EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT: At the Cottonwood Institute, we are known for “changing the world, one adventure at a time!” I wanted to take a moment to send you our Change the World Report to share our accomplishments for 2008. We could not have accomplished what we did this past year without the generous support of our donors, instructors, students, educational partners, in-kind supporters, board members, advisory board members, and volunteers that devoted countless hours to making sure we had a successful year.
What excites me about our work with the Cottonwood Institute is that we are on the front lines of inspiring the next generation of active community leaders and environmental stewards through our award-winning environmental service-learning curriculum. It is clear that we cannot expect students to care about their community and the environment if they never have a chance to explore their community and the natural world.
Thank you for helping us inspire the youth of America. Please feel free to contact me at 303.447.1076 with any feedback, wisdom, or advice you are interested in sharing with us. Here is to a phenomenal 2009!
Sincerely,
Ford Church, Founder and Executive Director
Josie Brown during a Community Adventure Program Camping Trip
“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. The Community Adventure Program exponentially raised my awareness of the interconnected social and environmental issues that are embroiled in the world… 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.”
Josie Brown, Community Adventure Program Alumni from New Vista High School
2008 ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
In 2008, we served 800 participants through the Community Adventure Program, our Summer Courses, programs for Schools & Community Organizations, Free Survival Skills Clinics, and Change the World Movie Nights! Community Adventure Program students completed 5 amazing Action Projects to promote organic gardening at New Vista, to reduce P.S.1’s environmental footprint, to promote bike commuting at P.S.1 and New Vista, and to tackle trash at Manual.
An astounding number of individual donors stepped up to support us this year and we increased our individual donations by 106% in 2008 compared to 2007! Despite the uncertain economy, we met our Annual Giving Campaign goal by December 31, 2008 and finished the year just over $200 in the black. Every donation was critical, so thank you again for your extraordinary generosity! To view a complete list of our 2008 supporters, please Click Here.
During the summer of 2008 we awarded over $7,000 in scholarships, a 250% increase from 2007! We are incredibly grateful to all of our donors who have supported our Jason F. Griffith Scholarship Fund to make our courses accessible to those that otherwise would not have the opportunity to join us for a course this summer.
We successfully met a $2,500 challenge grant from Jack Johnson, the All at Once Community, and the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation raising $5,000 for our Jason F. Griffith Scholarship Fund. A few lucky volunteers were able to meet Jack and Kim Johnson in person and we had 2nd row seats for the show! A huge thank you goes out to Jack Johnson for all of their support in 2008.
We received a $19,935 Environmental Education Grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency to help underwrite the costs of implementing our public school initiative called the Community Adventure Program at New Vista High School in Boulder, CO and at P.S.1 Charter School in Denver, CO.
IN-KIND REPORT: Businesses around the country have been extremely generous donating their time, professional expertise, business solutions, and event space. The Cottonwood Institute received the following in-kind support in 2008:
- Patton Boggs, LLP, Denver, CO: James Muchmore, Pro-Bono Lawyer
- De Joya Griffith & Company, LLC, Las Vegas, NV: Jason F. Griffith, Pro-Bono C.P.A.
- Insigniam Performance, Laguna Beach, CA: Nina Keebler, Pro-Bono Business Consultant
- Wynkoop Brewing Company, Denver, CO: Jamie Webb, Free Event Space
- Salesforce.com, San Francisco, CA: Meghan Nesbit, 10 Free Database Licenses Per Year
- Verticalresponse.com, San Francisco, CA: 10,000 Free HTML Emails Per Month
TOP 5 WAYS TO SET THE COTTONWOOD INSTITUTE UP FOR SUCCESS IN 2009:
- Consider making a monthly donation instead of a 1 time donation at the end of the year. To set this automatically and securely online, Click Here.
- Come to the Base Camp Bash on Friday, April 17, 2009. The money raised from this event will support our public school initiative called the Community Adventure Program and our Jason F. Griffith Scholarship Fund. For more information, Click Here.
- Register for one of our 2009 Courses for adventurous students and adults. To view our 2009 Course Schedule, Click Here.
- Consider donating something from our Wish List (see below) or Click Here.
- Encourage your friends, co-workers, and family to check out our website and help us spread the word about the Cottonwood Institute grassroots-style! To go to our home page, Click Here.
2009 WISH LIST:
- 15-passenger vehicle
- 4×8 enclosed trailer
- Office space in Denver
- Storage space between Boulder and Denver, Colorado
- Private land access within 1.5 hours of the Boulder/Denver area
- 10×10 canopy tent for festivals and events
- 3 digital video cameras
For more information about our wish list, Click Here.
STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES – JANUARY 1, 2008 – DECEMBER 31, 2008:
REVENUE
Individual contributions: $34,407
Fees/earned income: $26,145
Events: $17,906
Government grants: $19,935
Foundations: $13,175
Business: $10,144
Other: $1,573
Total Revenue: $123,285
EXPENSES
Administrative Personnel Expenses $31,343
Business Expenses $8,407
Fundraising $3,628
Insurance $3,854
Professional Fees $4,402
Programming Expenses $66,543
Other Expenses $3,365
Total Expenses $121,543
Net Income Before Investments/Depreciation: $1,742
Investment Loss: ($43,959)
Savings Account Interest: $5
Depreciation: ($1,850)
*Adjusted Net Income: ($44,062)
*In 2007 we created a Designated Fund with the Rose Community Foundation to manage investments that were donated to the Cottonwood Institute. With the struggling economy, these investments lost a significant amount of money, which we recorded as a loss in 2008. Operationally, the Cottonwood Institute is fiscally responsible and in a strong financial position for 2009 and beyond.
