Earth Task Force Hosts Annual Recycling Relay Race

Can you recycle frozen food boxes? What about the crates that strawberries and tomatoes are packaged in? Did you know that aluminum is mined from under the rainforest and that it can be recycled an infinite number of times?

Recycling is one of the simplest environmental actions we can take, but it’s got some complicated rules, and they change often. That’s why in early November the Earth Task Force (ETF) hosted a relay race to educate their peers about recycling.

After learning that improper recycling can cause whole loads of recyclable materials to be sent to the landfill the ETF came up with a fun and educational way to teach their school—New Vista High School (NVHS) how to practice the three R’s with style, and the Recycling Relay Race was born.

Every Advisory, which includes every student at NVHS, participated in the competition and had a chance to battle it out and either continue on the next round or be kicked to the curb!!

Over the course of two days, the ETF brought every advisory to NVHS’s Community Room to sort out recyclable or non-recyclable items and place them in the correct receptacles. Students were given tricky choices, such as greasy cardboard pizza boxes, glossy magazines, and plastic cups.

ETF had a recycling expert on hand, from local non-profit Eco-Cycle, which handles the recycling services for the school. Eco-Cycle was able to explain tricky items and judge the results. Students had a great time and gained knowledge about how to help keep as many materials as possible out of the landfill.

With a $50 prize on the line, for the winning Advisory, the competition was fierce. In a statement after the winner was announcement, the triumphant Advisory Leader declared,

“We learned what goes where and how to effectively minimize our waste. I feel like this was a great opportunity for us to practice these skills in a really fun way… Ultimately I think that the race was a positive thing, because it made us really focus on what we throw out and how. And it’s always fun to win!”

As for what they’ll do with their grand prize? The students plan to buy snacks and materials for their advisory projects and celebrations throughout the year.   In an effort to continue to educate incoming students and remind returning students about what goes where, ETF has decided to make the Recycling Relay Race an annual event.

This is Gracie Currier-Tait, ETF member, signing off!
Edited by Paige Doughty

The Earth Task Force (ETF) is a Cottonwood Institute-supported program at New Vista High School in Boulder, CO designed to give students an opportunity to take the lead to implement sustainability initiatives at their school.

Top 10 Inspiring Stories From 2011

2011 has been a phenomenal year filled with amazing accomplishments, awards, and inspiring stories about our students getting outdoors and taking action to make a difference in the community. Here are our top 10 favorite stories from 2011:

1. Earth Task Force Recognized for National Green Prize and Receives $10,000 Check!

2. Cottonwood Institute Wins $25,000 and 2011 Markham Mark of Distinction Award

3. A Meal For Many: New Vista High School and The Kitchen Restaurant Host Local Lunch 2011

4. Earth Task Force Students Win the Center For Resource Conservation’s Youth Conservation ReWard

5. Green Dress Exchange: Earth Task Force Re-Thinks Prom

6. West Denver Prep “Whips” Into Shape This Spring!

7. West Denver Prep Students Learn About Liquid Gold

8. Casa de la Esperanza Girls Gobble It Up

9. “Sit and Listen” – Operation: Military Kids Overnight Teaches More Than Just Survival

10. Cottonwood Institute Hosts Environmental Leadership Summit With Johnson & Wales

The Cottonwood Institute would like to thank all of our students, parents, instructors, board members, educational partners, donors, supporters, and cheerleaders for making 2011 such a success.

To help ensure we have an extraordinary 2012, please consider making a tax-deductible donation by December 31, 2011 by Clicking Here.

Cottonwood Institute Impact Surges in 2011

As I reflect about the impact the Cottonwood Institute had this past year, I am delighted to see our impact surge in 2011.

We do a lot more that just connect kids to the outdoors. In the words of one of our instructors Madeline Bachner, “Our courses are centered around cultivating direct action for positive change, appreciation for nature, an interest in environmental issues,  a passion for community involvement, and inspired service.”

As you and your family consider supporting your favorite charities for Colorado Gives Day and during the holiday season, here are a few reasons to invest in the Cottonwood Institute:

STRONG PARTNERSHIPS: We served over 350 youth and delivered over 13,000 program contact hours in 2011 and we couldn’t have done it without strong partnerships from:

• West Denver Preparatory Charter School serving low-income public school students in Denver, CO.
• New partnerships serving diverse students from Casa de la Esperanza, Lakewood High School, GOAL Academy, Johnson & Wales University, Buckley Air Force Base, and Welcome Home Warrior.
• New Vista High School serving public school students in Boulder, CO to deliver the Community Adventure Program and support the Earth Task Force. 

