Fire-building Skills Proved Useful During a Chilly Spring Fishing Adventure. Written by AXL Academy CAP Instructor Harmony Esqueda. AXL Academy 8th graders in CAP class gathered on a frigid early Friday morning to head out on our fishing adventure. We piled in the vans for our hour-long drive to Colorado Youth Outdoors in Fort Collins…. Read more »
Digging in the Dirt Allowed New Vista High School Students the Opportunity to Connect with the Earth and Each Other. Written by CI Field Instructor Kelsi Massengale. On a bright and sunny Friday morning, students from New Vista High School’s CAP class prepared for their field day with a bit of hacky-sack outside the school… Read more »
This year, Cottonwood Institute celebrated our 20th Base Camp Bash fundraising event, thus our theme: Cheers To 20 Years! On the evening of April 5th, 2025, our Cottonwood community gathered for a night of music, food, fundraising, and festivities at Upper Larimer in RiNo in Denver. As people trickled in they were met with the… Read more »
Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Provided a Unique Setting for Peak to Peak Students to Embrace Adventure while Backpacking through in Both Directions. Written by CI Field Instructor David Goldsmith. After a tempestuously windy night, the Peak to Peak Charter School group set out for Bear Family Ranch – our home for the next two nights. With… Read more »
Building Quinzhees for the Winter Overnight Kept Everyone Sheltered from the Cold. Written by Changemakers and Senior CAP Instructor Erin Angel. Changemakers met at the crack of dawn to beat ski traffic to the Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS) in Leadville for our winter overnight trip. We snowshoed to our site and got to diggin’… Read more »
A Day of Challenge Didn’t Deter Students from Enjoying a Snowy Adventure at Caribou Ranch. Written by CI Field Instructor David Diaz. When they set out for their winter field day, Angevine Middle School students in the Community Adventure Program (CAP) were expecting a fun and challenging day that involved building a quinzhee (a traditional… Read more »
Nature Connection Arises Through First-Time Experiences in the Snow. Written by CI Field Instructor David Diaz. Although it was a cold winter morning, 22 students from the Centaurus High School Community Adventure Program (CAP) class eagerly set out for a day in the sunshine outdoors. After picking up their equipment and getting to know the… Read more »
Snowshoeing Facilitated Outdoor Learning in the Deep Snow at Cal-Wood. Written by AXL CAP Instructor Harmony Esqueda. AXL Academy 7th graders spent their winter Community Adventure Program (CAP) overnight trip at Cal-Wood Education Center in Jamestown, Colorado. The trip was off to a rocky start when the vans got stuck in a patch of snow… Read more »
Natural and Archeological Wonders at Roxborough Provide Students with a Unique Winter Field Day. Written by AXL Academy CAP Instructor Harmony Esqueda. 7th grade Community Adventure Program (CAP) students from Aurora Expeditionary Learning Academy (AXL Academy) set off for an exciting field trip to Roxborough State Park. The park contains stunning red rock formations that… Read more »
Students Enjoyed the Thrills of Sledding in Addition to Perfecting their Fire-Building Skills on their Winter Overnight Trip. Written by CI Field Instructor Caroline Paul. Another Community Adventure Program (CAP) overnight is in the books for the 8th graders at Aurora Expeditionary Learning Academy (AXL Academy). AXL Academy uses trimesters, so their CAP students are… Read more »
