Freshman students from Strive Prep – RISE are kicking off their year with a series of overnight camping trips in the first two months of school! Led by instructors from Cottonwood Institute, these students are bonding with others in their advisory groups, working as a team to complete tasks and overcome obstacles that one may… Read more »
Learning Edge… Students are challenged to find and dance along their learning edge as part of the CAP class at New Vista High School. It’s that moment when you get butterflies in your stomach, and then, when you finally accomplish the task, you feel a great sense of accomplishment. It may be preparing for the… Read more »
CAP Students from STRIVE Prep — Federal headed out on their annual backpacking trip last Wednesday and, as usual, it was a blast! The kids got a chance to play outside and immerse themselves in the mystical wonders of nature. Scrambling around on rocks, acting, Oreos, and night hiking were all components of this epic… Read more »
Students from AXL Academy who chose the Community Adventure Program (CAP) class as their elective this fall trimester embarked on their first field trip last Friday. Only a week prior, they were meeting one another for the first time. All 15 students in the class loaded up in the vehicles and headed northwest for Boulder…. Read more »
Entering high school is a major moment of transition in the life of a student. But at Big Picture College and Career Academy, high school is just one part of…well, you know. That’s why they partnered with Cottonwood Institute (CI) to design a day of custom programming, to acclimate their new Freshmen to the Big… Read more »
On August 28, 2019, Cottonwood Institute‘s (CI) hard work was recognized when it won the coveted ColoradoBiz Magazine Top Company Award in the nonprofit category. According to Ford Church, CI’s Founder and Executive Director, “kids today are spending 50 hours per week in front of some screen or device, soon they will be asked… Read more »
Summertime in Denver is not complete without Cottonwood Institute’s Annual Throwdown charity cornhole tournament at Union Station. Union Station, originally built in 1881, burned down in 1894, and re-created in 1914, while historical, was previously only known as a train depot. (Really, there were passenger trains in and out of Denver?) Now, not only does… Read more »
For some students, one semester of CAP class with Cottonwood Institute just isn’t enough. And could you blame them? Connecting with the outdoors, learning critical 21st-century skills, effecting meaningful change in their communities—what’s not to love? And for a certain devoted subset of those students, like Leo Canner, even two semesters of CAP only serve… Read more »
“Circles? We don’t need circles!” Given that Cottonwood Institute instructors and students spend a good deal of time in a circle, this was an interesting unofficial mantra for the Colorado Academy/Cottonwood Institute Summer Camp trip to Mission: Wolf. Mission: Wolf (M:W), though run by volunteers and well-strategized plans, feels like it operates on magic. Tucked… Read more »
Beats on the Creek has become a summertime staple in downtown Denver, bringing people together on the banks of Cherry Creek to enjoy food, drinks, and free live music, all to support local nonprofits! This year’s concert series, presented by Coohills Restaurant, is extra special because all proceeds from the event support Cottonwood Institute… Read more »
