And just like that, another inspiring cohort of Changemaker Outdoor Leadership Corps (a.k.a. Changemaker) students wrapped up an incredible year. Let’s take a look back to see what the Changemaker students accomplished for the 2023-24 programming year:

This past fall, Changemakers hiked the Boulder Flatirons and enjoyed a September sunset picnic giving their program year an auspicious start. Many of the Changemakers were returners, and several had been part of the program for three or more years. They had a lot of say in forming this year’s program, starting with changing the name to better tell the world what we are doing in this amazing program. Changemakers Outdoor Leadership Corps of 2023-24 was all about personal leadership and growth and connecting to each other through nature.

Students this year planned the trips, starting with a backpacking trip in Golden Gate Canyon State Park where a group planned the route, activities and the menu. They admired the turning of the aspens as they whittled spoons to use on future trips, made cordage from natural materials, and went all-out in games like Predator Prey. As each trip approached, students would go more and more in-depth with the planning.

They planned a service trip thinning lodgepole pines with Boulder County Parks and Open Space with a little less help from instructors and impressed the heck out of the rangers with their curiosity and work ethic. The winter trip was the first trip planned top-to-bottom by a group of students. The crux of the plan was to build and sleep in quinzhees. The students learned the number one lesson in outdoor leadership: nothing will go exactly as planned. The weather just wouldn’t cooperate with enough snow for shelters. After six hours of trying to pile the thin layer of snow the students wisely and joyfully pivoted to a sing-along in warm cabins.

Our Changemakers gathered on a unseasonably balmy weekend in January 2024 to receive their Wilderness First Aid and CPR Training from Backcountry Pulse, an amazing Latina owned small business based in Colorado. The Changemakers are developing their leadership and trip leading skills, so it is important for them to have Wilderness First Aid training to know how to care for other students, friends, family, and strangers while leading trips for Cottonwood Institute or recreating outdoors.

Heading into the spring, Changemakers were really on a roll with their leadership and dedication. Some of them were even interviewed on the Generation Collaboration Podcast! Throughout all of the trips and meetings they realized that practicing ancestral skills like friction fire, cordage and shelter building was deeply meaningful to all of them. They decided to plan an Ancestral Skills Gathering for the community to teach others the skills that had become so important to them. Despite arguably the worst weather of the year, there was a great turnout for the gathering held at Ollin Farms in Longmont, CO, bringing together people from all walks of life and age groups to enjoy learning as a community.

“My Cottonwood Institute program has helped me grow
as a person. I’ve met so many people who’ve made
lasting impacts on me, and learned so many skills for
working with other people and being outside. I wouldn’t
be the person I am today without Changemakers.” CAP
Alumni & Changemaker Student

The culmination of the Changemakers experience was a six day, completely student-planned trip starting with backpacking in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. Each student was a leader for the day, making all of the important decisions from how to cross a risky snowfield, when to take breaks, to where to camp for the night. They learned how to read the group and keep everyone happy and safe mile after mile. We ended the trip with three days at Earth Knack Stone Age Skills School, where our students led us through service projects and learning opportunities with Robin Blankenship. Each person ended the season with a deep connection to the group and confidence in their incredible leadership abilities.

Finally, we wanted to give a huge thank you and shout out to a few key funders who help make this year-long Alum program possible, including: Colorado Parks & Wildlife Outdoor Equity Grant, the Guthrie Family, Larrk Foundation, Thorne Nature Experience, Nature Kids/Jovenes de la Naturaleza, Great Outdoors Colorado, and the Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program.

If you want to help make the Changemaker Program continue to thrive for the upcoming 2024-25 programming year, be a hero and Donate Today!

Written by Erin Angel, Senior Changemaker Instructor