After any Cottonwood Institute backpacking trip, I routinely ask students what they learned on the trip as a part of our larger debrief and secret pal reveal. Overwhelmingly, students say that they enjoyed learning about knots. The New Vista High School CAP class were no exception. After their recent trip to Taylor Mountain near Allenspark,… Read more »
The Angevine Middle School CAP class has always worked together fairly well. When these eighth graders arrived at Cal-Wood Education Center last weekend, most of them had been in classes together for years and in CAP class they had worked through a lot of grroup teambuilding and games. Like most middle school students, though, they tended… Read more »
Inspired by Leave No Trace principles to leave the environment as you find it and to take only pictures for memories, the STRIVE Prep – Westwood CAP students gave their cameras a workout during their spring camping trip to Cal-Wood Education Center! “Bryan, take a picture of this!” “Sara – did you catch a shot… Read more »
Some camping trips are known for their epic climbs. Others are remembered for their harrowing experiences or are hallmarked by amazing animal sightings. The New Vista High School Spring CAP trip will be known for word games. To be specific, its epic five-hour word game (during which, two students built a blazing fire, three others… Read more »
The Base Camp Bash has been a special event for many years, raising critical funds for Cottonwood Institute (CI) students and programs. The past five years, CI started a new tradition by awarding two students from our Community Adventure Programs (CAP) the coveted Ripple Effect Award for their outstanding leadership, attitudes, and actions while designing… Read more »
It was a dark and stormy morning, when intrepid CAP class students from Centaurus High School set out for their inaugural epic backpacking adventure! They embarked on their uphill journey to Mica Mine at Cal-Wood, slipping and sliding through mud and snow with ginormous packs weighing them down, footsteps sinking deep. Arriving at the campsite,… Read more »
It was not your typical spring morning – no dew on the grass nor fresh smell of a new day. In typical Colorado fashion, the weather threw a curve ball at a hopeful AXL Academy CAP crew. It was an overcast, cold day, with a high probability of rain and snow. But the crew hardly… Read more »
Recently the Angevine Middle School CAP class experienced a wild and wonderful winter field day at Caribou Ranch Open Space. One of our aims was tracking, which was made difficult due to extremely high winds and lack of snow but we did see fresh coyote tracks! While we were enjoying lunch, a mini-blizzard came through;… Read more »
STRIVE Prep -Westwood CAP students visited Lily Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park for their winter field day this year. Situated at 9000’ and still partially covered in ice with snow around its perimeter, this mountain lake was a wintry retreat from the city! What a contrast from Garfield Lake, the local lake in the Westwood… Read more »
On a warm winter day in February, the second trimester AXL Academy CAP class set out to find peace on their first overnight trip together to Bear Creek Lake Park. The students were buzzing with excitement all morning to be headed out on a field trip, missing a day of school, and sleeping in cabins…. Read more »
