Top 10 Stories That Helped Change The World In 2010

If ‘change the world’ means bringing a positive change to some corner of the globe– affecting the lives of one, ten, a hundred, or a thousand people, then, in my opinion, the answer is yes. -David Bornstein, author of How to Change the World.

As we reflect on another amazing year at the Cottonwood Institute, we want to highlight the top ten stories from 2010 that demonstrate how we are “changing the world, one adventure at a time.”

1. Cottonwood Institute’s Impact Ripples Out In 2010

2. S.U.P.E.R. Summit Was Stupendous

3. West Denver Prep Students Embark On A New Adventure

4. Operation Military Kids Course Ignites A Passion For The Outdoors

5. Music Survival Project Has A New Fan Base in Colorado

6. A Day In The Life Of Our Endangered Wolves And Animal Tracking Project

7. Cesar Chavez Organic Gardening Project A Success

8. Three Trees And A River Project Was Quite A Ride

9. New Vista High School Flips The Solar Switch

10. Earth Task Force Is Unstoppable

The Cottonwood Institute would like to thank all of our students, parents, instructors, board members, educational partners, donors, supporters, and cheerleaders for making 2010 such a success.

To help ensure we have an extraordinary 2011, please consider making a tax-deductible donation by December 31, 2010 by Clicking Here.

CAP Students Unleash Their Inner Worker Bee

Community Adventure Program (CAP) students unleashed their inner worker bee this quarter to create a great two-pronged Action Project that focused on honey bees and cold-frames. Based on early class discussions, the plight of the honey bee was a hot topic within this group, which was duly noted. However, they just couldn’t let go of the desire to continue the growth of the pollinator garden by building a cold-frame to help start plants and keep them growing during the colder shoulder seasons. So…….they combined their passions!

They started by educating themselves about what is happening to honey bees. They knew bees were disappearing at an alarming rate, but why? Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) was at the heart of their research. This is a mysterious problem that causes bees to literally disappear. There are many theories about the causes, everything from pesticides to cell phone use, but there is no one answer. Students conducted research on the web, consulted with Growing Gardens and watched a documentary called “Vanishing of the Bees.” This all came to the same disquieting notion that human activities as a whole are negatively affecting the lives of honey bees! So what can be(e) done?

They found the most simple and pervasive solution, aside from learning the art of beekeeping and starting your own hive, is to support local hives. As they learned from many of their sources, “it’s not about one person with 60,000 hives, it’s about 60,000 people with one hive.” So they set about attracting attention with honey…That’s right, a bake sale! They raised money for their cold-frame and attention to the bees by selling baked goods at school and encouraging the use of local honey to support local bee keepers. It was quite a success and spurred their energy to create a cold-frame to aid in the attraction of bees to their pollinator garden at New Vista High School.

A cold-frame is basically a small green-house that is low to the ground that keeps off the frost on cooler days at the beginning and end of the growing season. It works by trapping the heat of the sun under a window or door that allows access to a small box which contains the plants and the heat. The cold-frame came together quickly with donated and repurposed materials from ReSource in Boulder and friends of students. Just over 6 feet long and 3 feet high, their cold-frame should shelter many starts this spring as they bring their pollinator garden back to life.

Students are hopeful that the local bees will continue to survive and provide pollination for their garden and honey for their hives and a few of their baked goods. The fruit of their labor tastes sweet!

Check out the sweet video the students put together about their project:

This article was written by Madeline Bachner and edited by Ford Church.

S.U.P.E.R. Summit Was Stupendous

The Earth Task Force held their S.U.P.E.R. Summit (Students Understanding Personal Environmental Responsibility) on November 11th, 2010 at Casey Middle School. The Summit attracted over 70 participants and eight different school groups committed to creating environmental change within their high schools and larger community.

Throughout the day the students discussed sustainability goals that have already been successful for them, improvements they’d like to make at their schools, and strategies for creating change. These discussions were held in an open space format, led by the students themselves, which contributed to making the event a truly unique and unforgettable experience.

Through open dialogue and other activities through the day students and their mentors made invaluable connections with other schools and members of the community, which will surely benefit each environmental club in their future endeavors.

Attendees at the S.U.P.E.R. Summit were also provided with community support. Thirteen different community partners volunteered their time and extended their resources to help students with future and current Action Projects.

In addition to the wonderful eight high schools and thirteen community partners in attendance, the Earth Task Force was also honored to have Boulder County Commissioner, Will Toor, BVSD’s Assistant Superintendent, Joe Sleeper, and President of the BVSD Board of Education, Ken Roberge attend the summit.

Other highlights included the ever-inspiring climate change presentation by Amy Atkins from the Alliance for Climate Education and a delicious lunch donated by Chipotle and Sunflower Market.

Overall this event was a great success! The creative ideas that developed during the summit were impressive. We look forward to seeing the outcome of all the passionate students who attended the event. After meeting so many passionate, inspired people of all ages, we expect nothing but brilliance from this group of leaders.

This summit goes to show that when you come together as a community there is not limit as to what can be achieved.