ACTION PROJECTS: Our students recorded over 6,000 environmental service-learning project hours completing “Action Projects” to help address local issues in their schools, the community, and the environment. Here are a few highlights:

• A Meal For Many: New Vista High School and The Kitchen Restaurant Host Local Lunch 2011
• West Denver Prep Students Learn About Liquid Gold For World Water Monitoring Day
• Gardening Made Simple and 100 Ways To Change The World
• West Denver Prep “Whips” Into Shape This Spring

AWARDS: The Cottonwood Institute and our students received three key awards in 2011 and it is great to see our hard work be recognized on a local and national level:

• Cottonwood Institute Wins $25,000 and 2011 Markham Mark of Distinction Award
• Earth Task Force Recognized for National Green Prize and Receives $10,000 Check!
• Earth Task Force Students Win the Center For Resource Conservation’s Youth Conservation ReWard

AMAZING INSTRUCTORS: Anyone can write a lesson plan, but it takes gifted instructors to deliver and facilitate a high impact program. We could not do what we do without April Pishna, Madeline Bachner, Paige Doughty, Paul Dreyer, Clark Patton, Tim Joynt, Kristin Maharg, Ryan Johns, Jason Lawrence, and all of the other phenomenal instructors we have the honor and privilege of working with each year.

Finally, I wanted to share a quote we read to  students at the end of our courses:

 

“Don’t be on the sidelines, be on the court of life. Don’t go through this world on autopilot. Don’t always take the easy path. Don’t go through this world with blinders on. Go through this world with wide-angle vision, be a leader, challenge yourself, walk your talk, take the initiative, step up when others won’t, because in the end that’s what life is all about. Your community needs you, the environment needs you, the world needs you. We need your energy, your voice, your perspective, your optimism, your hope.” – Anonymous

 

Happy Holidays!

 

Ford Church, M. A., Founder and Executive Director
Cottonwood Institute

Donate to the Cottonwood Institute for Colorado Gives Day Today!

Colorado Gives Day is officially two weeks away on Tuesday, December 6, 2011, but you can set up your donation to the Cottonwood Institute today! With your help we can meet our end of the year goal to raise the critical funds we need to help connect diverse students to the outdoors and empower them to tackle local issues in their schools, the community, and the environment.

What is Colorado Gives Day? Thanks to the generous support of the Community First Foundation and FirstBank, Colorado Gives Day is a campaign designed to encourage people like you to “give where you live” to support your favorite local charities like the Cottonwood Institute!

How You Can Help Right Now: You don’t have to wait until December 6th, you can schedule a donation for Colorado Gives Day right now by Clicking Here. Please make sure you check the box that says: “Schedule Donation For Colorado Gives Day.”

How Your Donation Will Help: Your donation will help students like Jesus and his classmates from West Denver Prep explore the outdoors and address water pollution issues at Sloans Lake in Denver, CO.

More Reasons To Give: 100% of donations made through GivingFirst.org will benefit the Cottonwood Institute and our programs with no credit card or administrative fees. Donations made on December 6th will help the Cottonwood Institute receive a percentage of a $300,000 fund set up to encourage people to donate on Colorado Gives Day in addition to bonus bucks and other prizes announced throughout the day.

If You Already Made A Donation: If you already made a donation in 2011, thank you so much! Please encourage your family, friends, and colleagues who care about youth, education, and the environment to donate to the Cottonwood Institute on Colorado Gives Day, by Clicking Here and spread the word through Facebook, Twitter, and Google +!

Cottonwood Institute Wins $25,000 and 2011 Markham Mark of Distinction Award

They said we were too small. They said our network wasn’t big enough. They said don’t even bother applying. They said we didn’t have a chance. And yet we did it!

We just received the official announcement that the Cottonwood Institute won the 2011 Markham Mark of Distinction Award and $25,000 to support our programs to connect kids to the outdoors.

Specifically, funding will support our partnerships with West Denver Prep to connect low-income students to the outdoors, Operation: Military Kids to get children from military families outdoors while their parents are serving our country, and public school students from New Vista High School to attend weekend camping trips through our Community Adventure Program.

