2nd Quarter CAP Students Tackle Water and Snow!

The days were shorter and the nights were cooler, but New Vista High School’s 2nd quarter Community Adventure Program class was on fire as they prepared for their two overnight camping trips. While the first trip gave them beautiful fall days, the other made them endure freezing temperatures.

However, both trips were enjoyed by all, as the students practiced basic camping skills, survival strategies, and fire-making techniques.  They also participated in an intense shelter building competition and they even embarked on a midnight hike.

The overnights inspire the students, reminding them what it is they are trying to protect and why.  Paige Doughty, CAP instructor, says it best: “CAP is a completely unique experience because students dictate their own education. They find an environmental issue they are passionate about, and then actively form resolutions to make the world into a better place. They are the Johnny Appleseeds of our time, planting hope for those that come after them.” To read about the environmental issue students tackled this quarter, click on our earlier post called Conserving Water Creatively.

Click here for the complete photo gallery of all the action and check out the uplifting and inspiring video clip below.

Click here for the link to the video and share it with your friends.

(CAP is) “a chance to be yourself, a chance to learn about the environment, a chance to work with others, but most of all it’s a chance to make a change.” Julien Scherliss

Thanks to CAP, I can’t wait to hear the rest of my conversation with nature.” Tess Eckert

I learned to look at people differently and to think differently, and how I can make a difference in the world.” Halsey Black

Students Take The Lead To Reduce School’s Environmental Footprint

After completing the Community Adventure Program, the Cottonwood Institute’s core program, six extraordinary New Vista High School students realized that they wanted to continue making a difference in the world even though their class had ended.

With their enthusiasm and persistence to change the world, they went above and beyond the call of duty to form a school club called the Earth Task Force. The primary goal of this student-directed club is to inspire students and their school to reduce their environmental footprint through engaging activities and events throughout the year.

The group came together this past August to come up with a game plan reduce their school’s environmental footprint. They teamed up with Ghita Carroll, Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) Sustainability Coordinator, and decided to organize a professional Energy Audit paid by BVSD. After analyzing the results, students decided to focus on 3 primary areas:

•    Infrastructure: including energy and water.
•    Waste: including recycling and composting.
•    Transportation: to promote the use of alternative transportation to and from school since New Vista does not use school buses.

Listen to what the Earth Task Force had to say on KGNU 88.5FM on the Dot Org Show with Nikki Kayser by Clicking Here.

According to one Earth Task Force member, “as students in the modern world, we have taken it upon ourselves to act towards our vision of a just and sustainable world. We have dedicated many hours to plan events to raise awareness about environmental issues, and to make our vision a reality.”

Their hard work has paid off and the Earth Task Force is producing tangible results:

•    They launched a website to promote their activities, events, and initiatives: http://www.earthtaskforce.com/
•    They applied for a grant from The Earth Day Network and have since been approved to install a small solar system at New Vista High School.
•    Boulder Valley School District has agreed to sponsor the Earth Task Force at New Vista High School to be the first pilot “Green Team” and hopes to sponsor similar sustainability initiatives at other district schools.

To launch their efforts in 2010, they are planning 5 consecutive days of activities from January 25-29th, 2010 to help the school reduce their environmental footprint:

•    On Monday, January 25th, 2010 they will host show clips from three movies, including: 11th Hour, Climate Change In Colorado, and Human Footprint to help raise awareness of the environmental issues they plan to address this year.
•    On Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 they will host an “Energy Day” where they will announce energy saving tips and encourage students and teachers to take their “Green Pledge.” They will also host a “Lights Out Lunch” where they will encourage the whole school to turn off lights during lunch.
•    On Thursday, January 28th, 2010 they will launch a “bring your own mug coffee day” initiative to help reduce the number of paper and plastic cups that are thrown away every day.
•    On Friday, January 29th, 2010 the are very proud to host an “Eat Local Day” supported by The Kitchen to share the environmental benefits of eating local.