For a link to pictures from the event, Click Here (Thanks ACE!)

To download a copy of the Open Space Discussion Notes, Click Here.

Stay tuned for a video about the event coming soon…

The Summit was sponsored by the Cottonwood Institute’s Earth Task Force, The Alliance For Climate Education, New Vista High School, and BVSD Office of Sustainability.

This article was written by Marissa Bramlett and edited by Paige Doughty.

Transportation Transformation

In previous years, the Earth Task Force has designated certain months as “alternative transportation” months. During this time we encouraged students and faculty to alternatively transport themselves to and from school. As an incentive, we recorded participation and invited those who participated frequently to a pizza party where we held a raffle.

This year, because of an increase in Earth Task Force members, we decided to create a new system that encouraged alternative transportation. We instituted a stamp-card based system similar to ones at local coffee shops and restaurants. Each time students alternatively transport themselves to school, they receive one stamp. Once they get enough stamps they can redeem them for a prize.

So far, the program has been awesome! We’ve had tons of participation and we hear kids say great things about us in the hallways. In fact, the program has been so successful that we’ve struggled to keep up with the high demands. We’ve had to get more creative with the rewards we give out. We gave out school-related prizes like, New Vista High School apparel, free yearbooks, and prom passes and we baked cookies as rewards. In all, this program has been a fantastic contribution to the New Vista community and we hope to build on its success.

This article was written by Aaron Fox and Zander Deetz and edited by Ford Church

Cottonwood Institute’s Impact Ripples Out In 2010

People often ask me about the impact that Cottonwood Institute programs are having and I am reminded of a quote by Paul Loeb that we share with students at the end of our programs:

“We never know how the impact of our actions may ripple out. We never know who may be touched. That’s one more reason why, although the fruits of our labors can’t always be seen, they matter immensely.”

Here are a few ways the impacts of our programs have rippled out in 2010:

We served over 1,000 people, logged over 11,000 contact hours, and over 3,500 environmental service project hours through our educational programs, outreach programs, and volunteer projects.

We piloted new projects to connect diverse public school students to the outdoors, including the Cesar Chavez Organic Gardening Project, the Three Trees and a River Project, and the Music Survival Project.

The Earth Task Force implemented the first student-directed high school environmental summit in Boulder Valley School District, which was attended by over 70 students, teachers, school district, nonprofit partners, and county officials. They also flipped the switch on the $32,000 solar panel system they helped secure just before Earth Day 2010.

According to post-course survey data, 99% of our students would recommend our programs to other students.

“I was excited I had the opportunity to go on this trip because I have never been camping before! I liked our hikes, learning about nature and plants, and having fun. I can’t wait to see more bugs, caterpillars, and I am excited to go rafting on our next trip.” 6th grade West Denver Preparatory Charter School student from our Three Trees and a River Project.

“The Community Adventure Program was, without a doubt, one of the best classes I have taken at New Vista High School. The Community Adventure Program helped me understand more about my place in the world and how I want to save it. It has helped me understand the incredible potential and opportunity I have as a high school student to make a true difference in the world.” Community Adventure Program Alumnus

“Our son participated in the Endangered Wolves and Animal Tracking Project last summer and the Stone Age Survival Course the previous summer.  The experiences he had during these courses have shaped his development and have helped him grow into a environmentally and socially conscious teenager who understands the complexities of human interaction with the natural world and his place in this mosaic. He gained skills and knowledge that he now puts to use in other areas of his life.  For example, his experiences have made their way into his papers for school, his commitments and emerging world views, and have boosted his confidence.  In a culture that has lost many of its rights of passage for young men and women, the Cottonwood Institute provides the critical skills and experiences that allow young people to understand the world and their place in it.” Kate Cumbo, Cottonwood Institute Parent

“My 15 year old daughter participated in a Cottonwood Institute program this past summer.  It was one of the best things we have ever done…and I know she was transformed in many ways because of this trip – aware of her courage to go on such an adventure, pride that she persevered, discovery of strengths she hoped she had but hadn’t tested, and an added self esteem that came from within herself. Thank you for being a part of the journey that my daughter is on and know that you have made a very special impact on her!” Kathy Corcoran, Cottonwood Institute Parent

“One of my beliefs as a teacher of inner city students is to prepare them in all forms to graduate from high school and continue on to college. While students are working extremely hard academically every day, I also believe that it is important to provide opportunities for students to learn life skills as well. Working with Cottonwood Institute to provide life-changing experiences for my students in the form of environmental education and service-learning trips helped my students in so many meaningful ways.” Leigh Garrison, West Denver Preparatory Charter School Teacher

We are extremely proud of the new nonprofit and community partnerships we developed, including: I Have A Dream Foundation, West Denver Preparatory Charter School, Front Range Earth Force, Operation Military Kids, and the Slam Movement just to mention a few.

Finally, we accomplished all of this with 2 full-time employees, 15 contract instructors, and a limited annual operating budget!

A special thanks goes out to all of our students, parents, instructors, educational partners, volunteers, donors, supporters, and board members who helped make this all possible.