Cottonwood Institute (CI) headed to the mountains to explore with an enthusiastic, down-to-earth, bunch of new and well-versed instructors! Our annual instructor training was held at Calwood Education Center outside of Jamestown, CO and was full of laughs, learning, sharing, and friendships in the making. “The CI instructor training was a wonderful reminder of why… Read more »
On Thursday, February 19, 2015, Earth Task Force (ETF), a student led conservation group at New Vista High School, executed a unique day of consciousness – Bring Your Own Mug Day. Bring Your Own Mug Day focuses on urging students to drink from reusable mugs instead of ones destined for the landfill. Students who brought… Read more »
2014 has been an amazing year and we can’t wait to share the incredible experiences we created for our students and share how they ignited change in their communities. There are 3 things you can do right now to help us reach our annual giving goal to raise $20,000 by December 31, 2014 to help… Read more »
On Thursday, November 13th, 2014, a student led environmental action team at New Vista High School called the Earth Task Force (ETF) implemented a Clothing Swap event during the school’s hour long lunch. ETF worked a couple weeks prior to the event to create a comedic promotional video to grab the attention of the students… Read more »
What were our students up to this year with Cottonwood Institute? Check out our Top 10 Inspiring Stories from 2014! We are wrapping up another awesome year here at Cottonwood Institute. As we reflect on 2014, we’re awed at the incredible adventures, growth, and action projects our students have accomplished. None of this would have been possible… Read more »
When it comes to knowing what items go in the recycling or other bins, it can be hard. The rules always seem to be changing and there are always exceptions. Mixing waste in the wrong disposal bins can contaminate batches of recycling or compost. This fall, the Earth Task Force tried to find a creative… Read more »
In fall of 2014, Community Adventure Program (CAP) students at New Vista High School in Boulder, Colorado, chose to study the controversial topic of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). After watching documentaries, visiting Alfalfa’s Market, and conducting extensive research, they invited speakers from both sides of the issue to their class. Speakers from Right to Know… Read more »
In late October, students from STRIVE Preparatory Schools’ Excel campus went backpacking as part of their Community Adventure Program (CAP) class with Cottonwood Institute. CAP at STRIVE is a semester-long class, which meets two days each week for 15 weeks. The first few weeks of class in August and September focused on teambuilding, nature awareness,… Read more »
In September of 2014, Community Adventure Program (CAP) students at New Vista High School embarked on their first overnight backpacking trip of the quarter! Led by Cottonwood Institute (CI) instructors Katie and Sandy, the group of 10 students hiked up the trails at White Ranch Park in Golden, Colorado. Once arriving at their campsite for… Read more »
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” – John Muir New and returning instructors met up on a sunny Saturday morning… Read more »