This week of events in January will help launch another series of events for the following three months. In February the Earth Task Force will tackle water and energy consumption, in March they will address waste issues and recycling efforts, and in April they will promote alternative transportation. The students will document how their efforts have helped lower the school’s environmental footprint by comparing the school’s environmental metrics with the corresponding month for the previous year. If they reach the goals they set for themselves the Boulder Valley School District will reward the group monetarily to help fund further sustainability efforts at their school.

Conserving Water Creatively

“When you drink the water, remember the spring” ~Chinese Proverb

• How much water do you use everyday?
• Where does your water come from?
• How long could you survive without water?

The second quarter CAP class chose “water” as their environmental issue. Students got excited about this issue after reading the New York Time article “The Future is Drying Up” by Joe Gertner. The article addresses water rights in the West and the imminent water shortage that Coloradans face if we continue to use water at our current rate of consumption.

After some initial conversations, much research, and feelings of being overwhelmed by such a big issue, students came up with the following problem statement:

In North America, the average American uses 600 liters of water a day, while the average African uses 6. In reality, humans need to use about 50 liters per day. Over consumption of water does not just mean taking long showers, leaving the tap running while you brush your teeth, or watering the lawn. One of our biggest consumers of water is industrial agriculture. To make one cotton T-shirt it takes 9oz of cotton. To make that t-shirt from that cotton it takes 25 bathtubs full of water. In homes, businesses, and industrial agriculture, our water is being polluted and unnecessarily used. As a result of the high demand for water we are putting our scarce supply of fresh water, and ourselves, at risk.

The students did a lot of research to be sure they were well-informed about water issues. The class met with the Keep It Clean Partnership, and took a tour of Boulder’s waste water treatment plant. They also read many articles from water experts. Students researched the sources of their own water and mapped their watersheds.

After much deliberation students decided to address this problem through an educational campaign at their school. The class divided into four groups:

• The art group created educational posters and a collaborative mural using provocative art
• A second group created educational pamphlets
• A third created a movie about water in arid Colorado
• And to tie it all together the class wrote and performed a skit for the whole school.

The students aim to have their mural displayed in the City of Boulder’s water office. They distributed their pamphlets after their presentation to the whole school. The movie, an animated film which shows what the future might look like if we don’t change our habits was a hit, with one teacher exclaiming, “That was one of the best CAP presentations I’ve ever seen.”

The students worked hard to create a fantastic educational campaign and their water posters remain posted around the school on bathroom doors, above water fountains, and over sinks.

Well Done CAP!

Inspiring Reasons To Support The Cottonwood Institute By December 31st, 2009

With only 2 days left in 2009, I want to encourage you to make a tax-deductible donation to the Cottonwood Institute by Thursday, December 31, 2009 because your donations will help us continue to make experiences like this possible:

• Our students created amazing projects that benefited their schools, their community, and the environment like this Community Gardening Project with P.S.1 Charter School in Denver, CO.
• We awarded over $10,000 in scholarships for students to attend once in a lifetime experiences like our Endangered Wolves and Animal Tracking Project this summer.
• Through a unique collaboration with Front Range Earth Force and Gilpin E-8 Elementary School in Denver, our World Water Monitoring Day Project on the South Platte River in downtown Denver was a success.
• New projects like this Organic Gardening Project are opening doors for new collaborations with local schools and community organizations in 2010.

HELP US REACH OUR END OF THE YEAR GOAL:

We are so close to reaching our end of the year goal and thanks to your support, the summit is within reach. A donation at any level will be a huge help toward meeting our goal!

Your donation will help us offer inspiring programs that get students off the couch, into the outdoors, and challenge them to create Action Projects to improve their schools, the community, and the environment so we can continue “changing the world, one adventure at a time!”

Tax-deductible donations can be made safely and securely online by Clicking Here or by sending a check made payable to Cottonwood Institute to: PO Box 7067, Denver, CO 80207. Please make sure checks are dated before the end of the year!

If you have already donated in 2009, thank you so much for your support! You have helped us make a tremendous impact in the lives of our students. You can still help us by Forwarding This Email To A friend! and encouraging them to join you in supporting our work.

Thank you so much for all of your support!

