part of CI’s Community Adventure Program (CAP), the boys explored the high-altitude evergreen forests, captured bugs, fed barnyard animals, spotted beavers, and made medicinal balms. At first glance, the swift… Read more »
Spring snows almost left twenty-three CAP students at STRIVE Prep – RISE without a destination for their overnight. But thanks to the quick work of the Cottonwood Institute administrative staff, we relocated to snow-free Cherry Creek State Park for a nearby camping trip that still felt worlds away from the daily grind for these high school… Read more »
Saturday morning, bright and early, in the parking lot of STRIVE Prep – Westwood School, CAP students and their instructors gather their gear, load up the van and head out for the weekend for their awesome camping adventure. “So, CAP Students, what do you want to get out of this weekend camping trip. It’s not every day we… Read more »
The KIPP Northeast Denver Leadership Academy CAP students experienced personal and physical challenges on their class overnight trip to Cal-Wood. Despite the difficulties, together we ultimately gained first-hand experience in the importance that teamwork has on the ultimate success of the group. The freshman crew of KIPP students started their Cal-wood camping trip off by exploring the nature area at Rocky… Read more »
On May 6th-8th, twelve students from STRIVE Prep – Sunnyside got to spend a weekend howling with the wolves of Mission:Wolf.  Arriving on this trip with various levels of camping experience, STRIVE Prep – Sunnyside students challenged themselves over the weekend to try new things and experience their fears and excitement alongside their peers. Students made… Read more »