Issue: Litter!
During the fall semester of the 2008-2009 school year, the Cottonwood Institute collaborated with Manual High School to offer the Community Adventure Program. During this class, students are empowered to coordinate a student-directed Action Project to address a local environmental issue.
Students jumped right in, rolled up their sleeves, and decided to tackle the issue of trash at their school for their Action Project. They noticed that not only was there a large amount of trash in the hallways, lunchroom, and outside courtyard, but also on surrounding streets and within the community as well. After learning that litter is often correlated with increases in violence and decreases in business success, they knew that something needing to be done!
Plan: Research, Resources, and Education
Students researched the causes and impact of litter. They also met with key community leaders to learn how they have impacted the community, what resources might be available for them, grant writing skills, and marketing and education strategies. Students researched where in the school there was the most litter and interviewed students and staff to find out their perspective on the problem. After all their research was complete, students decided they wanted to increase the amount of trash cans at their school because the current ones were overflowing. Their goal was to make the trash cans more attractive, visible, and to launch an education and awareness campaign so students would be more likely to use them.
Impact: Pickin’ It Up
Student partnered with the Whittier Neighborhood Association and wrote a grant to the Denver Foundation to purchase 10 new trash cans for the school and they won the grant! They painted the trash cans in Manual colors and placed them strategically around the school in high traffic, high litter locations. Students also created an awareness campaign highlighting litter facts, what students can do to help, and why they should care about having a clean school. This information was presented to the students body and posted around the school near the new trashcans. Students were featured in the Whittier Neighborhood Association Newsletter for their efforts.
“ I really enjoyed being in this class. It was a new experience for me and I learned something new about my neighborhood. I also got to do things that I have never tried before. Before I didn’t really care if I littered or what the effect of my littering was. Now, I don’t litter and if there is a trash can by me then I put my trash in it and not on the floor.” -Tailor Boling, 10th grader
“I think the CAP class as a whole is great. I have learned several things like that I can make a change in my community and be a positive role model. My favorite part of this class was that we got to take day trips. I also liked doing our Action Project because it will make our school and community look nice and cleaner.” – Alivia Rodriguez, 9th grader
“It feels good to be the first CAP class because we put our minds towards something and we actually succeeded in it. We not only helped ourselves, but our school, our neighbors, and many other people as well.” – Marissa Holmes, 9th grader
Welcome to the Community Adventure Program. Before we get started, we need to get some feedback about your outdoor experience, your thoughts about the environment, your community, etc. Please answer this survey honestly and to the best of your ability. The good folks who fund this class use this information to assess the performance of the class and this information will help us acquire new grants. Please Click Here To Take The Survey.
As the quarter comes to a close, I wanted to get some open and honest feedback from this class about how to improve the CAP for future students. This information will not affect your grade, but please take it seriously. It will be reviewed by the school, the Cottonwood Institute, and this information will help us secure funding to make this class accessible to other high school students. Please Click Here to Take the Survey.
As the quarter comes to a close, I wanted to get some open and honest feedback from this class about how to improve the CAP for future students. This information will not affect your grade, but please take it seriously. It will be reviewed by the school, the Cottonwood Institute, and this information will help us secure funding to make this class accessible to other high school students. Please Click Here to Take the Survey.
As the end of the year approaches and you decide what charities to support this year, we hope you will consider the Cottonwood Institute. We accomplished amazing results in 2008 and we could not have done it without the generous support of individuals like you! In these challenging economic times, we wanted to offer the Top 5 Ways To Help The Cottonwood Institute Thrive in 2009 and beyond:
1. Donate before December 31st and double your impact. Whether you have donated in the past or you are a first time donor, all donations made by December 31, 2008 will be matched 100% up to $5,000 through two generous matching gift challenges. If you have already made a financial contribution this year, help us spread the word by telling a friend about us. Let them know that you support the Cottonwood Institute, encourage them to visit our New Website, and let them know about our matching gift challenge. Donating is easy: You can Donate Online or send in a check made payable to Cottonwood Institute to PO Box 7067, Denver, CO 80207.
2. Take a 2009 Course or give one as a gift. We have new and exciting 1-2 day Survival Workshops for adults and week-long Summer Courses for high school and middle school students in 2009. Our courses make an excellent gift for children, grandchildren, and adults that want to practice survival skills and make a difference in the world! Visit our 2009 Course Schedule and Register For A Course Today!
3. Shop with a conscience online. In the spirit of the holidays, you can Shop Online and benefit the Cottonwood Institute. Looking for the perfect holiday gift? Consider an Official Cottonwood Institute Survival Kit or Survival Knife. Best of all, we are offering free shipping for the month of December! If you like to shop online, consider using GoodShop to shop at stores like Amazon.com, J. Crew, Banana Republic, Nordstrom, Gap, Macy’s, Old Navy, and more! A percentage of each online sale will go to the Cottonwood Institute and we will use the funds to support our public school programs, so you can shop till you drop!
4. Gift of Stock. Let’s face it, stocks were hammered in 2008. As you create a new investing strategy for 2009 and beyond, you may want to consider the tax advantages of donating some of the poor performing stock in your portfolio to the Cottonwood Institute. To make a gift of stock, contact your financial advisor to see if it makes sense for you and then call us at 303.447.1076.
5. Wish List. If you are looking for non-financial ways to support the Cottonwood Institute, please visit our Wish List online. From winter camping gear to digital video cameras, you may have something lying around the house that can help support our programs. Don’t forget, most donations from our wish list are tax-deductible!
Respectfully,
Ford Church, M. A., Founder and Executive Director
Cottonwood Institute
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 included!
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. 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:
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:
- Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature, by Jon Young
- 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
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