As Cottonwood Institute (CI) wraps up its 17th year of operation, I wanted to take a moment to reflect about the challenges and successes of this past year. We are now highly skilled at being flexible, designing creative back up to the back up plans, and are ready to tackle any challenges and opportunities… Read more »
Written by CAP Instructor Erin Angel (Escrito en español más abajo) Photos here! The Angevine Middle School CAP class had another fall adventure with a garden vegetable (technically a fruit) tagging along. Cukie the Cucumber and his human friends joined April Archer from SaraBella Fishing for a wonderful day of fly fishing on Waneka Lake…. Read more »
Cottonwood Institute’s community partnerships allow us to meet thriving young professionals doing inspiring work in the fields of education, conservation, and equity. We recently caught up with Jacob Smith (he/she), a social justice community organizer, fundraiser, and international speaker. Jacob Smith is a diehard black queer feminist and abolitionist organizer fighting for a joyful and… Read more »
The greenhouse effect may be one of the primary drivers of global warming, but did you know that it can also make delicious solar cookies? Last month, New Vista CAP students gathered at Eben G. Fine park near downtown Boulder for the second field day of the year and the first week of fall. After… Read more »
Written by Instructor Carly Winner (Escrito en español más abajo) Cottonwood Institute is once again collaborating with Wildlands Restoration Volunteers (WRV), City of Lafayette Parks, Recreation, and Open Space, Thorne Nature Experience, and Nature Kids Lafayette on the Lafayette Youth Corps (LYC) program, which gives high schoolers an opportunity help to care for parks trails… Read more »
Denver artist Mike Wilson, who has painted magnificent watercolors of the highest peaks in Colorado, has joined forces with Cottonwood Institute, an award-winning 501(c)3 educational non-profit organization based in Denver, in an effort to break down barriers to get more underrepresented kids outdoors and inspire them to be leaders for the environment. Wilson’s and Cottonwood’s… Read more »
Written by CAP Instructor Carly Winner The first Cottonwood Institute overnight of the 2021-2022 school year was a success as students braved wintry conditions for a fun night. The AXL Academy CAP class met on Thursday morning to venture up to Cal-Wood Education Center. On the drive up, we couldn’t see much through the fog… Read more »
Written by CAP Instructor Erin Angel (Escrito en español más abajo) The Centaurus High School CAP class partnered with Lucky to Ride for our September Field Day. Feeling actually lucky to ride, 13 intrepid humans hailing from seven different countries came together for a joyful day of mountain biking and building community. We’ll leave it… Read more »
Written by Chelsea Tossing (Escrito en español más abajo) When we first began the Changemakers program in the summer of 2020, the world felt as if it had been turned upside down. Students had been out of school for months, and the lockdowns that extended into summer proved even more isolating. As we began thinking… Read more »
Written by CI CAP Instructor Erin Angel (Escrito en español más abajo) Once upon a hot September day, the students from Angevine Middle School CAP Outdoor Class insisted on taking a giant zucchini with them on their walking field trip. They named him Zucchi and they accidentally broke him in half during Ms. Angel’s safety… Read more »
