You know how they say young people are the future? Well, after spending two days in the wilderness on a Cottonwood Institute trip with some STRIVE- Prep RISE students it became evident that these particular students are the ones that are going to change the world. The students spent the couple of days participating in… Read more »
Cottonwood Institute set out with a very excited group of 22 Littleton Academy fifth grade students this May on their much anticipated trip to Mission: Wolf! With bags packed, eager smiles, and helping hands, we loaded the vans and were off! Many songs were sung on the way to Mission: Wolf along with curiously anxious questions… Read more »
Backpacking, for anyone who has been, is like a recipe. A little of this, a little of that to produce an unforgettable experience. Each trip has some key ingredients; there are those touching moments you can’t get when plugged into your phone or IPad. The pride of overcoming obstacles to meet basic needs, an incredible… Read more »
Cottonwood Institute (CI) has been delivering environmental education and service learning programs for the past 13 years and we were curious: What are the CI alumni we taught years ago up to these days and how did our programs impact them reflecting back years later? So we set out to re-engage our alumni what we… Read more »
We are extremely excited to release our new Cottonwood Institute video! Shot by New Orleans filmmaker, Miles Mumford, this 6 minute video does an excellent job capturing what CI does and the impact we have on our students, the community, and the environment. Help us spread the good word! Watch it, like it, and share… Read more »
The heat didn’t stop them. The fire ban didn’t either. Neither did the creepy stories continually told all weekend. The heat led to warm summer nights, the fire ban led to sparkling skies, and the creepy stories led to laughter. This trip was all about opening up to new challenges and positive thinking. That’s what… Read more »
The students of New Vista High School and Cottonwood Institute’s Community Adventure Program (CAP) discovered buckets of information about water pollution and stream restoration this quarter and realized there was a lot they could do to help. With visible enthusiasm, they decided to pick this as their Action Project. The Action Project is a student-led project… Read more »
Gear flung everywhere, smiles abound, and parents left behind! It’s time for an adventure! Twenty-one Littleton Academy 5th graders and six adults headed out to howl with the wolves this past week at Mission: Wolf, a wolf sanctuary hidden in the shadows of the beautiful Sangre de Cristo Mountains just outside of Gardner, Colorado. For… 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 »
“The gauntlet” – an expression used to describe a series of challenging circumstances that are met head-on in order to arrive at a final conclusion. The legendary tale of the Labors of Hercules serves as a perfect example. Whether it was the slaying of the multi-headed hydra, cleaning the massive Augean stables in a single… Read more »
