It was nearly two months ago when the CAP crew at AXL Academy debated the major problems affecting the world and their neighborhood. The class was skeptical that they could have any real impact on big problems like homelessness, clean water, worn out parks, air pollution and trash bins overflowing with recyclables. A few students… Read more »
The Angevine Middle School CAP class was busy this spring – busy learning about pollinators. At first the students weren’t exactly sure how to help pollinators. One group of boys just wanted to “free the bees!” Needless to say, some learning was in order. First the students learned about all different types of pollinators: flies,… Read more »
This year’s STRIVE Prep – Westwood CAP class choose to focus their action project on food – well, on the process of growing food actually. After spending several class periods looking at environmental problems going on around the world and locally, the CAP students learned about the importance of pollinators for food production and how… Read more »
This fire season is predicted to be one of the worst ever. In fact, just after the Centaurus High School CAP class chose wildfire prevention as their action project, two wildfires sprang up in Colorado and it was only April! Climate change, parasitic disease and an abundance of fuel are all adding up. When we… Read more »
The process of completing the CAP class action project at New Vista High School, mirrors the Cycle of Hope from the Better World Handbook. The first step is Finding out about a problem. My students hear about environmental problems through the current events that I bring to class every day as well as the current… Read more »
After any Cottonwood Institute backpacking trip, I routinely ask students what they learned on the trip as a part of our larger debrief and secret pal reveal. Overwhelmingly, students say that they enjoyed learning about knots. The New Vista High School CAP class were no exception. After their recent trip to Taylor Mountain near Allenspark,… Read more »
We caught up with Peter Zola, an amazing Community Adventure Program (CAP) student alumni from New Vista High School in Boulder, CO who is now 31 years old. He was gracious enough to fill us in on what he’s up to these days. Of course, he’s still “Livin’ the Dream!” as our Executive Director, Ford… Read more »
Inspired by Leave No Trace principles to leave the environment as you find it and to take only pictures for memories, the STRIVE Prep – Westwood CAP students gave their cameras a workout during their spring camping trip to Cal-Wood Education Center! “Bryan, take a picture of this!” “Sara – did you catch a shot… Read more »
The Base Camp Bash has been a special event for many years, raising critical funds for Cottonwood Institute (CI) students and programs. The past five years, CI started a new tradition by awarding two students from our Community Adventure Programs (CAP) the coveted Ripple Effect Award for their outstanding leadership, attitudes, and actions while designing… Read more »
It was a dark and stormy morning, when intrepid CAP class students from Centaurus High School set out for their inaugural epic backpacking adventure! They embarked on their uphill journey to Mica Mine at Cal-Wood, slipping and sliding through mud and snow with ginormous packs weighing them down, footsteps sinking deep. Arriving at the campsite,… Read more »
