This spring Denver Green School CAP classes had an awesome and exciting semester! We explored the world around us; Learned new skills and wilderness survival; Educated ourselves about environmental issues that affect our communities; And designed and implemented community action projects to affect real change in our worlds! We began the semester by exploring our connection to nature,… Read more »
Spring snows almost left twenty-three CAP students at STRIVE Prep – RISE without a destination for their overnight. But thanks to the quick work of the Cottonwood Institute administrative staff, we relocated to snow-free Cherry Creek State Park for a nearby camping trip that still felt worlds away from the daily grind for these high school… Read more »
Although it was technically winter, the CAP class from KIPP Northeast Leadership Academy enjoyed a sunny spring field day at Caribou Ranch Open Space on Saturday. After the trip, the students reflected on their experiences through writing. Some wrote stories, while others shared poetry. We’ll let you hear about it in their words: The wondrous journey… Read more »
Life is stressful. No less so for freshmen at STRIVE Prep -RISE in Northeast Denver. While the social stresses of starting high school are beginning to relax a bit, academic stress is rising. These students are also feeling the stress of current events which are causing a lot of unease for their communities. On February… Read more »
What to do with a stairway with south-facing windows and a warm radiator that is in plain view of passing students? Build a window garden, of course! Students in the Community Adventure Program (CAP) at STRIVE Prep – Sunnyside perceived a lack of access to healthy, fresh food in their community and wanted to inspire their fellow… 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 »
Many people wonder how Action Projects with Cottonwood Institute work and what makes them so powerful. The key is the students. The students have to be invested in the topic and really care about the outcome in order for the projects to not just be another course requirement when many students already feel overwhelmed with coursework. How… Read more »
Have you ever experienced the full potential of what nature can offer? Students at KIPP Montbello Collegiate High School, as part of the Cottonwood Institute’s Community Adventure Program, were able to experience nature up close and personal when they took a snowshoe trip to the mountains at Caribou Ranch. As the bus arrived in the parking lot,… 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 »
On a crisp fall evening in Boulder, CO, a group of Cottonwood Institute Alumni got together to catch up and reminisce over hot drinks at a local coffee shop. For many, it was the first time they had seen each other since high school over 10 years ago. Representatives from the very first Community Adventure… Read more »
