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The Cottonwood Institute’s educational philosophy is based upon two major tenets: environmental education and service-learning. We wanted to take the opportunity to define these and other pedagogical approaches and techniques used to teach our educational programs. These definitions offer a very broad explanation to complex terms, but attempt to synthesize these key terms into understandable tidbits of information.
Environmental Education – Environmental education incorporates experiential teaching methods to educate students about the natural systems and functions of our planet, issues affecting the natural world, and gives students an opportunity to formulate their own opinions on being active to protect the environment. In the modern and technological age, people have become more disconnected from the rhythms of natural world than any other point in time. “The term ‘nature-deficit disorder’ was coined by author Richard Louv in his book Last Child in the Woods to describe what happens to young people who become disconnected from their natural world. Louv links this lack of nature to some of the most disturbing childhood trends, such as the rises in obesity, attention disorders, and depression.” Source: No Child Left Inside. For information about nature deficit disorder and the No Child Left Inside movement to address this problem, please Click Here. For more information about Environmental Education best practices, please Click Here.
Service-Learning – Service-learning offers a unique approach to community service and volunteering. Community service and volunteering can have a negative connotation because it is often used as a method of punishment when students or citizens get in trouble with the law. Service-learning seeks to link service with a real community need, and promotes civic engagement while having a real application to the curriculum students are learning in the classroom. Waldstein & Reiher (2001) define service-learning as, “a pedagogical approach to education which links community-based service with academic goals through critical reflection” (p. 7). For more information about service-learning, please Click Here.
Experiential Education – Experiential education has three primary components: action, reflection, and transfer. Students learn by engaging in hands on experiences that create new learning. Students then reflect on this new learning to make the experience even more personal. Finally, the students incorporate this new learning into other areas of their lives to complete the “transfer” of knowledge. According to Proudman (1992), “experiential learning combines direct experience that is meaningful to the student with guided reflection and analysis. It is a challenging, active, student-centered process that impels students towards opportunities for taking initiative, responsibility, and decision making” (p. 241). For more information about Experiential Education, please visit the Association for Experiential Education.
Outdoor Education – Outdoor education incorporates experiential teaching methods of action, reflection, and transfer in an outdoor or wilderness setting. Throughout this thesis I will use the terms outdoor education and adventure education synonymously. However, I think that adventure education is representative of a broader category, or umbrella, which encompasses both outdoor and environmental education. Adventure education also incorporates indoor challenge and teambuilding activities, which does not necessarily fit into my paradigm of outdoor education. While there are many opinions about the distinctions of adventure education, outdoor education provides students with an opportunity to develop wilderness skills, awareness and appreciation for the natural world, and offers an opportunity for group development and personal growth through a series of physical and emotional challenges in a supporting environment.
Community – The term community has a multitude of interpretations. Some people define community by their friends and family, by a geographic location, or by a common hobby or trait. For the purpose of this thesis, I view community as a deep relationship that begins with a group of committed individuals – committed to each other and to a common cause. But community goes beyond a small group of committed individuals. Demonstrating a strong sense of community is also defined by active participation in civic, political, and social activities and by actively expanding one’s social networks.
Civic Engagement – Civic engagement refers to how people exercise their duties and responsibilities as citizens and how they are linked to their community. Civic engagement is contingent upon people being actively involved with their community on a variety of levels. According to the report The New Student Politics: The Wingspread Statement on Student Engagement (2002), college students from around the country presented a different perception of civic engagement:
The manner in which we engage in our democracy goes beyond, well beyond, the traditional measurements that statisticians like to measure us by, most notably voting. Indeed, student civic engagement has multiple manifestations including: personal reflection/inner development, thinking, reading, silent protest, dialogue and relationship building, sharing knowledge, project management, and formal organization that brings people together. Cultural and spiritual forms of expression are included here, as are other forms of expression through the arts such as guerrilla theater, music, coffee houses, poetry, and alternative newspapers (p. 1).
Social Capital – The concept of social capital refers to the social connections which members of a community share and can be characterized by social networks, companionship, mutual support, cooperation, trust, fellowship, sympathy, and good will. Social capital is measured by political participation, civic participation, religious participation, connections at school or in the workplace, informal social connections, altruism, volunteering, philanthropy, reciprocity, honesty, and trust (Putnam, 2000). To put it more simply, social capital looks at the social and civic networks of a community and attempts to measure how well individuals, families, and members of a community interact with one another within those networks.
