What a semester! With five CAP classes, 16 field excursions, and more than 100 students served, Spring 2019 was one of our busiest yet. From taking their frigid first steps on winter Field Days to making incredible strides to improve their communities in their Action Projects, Cottonwood Institute students have achieved so much this year.
And we’ve grown too, adding a new member to our full-time staff, reconnecting with our alumni community, and raising critical funding to support and expand our programming at the 14th annual Base Camp Bash!
Here’s a rundown of some of our favorite stories from Spring 2019:
Best Of: Trips + Action Projects
“Mission: Fun” — Angevine Middle School Students Practice Winter Skills at Caribou Ranch — “Being outdoors made me feel great. I felt happy the whole time, even when I was freezing. I felt more alive than I have in a while. I already love being outside, but being with friends made it so much better. I was so happy. I laughed so much and had a ton of fun.”
KSPA CAP Students Wrap Up their Semester at Cal-Wood — Students from KIPP: Sunshine Peak Academy left their school, the city, and technology behind for a refreshing weekend of exploration and service in the mountains.
DCS Montessori Embarks on a Lupine Adventure — Despite cold and wet weather (and even hail!), students from DCS Montessori enjoyed a grand adventure to a wolf sanctuary in southern Colorado!
New Vista CAP Action Projects: Trash Stanley, Larry the Bee, and Fairy Terra Visit Columbine Elementary School — Rather than limit themselves to just one Action Project, the New Vista CAP class shared a variety of environmental topics with the first grade class at Columbine Elementary.
Centaurus High School CAP Students Fight the Emerald Ash Borer — Centaurus CAP students’ project to educate and inoculate their community against the emerald ash borer made such an impact that they were featured in the Boulder Daily Camera!
Best Of: Program Updates
CI Winter Instructor Training: Building Shelters and Connections! — Cottonwood Institute instructors and board members joined up to sharpen their Winter skills, exchange leadership strategies, and build connections!
Cottonwood Institute Presentations and Awards at CAEE Advancing Environmental Education Conference — Program director Madeline Bachner Lane and CAP instructor Amy Atkins presented a session on cognitive dissonance and education at the CAEE annual conference, where the Nature Kids collaboration was presented with the 2018 Advancing Environmental Literacy Award.
2019 Base Camp Bash Raises Essential Funding With New Orleans Flair — The 14th annual Base Camp Bash celebrated our students and raised more than $77,500 to support Cottonwood Institute programming! And then there was the second line parade…
Cottonwood Institute’s Ripple Effect Award Celebrates Students — Osiel Gomez from KIPP: Sunshine Peak Academy and Pedro Guerra from New Vista High School were honored with the Ripple Effect Award for their leadership on their classes’ action projects.
Cottonwood Institute Welcomes New Field Program Coordinator — We started the semester by welcoming a new member of our team, Field Program Coordinator Andrew Miller! Andrew has been working hard to support our instructors to ensure we deliver high quality, high impact programs for our students.
Best Of: Alumni Spotlights
Chloe Woodruff — An alumna of the first-ever CAP class at New Vista High School, Chloe now owns, manages, and races for a professional mountain bike team!
Astrea Strawn — Now pursuing a degree in marine sciences, Astrea recalls how her CAP experience set her up to guide her own trips as an Americorps volunteer!
Aleyna Porreca — Aleyna remained a familiar face in the Cottonwood community, returning after her CAP class to become a field instructor in 2010! Now she lives in Steamboat Springs and works as an Assistant Brewer at Storm Peak Brewery.
2014 Ripple Effect Award Winners, Estrella Damian and Robert Harding — We caught up with Estrella and Robert five years on from winning the Ripple Effect award. Both found that their CI experiences helped set them up for future leadership, as Estrella has gone on to be a Resident Assistant and Robert works for the Sustainability office at CSUMB!
Lindsey Machado — One of our newest alumni, Lindsey is already changing her world as she gets ready to launch an online store to sell upcycled clothing with her friends!
Thanks for being a supporter of Cottonwood Institute! We can’t wait to see what the rest of the year will bring. If you are inspired by our work, please consider making a tax-deductible donation by clicking here.