In order to say thanks, we want give you an opportunity to sample Markham Vineyards wine for yourself, simply:

• Go to our Facebook Page by Clicking Here
• Click the “Like” button at the top of the page
• On November 1, 2011, we will randomly select 4 Cottonwood Institute Facebook Page members to receive a bottle of Markham’s Merlot that you can use to help toast our victory.
• You must be 21+ year old to win
• If you do not have a Facebook account, but still want to enter the drawing, shoot us an email and we will put your name in the hat!

There are too many people to thank for helping us win, but we wanted to give a quick shout out to Kellie Grengs, Jessica Haddy, April and Ken Pishna, Ashley Nelson, James Foy, Argonaut Liquor, Fluid Coffee Bar, Prescott College, University of Denver Marketing Department, Blues Jean Bar, and Colorado & Company for encouraging their networks to vote. We could not have won without you. We are so grateful for your support and very humbled by this entire experience! And of course none of this would have been possible without Markham Vineyards, so thank you so much for empowering us to continue, “changing the world, one adventure at a time!”

$25,000 And How 1 Click Will Make A Huge Difference

1 click and 30 seconds of your time will make a huge difference in the lives of our students.

The Cottonwood Institute is excited to be one of 10 amazing national organizations nominated for the 2011 Markham Vineyards Mark of Distinction Award and a chance to win $25,000.

The top two organizations with the most votes between August 29 – October 3rd, 2011 will each win $25,000. We need your help by Clicking Here to vote daily and to spread the word through email, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media networks. If you would like a reminder sent to your calender, send us an Email.

If the Cottonwood Institute wins $25,000, we will:

1. Give low-income students from Denver the chance to camp under the stars for the very first time.
2. Connect children from military families to the outdoors through survival adventures, while their parents are away from their families serving overseas.
3. Help public school students put together projects to address local environmental issues.

Please vote every day between August 29th, 2011 and October 3rd, 2011 by Clicking Here: http://www.markhammarkofdistinction.com

Thank you for your support!



Ford Church, Founder and Executive Director
Cottonwood Institute

It Was A Good Day For A Throwdown

The 2nd Annual Cornhole Throwdown to benefit the Cottonwood Institute wrapped up last Saturday and we are happy to report that it was a success! 30 teams and over 70 spectators battled it out to show their support for the Cottonwood Institute. Despite a minor injury from Board Member Marley Steele-Inama, who developed a minor “cornhole strain” during the event, we were able to raise over $2,700 to help low-income students at West Denver Prep sleep under the stars for the first time in their lives this school year.

The competition was stiff, the sun was shining, and there was a slight breeze out of the Northeast, but in the end, Brian Wass and Aaron Rich from team Boiler Brewers emerged victorious. They earned the honor of displaying the prestigious 2011 Cornhole Throwdown trophy on their desks at work, in addition to sweet backpacks from REI and some serious bragging rights. Paul Keeney and Mike Atkins from team Park Hill Players took a close second and the coveted VIP Hanson tickets at the Fox Theater – Mmm Bop!

If you weren’t able to make it this year, you can still make a huge difference by making a tax-deductible donation by Clicking Here.

To relive the magic of the 2011 Throwdown, check out these stunning photos from the event by Clicking Here.

A special thanks goes our to our friends and sponsors for helping make this such a fun event, including: AOR, Chipotle, Denver Zoo, Fox Theater, REI, Scorzie, Two Knobby Tires, and Wynkoop Brewing Company.

Highlights from the Cottonwood Institute’s 2010 Annual Report

People often ask me about the impact Cottonwood Institute programs have on our participants and the communities we serve, and I am reminded of a quote by Paul Loeb, the author of Soul of a Citizen, 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.”

Through exciting programs like our Community Adventure Program (CAP), our collaboration with West Denver Preparatory Charter School, and Operation: Military Kids, we are having a tremendous impact in the lives of our students.

Here are a few of the ways Cottonwood Institute programs impacted the communities we served in 2010:

More than 1,000 participants, including more than 375 diverse youth, logged more than 11,000 program contact hours, and completed more than 3,500 environmental service-learning project hours through our educational programs, outreach programs, and volunteer projects.

Cottonwood Institute primarily works with schools and community groups that serve low-income students. On average 53% of students were eligible for free or reduced lunch — an indicator of poverty.

According to post course surveys, 98% of our students would recommend our programs to other students.

Cottonwood Institute generated over $140,000 in revenue through programs, individuals, businesses, grants, and special events. 94% of every dollar raised went to direct programming activities.