Cottonwood Institute educational programs address a variety of topics including essential camping and wilderness survival skills, environmental education, and changing the world. We have had several requests for book recommendations, so we have compiled the following list that we have in our library. We recommend buying your books through a company called Book Sense, an online family of independent booksellers. When you purchase a book from this list, a percentage of your sale will be donated to help underwrite our public school educational programs in the Boulder/Denver area. Click on the link below, enter your zip code, and choose your favorite local independent bookstore!
ESSENTIAL CAMPING AND WILDERNESS SURVIVAL SKILLS:
ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION:
- Earth in Mind, by David orr
- Earth Speaks, by Steve Van Matre and Bill Weiler
- Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West, by Gregory Tilford
- Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire, by John MacLean
- Land Above the Trees: A Guide to American Alpine Tundra, by Ann H. Zwinger and Beatrice E. Willard.
- Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv
- Plants of the Rocky Mountains, by Kershaw, MacKinnon, and Pojar
- Scats and Tracks of the Rocky Mountains, by James Halfpenny
- Snow Sense, by Jill Fredston and Doug Fesler
- Vicious: Wolves and Men in America, by Jon Coleman
CHANGING THE WORLD:
- Better Together: Restoring the American Community, by Robert Putnam
- Better World Handbook, by Jones, Haenfler, and Johnson
- Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, by Robert Putnam
- Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, by Jared Diamond
- Cradle to Cradle: Redesigning the way we Make Things, by McDonough and Braungart
- Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying, by David Bach
- Soul of a Citizen: Living with Conviction in a Cynical Time, by Paul Rogat Loeb
- Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, by Malcolm Gladwell
Now you can shop online and support the Cottonwood Institute! By clicking on the links below, you can knock out all of your shopping for holidays, birthdays, and special occasions:
GoodShop - Now you can shop for just about anything through GoodSearch.com. Enjoy shopping online with companies like: J. Crew, Banana Republic, Nordstrom, Gap, Macy’s, Old Navy, Amazon.com, and more! Make sure you type in “Cottonwood Institute” under the section that says “Who Do You GoodSearch For?” and shop till you drop!
- iTunes
Everyone deserves music and with accessibility to over 1 million songs you can’t go wrong with iTunes. iTunes gift certificates are a perfect gift for music lovers of all ages. A percentage of your purchase will be donated to support our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area, so rock out!
Send Out Cards - The Cottonwood Institute uses Send Out Cards to stay in contact with our alumni and we highly recommend this service to anyone who is looking for an easy way to stay in touch with business clients, friends, and family. You can send a personalized card in less than 60 seconds and Send Out Cards will print, stuff, and mail your card for less than the cost of buying a greeting card at the store. Never forget a birthday or anniversary again and effortlessly keep in touch with your network. Click on the banner or link above to send a free card and try it for yourself!
Welcome to the Cottonwood Institute Store where you can shop with a conscience! We have partnered with amazing organizations to set up an online store so our students can get the gear they need for our courses and visitors can shop for the holidays, birthdays, and special occasions. Everyone can feel great about their purchases because when you shop by clicking on the links below, a percentage of your sale goes to help underwrite our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area. So go crazy and shop till you drop! Best of all, shipping is free!
OFFICIAL COTTONWOOD INSTITUTE SURVIVAL KIT:
Official Cottonwood Institute Survival Kit: Each survival kit includes A Survival Kit Manual describing how to use each item, a custom embroidered survival kit nylon bag, a 4.5” Frosts Mora survival knife, a trash bag, an emergency blanket, 25-feet of parachute cord, a lighter, strike anywhere matches, a fire striker, petroleum cotton balls, a metal cup, water purification tablets, a whistle, and a signal mirror. Price: $75.00. Free Shipping Included!. Please Note: All net proceeds from the sale of our Survival Kits go to help underwrite our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area. To order your official Cottonwood Institute Survival Kit, call 303.447.1076.
Official Cottonwood Institute Survival Knife: There are thousands of knives on the market, but no knife compares to the Frosts Mora Clipper. This is a full-tang carbon steel blade making it the perfect survival knife at a very affordable price. Carbon steel is easier to sharpen and maintain than stainless steel. It may rust in wet or humid conditions, but it will not compromise the integrity of the steel and is easily removed with steel wool. This knife is the best bang for your buck and is field tested and highly recommended by the Cottonwood Institute. Price: $25.00 each. Free Shipping Included!. Please Note: All net proceeds from the sale of our Survival Knives will go to help underwrite our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area. To order your official Cottonwood Institute Survival Knife, call 303.447.1076.
