Sparkling caverns, trickling waterfalls, a troll’s den, and a bear peering through a window. Does this sound like a fairy story? Settle in while I recount the tale, Dear Reader… Once upon a time, four valiant youths left the city to seek their fortune in the mountains. They boarded a big white carriage which bore them… Read more »
Recently, STRIVE Prep – Sunnyside Community Adventure Program (CAP) students headed up to the mountains outside Fairplay to explore the Beaver Ponds Environmental Education Center. They started off the trip on a beautiful Colorado morning by stopping at Staunton State Park for a short hike. The students learned about compasses and navigation and led the way to Davis… Read more »
We are extremely excited to release our new Cottonwood Institute video! Shot by New Orleans filmmaker, Miles Mumford, this 6 minute video does an excellent job capturing what CI does and the impact we have on our students, the community, and the environment. Help us spread the good word! Watch it, like it, and share… Read more »
The CAP (Community Adventure Program) students of New Vista High School put on their thinking caps to come up with a really unique Action Project topic this quarter: hemp! They found themselves in a peculiar place, with only one persistent student in the class knowing anything at all about this miracle plant whose uses go above and… Read more »
On Monday, Earth Task Force (ETF) held a contest, called ”Trashy” Halloween, to raise awareness about upcycling, recycling, and reuse. Each advisory classroom was required to make a costume made only of recycled materials with an environmental theme. They then competed to see who had the best and most creative costume the day of Halloween…. Read more »
For Cottonwood Institute‘s Community Adventure Program (CAP) students at STRIVE Prep – RISE, the second overnight at the Cheley backcountry outpost was a weekend packed full of new experiences. Read what one of the students had to say about their weekend below! My trip to the mountains with my class was awesome!!!! We got to do many… Read more »
Recently, the two Denver Green School Community Adventure Program (CAP) classes went on their second camping trip of the year. A group of 13 students and three leaders drove up to Cheley Outpost Camp near Allenspark and spent two days and one night learning camping skills, whittling, sawing wood, hiking, making fire, cooking and, of course,… Read more »
During the first week of October, a select few students from STRIVE Prep – Federal braved the cold and the wind for an experience like no other! Ten middle schoolers, along with two STRIVE teachers and two Cottonwood instructors, spent two days at White Ranch Open Space, just west of Golden, CO. The first impressions… Read more »
A unique feature of the Community Adventure Program (CAP) class at STRIVE Prep – Excel is the age diversity of the participants. Half of them are Seniors, driving cars and getting ready for college. The other half are Freshmen, just out of middle school and testing their new high school identities. (Then there is one Sophomore,… Read more »
The fall semester is flying by and this weekend was CAP New Vista‘s final camping trip together as a group! After a quick gear check in Boulder on Saturday morning, we arrived at a camping spot near Taylor Mountain in Allenspark, CO. While the hike in was less than two miles, it was a great… Read more »