To download a full copy of the Cottonwood Institute’s 2010 Annual Report, including a list of our top supporters,  Click Here.

I want to personally thank all of our students, parents, volunteers, staff members, instructors, board members, donors, and supporters who make what we do possible.

Sincerely,

iMatter, You Matter, We Matter

Two thousand Colorado youth and their adult allies sang this chant through downtown Denver this past Saturday, May 14, 2011 as part of the worldwide iMatter marches organized by Alec Loorz, founder of Kids vs. Global Warming.  “The atmosphere created by this group of young, driven, and passionate future leaders was very unique and like nothing I’ve ever experienced before,” said Marissa Bramlett, a senior at New Vista High School in Boulder.

Alex Goetz from Lakewood High School is a freshman at the beginning stages of organizing an ACE action team at his school. “I feel empowered from the march; it was a great idea.” He and his fellow action team students were among the eight action teams from all over Colorado who marched under a homemade ACE banner at the front of a line of approximately 2000 marchers.

We braved the drizzle and rain to hear our voices reverberate off underpasses and to cheer at the sound of honking cars as they sat at stoplights waiting for our enthusiastic bunch to pass.

“I loved going to the march!…We, as a people, have moved from the realization of climate change to action against climate change…If youth continue to gather and become the leading voices against climate change, then I know we will succeed in maintaining a healthy, habitable planet!”

Josh joined his action team at Ponderosa High School just last month during earth week when ACE came to his school for a presentation. He’s become one of the club’s most dedicated members and even donned a polar bear costume for the march.

Maddie a freshman from Boulder High School, helped promote the march at her school. “I loved the iMatter march, because it was an amazing group of people that carried great energy and were all there to spread the same message, that OUR PLANET MATTERS. I was so thankful to be a part of it because, with 132 marches happening around the world, we’re making a huge impact and raising our voices to help raise awareness about climate change. It’s incredible that there are so many people out there that care, but it’s important that we work to expand that awareness and educate others on how they can make a difference. I especially think its cool that this march targeted youth, because we’re the ones inheriting the planet.”

Alex Budd, the founder of Fairview High School’s Lorax Environmental Club and one of the key organizers for the Denver march said, “The march was fantastic! But this is only the beginning. The real work begins as we take all this great energy and enthusiasm into our communities and schools, and do something with it.”

We all had an incredible time and feel energized and empowered to continue the work we have already been doing in our high schools and communities. Bobby Stokes from Lakewood High School’s action team summed it up best, “The march was a bunch of happy people doing good for the planet. It is pretty hard to believe that a 16 year old could start this.”

The Earth Task Force (ETF) is a Cottonwood Institute-sponsored program at New Vista High School in Boulder, CO designed to give student an opportunity to take the lead to implement sustainability initiatives at their school.

This article was written by Amy Atkins from the Alliance For Climate Education.

2011 Base Camp Bash A Smashing Success

The final donations are still trickling in, but we are ready to declare the 2011 Base Camp Bash a smashing success.

Because of our generous supporters, we were able to raise just shy of $44,000 to help support our 2011 programs to connect diverse youth to the outdoors. This represents close to a 110% increase from what we raised from the Bash in 2010!

The money we raised this year will help support our high priority projects in 2011, including our partnerships with West Denver Prep, Community Adventure Program, Earth Task Force, and Operation: Military Kids.

If you weren’t able to attend, you missed a phenomenal party. Gallery 1261 set the perfect scene for a fun evening out on the town and the energy was kicked up a notch with rockin’ tunes from the Tommy Shreve Trio.

Fierce cravings were satisfied by Snooze, including breakfast burritos, grill cheese and tomato soup dip for dunking. But the pièce de résistance was the smores pancakes they brought out for dessert – yum!

Intense thirst was quenched by cold beer from Denver’s own Wynkoop Brewing Company and wine from Mondo Vino. And we can’t forget our new friends at Leopold Brothers who shared samples of their impeccable Colorado spirits.

If you weren’t able to attend the Bash this year or if you want to relive the evening, check out the slide show from the event by Clicking Here.

We could not have pulled this event off without support from 5280 Magazine, Exclusive Resorts,  CoBiz Financial, The Kenneth King Foundation, the Derby Financial Group, CASI, Mile Hi Specialty Foods, Scout Cleaning and Maintenance, St. Charles Capital, Whitewave Foods, and all of our patron level donors.

Till next year!

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