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Two New Community Adventure Program Instructors

The Cottonwood Institute is proud to welcome two amazing young woman onto our staff as instructors for the Community Adventure Program. Paige Doughty will be instructing at New Vista High School in Boulder, CO and Leslie Douglass will be instructing at P.S.1. Charter School and Manual High School in Denver and will teach camping and… Read more »

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New Interns Storm the Cottonwood Institute

Several new sets of helping-hands have joined the Cottonwood Institute as interns.  In the future, you will be seeing their work around this blog and beyond.  Our new Cottonwood Institute Blog interns, Cailin and Misra, will be contributing steady updates about Cottonwood Institute courses, news and other juicy bits. It is their hope to offer… Read more »

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Earth Task Force

– What are you guys doing? –
This year, we are heading a green-school initiative to make New Vista environmentally friendly, and to have less impact on the environment.We’ve focused in on three topics for the year: Energy in February, Waste/Recycling in March, and Transportation in April.

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Year In Review: Impact Report 2023-24

Looking back on the impact of our past school year of programming at Cottonwood Institute (August 2023-July 2024), we are overwhelmed by the life-changing experiences that were created for over 530 students. Across 12 Program Partners, 29 Programs were delivered where Instructors and students learned how to navigate the challenges of pushing themselves out of… Read more »

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NVHS 1st Quarter CAP Class: An Extraordinary Journey

Unveiling Growth, Connection, and Environmental Awareness in a Quarter of Discovery. Written by CAP Instructor Sadie Norton. After CAP Class, in an anonymous survey, 92% of students agreed they are “more likely to make a positive difference in my community,” 92% “feel more connected to my peers,” and 92% of students “believe my actions can… Read more »

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2022-23 Program Year In Review

Pour yourself a refreshing glass of iced tea, find a cozy spot under the shade of your favorite tree, and let the gentle rustling of leaves be the perfect backdrop as we share tales from our 2022-23 journey at Cottonwood Institute (CI)! It’s a tale of young minds ignited, trails explored, and communities empowered.  … Read more »

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Team Bonding through Fire and Ice

New Vista students did lots of bonding on their spring overnight, whether by fire or by ice. Written by Field Instructor M Tormasi. Upon arriving at Cal-wood’s Solitude Camp, New Vista High School CAP students displayed their excitement and dedication through an efficient and coordinated unloading of the vans. From the moment our clean boots… Read more »

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Still Glowing from the 2023 Base Camp Bash

Colorado environmental education nonprofit Cottonwood Institute hosted its spring benefit, the Base Camp Bash, in April. Thank you to all of our attendees and sponsors! Check out photos from the 2023 Base Camp Bash Here. The 2023 Base Camp Bash was fire and we are still glowing from an amazing evening to support Cottonwood Institute,… Read more »

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Alumni Spotlight: Malcolm Marshall

We recently caught up with Cottonwood Institute alum Malcolm Marshall, who was involved with CI at New Vista High School until he graduated in 2012. It’s incredible to hear about the longterm impact of our programs, and what our former students are up to! You can read more Alumni Spotlights here. What CI program(s) did… Read more »