STRIVE Prep – Montbello middle school had just let out for the summer, but the following day nine students, two of their teachers, and three Cottonwood Institute instructors loaded up in vans and headed out to meet the wolves. There were feelings of fear, excitement, and curiosity being exchanged during the drive to Mission: Wolf, a gorgeous and isolated retreat in… Read more »
Cottonwood Institute’s Community Adventure Program (CAP) students at STRIVE Prep – Westwood got the worm this time when they worked alongside Re:Vision team member Joseph Teipel to plant three fruit trees for the neighborhood food co-op. With lots of great ideas to consider, all focused around food scarcity, we worked through the logistical limitations of a successful action… Read more »
It was a clear, sunny day when twelve STRIVE Prep – Sunnyside students embarked on a journey into the Sangre de Cristo mountains. They had one clear mission: to meet and learn about wolves in the remote mountain sanctuary aptly named Mission: Wolf. The group had bountiful energy and enthusiasm; their four hour drive to the site… Read more »
It all started out a week before our trip. During class we went outside and had a 10 Hiking Essentials Relay Race, with each team racing toward a pile of random supplies and stuffing items inside. Points were awarded for speed and relevance of the items that ended up in the packs. (Do you really… Read more »
Recently, CAP (Community Adventure Program) students from STRIVE Prep-Westwood had the opportunity to use all of the skills and lessons they’ve learned over the course of the semester in one spectacular, culminating event: an overnight camping trip at Cal-Wood Education Center. We spent the weekend exploring old mines, hiking up mountains, building fires and watching stars, all while braving the… Read more »
On the first purely sunny weekend this Spring, STRIVE Prep Montbello students made the most of it as they joined another STRIVE campus for a fun-filled and adventurous overnight camping trip as part of their respective CAP classes. On the way up to Cal-Wood Education Center, they got to see some of the powerful damage wreaked by the flood in Lefthand Canyon,… Read more »
The Community Adventure Program (CAP) students at STRIVE Prep – Westwood were so excited about their upcoming overnight camping trip that they just couldn’t wait to spend a day outdoors! Cottonwood was happy to accommodate this request by scheduling a day trip at a local park. On April 9th, four students, two instructors, and a STRIVE teacher spent six… Read more »
The act of making a fire connects us back to our ancestors of more than 100,000 years ago. Huddling around a fire for warmth, sustenance and community is something that too few of us get to experience in our modern world. But on a snowy day at the end of January, in a sheltered grove… Read more »
The Middle School students at STRIVE Prep – Sunnyside are creative visionaries. Their interests in art, writing and self-expression have allowed them to cultivate an authentic experience through the Cottonwood Institute’s Community Adventure Program at their school during fall of 2015. After spending several weeks on team-building initiatives, nature awareness activities, and an exciting overnight camping trip… Read more »
Over the course of two gorgeous days this fall, a small group from STRIVE Prep – Federal experienced a Cottonwood Institute backpacking adventure at White Ranch Open Space. Students were amazed at how much stuff there was to pack up for two days, how heavy the packs were, and how long it took to get it all in… Read more »