COTTONWOOD INSTITUTE’S COLORADO TIMBERLINE EMBROIDERED VEST:
Cottonwood Institute Colorado Timberline Embroidered Vest: Our stylish black microfiber vest is made of 100% polyester shell and 100% nylon lining. Our 4-pocket vest has the following features: abrasion reinforced and water repellent shoulders, heavy weight anti pill fleece, drawcord hem for warmth, durable and warm without the weight. Each vest is embroidered with the subtle, yet familiar Cottonwood Institute logo. A great gift to past CAP and course students and participants. Price: $50.00 each. Free Shipping Included! We currently have sizes: XS - S - M - L and we have noticed that these sizes run about a size too big. For example, size S fits like size M. Please Note: All net proceeds from the sale of our Cottonwood Institute Vests will go to help underwrite our educational programs at public schools in the Denver/Boulder area. To order your official Cottonwood Institute Colorado Timberline Vest call 303.447.1076.
COTTONWOOD INSTITUTE’S LONG SLEEVE EMBROIDERED T-SHIRT:
Official Cottonwood Institute Long Sleeve Embroidered T-Shirt: Our stylish gray long sleeve t-shirt is made of pre-shrunk 100% cotton. This is the perfect companion to any backpack while in the back country. We choose gray because of the wear-ability and longevity for showing continued wear while on week-long excursions. Each long sleeve t-shirt is embroidered with the subtle, yet familiar Cottonwood Institute logo. A great gift to past CAP and course students and participants. Price: $25.00 each. Free Shipping Included!. We currently have sizes: S - M - L - XL. Please Note: All net proceeds from the sale of our Long Sleeve T-Shirts will go to help underwrite our educational programs at public schools in the Denver/Boulder area. To order your official Cottonwood Institute Long Sleeve T-Shirt call 303.447.1076.
To help gear up for your Cottonwood Institute, we have included a list of online stores to help you buy the equipment and books you will need and to help book your travel reservations. By supporting our partners, you will support our educational programs and scholarship fund!
- REI is a cooperative business that has been very supportive of the Cottonwood Institute through financial contributions and gear donations. REI.com sells quality gear, clothing and footwear for outdoor recreation. All products are backed by a 100% guarantee. REI.com customers can enjoy free shipping to any of REI’s 60+ stores nationwide. A percentage of your purchase will help support our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area.
- Indie Bookstore is an online family of independent booksellers. When you buy a book or gift card through Indie Bookstore, you have the comfort knowing that you are
supporting local independent bookstores in your community. Please visit the Recommended Books section and support our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area.
- Orbitz
is a one stop shop to make your travel arrangements to participate in a
Cottonwood Institute course. Search for the lowest airline fares, book
a hotel, and even rent a car through Orbitz! A percentage of your
purchase will be donated to support our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area.
- Kodak EasyShare Gallery
let’s you create photo albums to share with your friends and family,
purchase professional quality prints, and make cool things like photo
albums, photo mugs, and t-shirts. After completing your Cottonwood
Institute course, check our Photo Album link to purchase photos from
your course. Remember, a percentage of your purchase will be donated to
support our educational programs at public schools in the Boulder/Denver area.
We can’t expect people to want to change the world or care about the environment if they have not had an opportunity to explore the outdoors. As we plan for the future, we invite you to make a tax-deductible donation today to help us with the following funding priorities:
- Help underwrite the Cottonwood Institute’s public school program. Given the narrowing scope of public school curriculum (due to the emphasis of standardized test scores and the lack of funding for extracurricular programs) we need your financial support to underwrite our core public school initiative — the Community Adventure Program — which is currently offered to three public schools along the Colorado Front Range.
- Support the Jason F. Griffith Scholarship Fund. In 2008, we awarded over $7,000 in scholarships to increase the accessibility of our Summer Courses to students that otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford our programs. This represents a 250% increase compared to 2007. With your help we hope to raise more than $10,000 for 2009!
- Support the infrastructure that enables us to deliver our programs. Nonprofit does not mean “no profit” and like any other business we need to generate more revenue than we spend to support the dedicated people that have chosen a path to inspire the youth of America and the infrastructure needed to deliver our programs. Please consider making an unrestricted gift to the Cottonwood Institute so we can use it wherever there is the greatest need.
To make a tax-deductible contribution to the Cottonwood Institute, please Click Here or mail a check made payable to Cottonwood Institute: PO Box 7067, Denver, CO 80207.