Ford Church, Founder and Executive Director
Cottonwood Institute
303.447.1076

Organic Gardening Project Inspires New Partners for 2010

As we wrap up 2009, we are in high gear to hit the ground running in 2010 by kicking off a brand new course called the Organic Gardening Project.

During this project, we will camp out under the stars for 2 nights and 3 days at a local organic farm near Boulder, CO. In the mornings we will explore our new surroundings, practice nature awareness activities, and practice essential camping and wilderness survival skills to connect to the land and to learn how to comfortably and competently explore the outdoors. We will also practice leadership and team building skills, explore diverse leadership styles, and learn more about the life and legacy of Cesar Chavez.

In the afternoons, we will learn about sustainable agriculture, organic farming, and we will complete a series of environmental service-learning projects to practice these skills and to give back to the land. We will end the course with a final celebration by cooking a local, organic meal for our organic farm hosts to practice some of the core values of Cesar Chavez, including: respect for the environment, service to others, and celebrating the community.

Finally, in exchange for their service work, students will receive seeds to plant their own organic garden at their home or at their organization to help feed and nourish their family or their community. The Cottonwood Institute will continue to be a resource for students after their course to help them implement their gardening projects.

To implement this project, we are excited to partner with I Have A Dream Foundation serving low-income, at-risk youth in Boulder County, Urban Peak serving homeless youth in Denver, Inner City Outings serving inner city youth in Denver, Colorado Youth At Risk serving at-risk youth in Denver, Front Range Earth Force and Peace Jam serving diverse youth leaders in the Colorado Front Range.

A special thanks goes out to the Community Foundation Serving Boulder County and their Youth Leadership Development grant as well as all of the individual donors that are making these projects possible. To support this project, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today by Clicking Here!

Holiday Cheer Party - Help Save 40,000 Disposable Cups!

We are teaming up with our friends at Fluid Coffee Bar for our Third Annual Holiday Cheer Party on Thursday, December 17 from 7pm - 9 pm. Join us for warm beverages, holiday treats, and live music! Spread the good word and bring your friends.  This event is free and open to the public as we are using it to as an opportunity to pack Fluid Coffee Bar to help with their goal to save 40,000 coffee cups this year, so don’t forget to bring your own mug or to order your drink to stay.

This is a big deal, not just because it has a positive impact on the environment, community and businesses but because it is a giant step in demonstrating how collaboration and creativity between the Cottonwood Institute, Fluid Coffee Bar and the local community can lead to positive change.

Drop by Fluid on either of the days listed below and you can say that you were involved in changing the world, one adventure at a time.  Remembering your cell phone on the way out the door is a challenge, but remembering your coffee cup is an adventure!

1) December 12th and 13th - “A Weekend Without” disposable cups.   Bring your mug or use our mug. No disposable cups will be available. Really.  (10% of weekend sales will be donated to community partners.)

2) December 14th -19th – Share the Fluid Experience.  Bring a friend to Fluid and order Coffee for two (French Press) or Tea for two (Tea Press) in a reusable mug and receive a free drink on your fluid card for your next visit.

3) December 17th, 7pm-9pm - Cottonwood Institute’s Annual Holiday Cheer Party. Bring your own mug.

4) December  30th and 31st - Lets make this happen!  Bring your mug or use our mug.  No disposable cups will be available. Really.

As of November 23rd, Fluid Coffee Bar has saved 34,000 cups!

Green Giving Guide

Not sure what to get the person in your life that has everything this holiday season? Consider the following ideas that support the planet and help the Cottonwood Institute thrive:

Give The Gift Of The Outdoors! Consider making a donation to the Cottonwood Institute and help increase the accessibility of the outdoors to high school and middle school students in the Boulder/Denver area who have never camped out before. Every donation makes a big difference and will help sponsor a student to have a once in a lifetime experience with the Cottonwood Institute in 2010. Check out our Notes from the Field and Action Projects sections of our website to learn more about how we are “changing the world, one adventure at a time!” If you are inspired by what we are up to, click the Donate Now link on our website. Every donation helps make a big impact in the lives of our students!

Books That Give Back: For the bookworm on your list, check out the Recommended Books section of our website for our best picks that pertain to survival skills, the environment, and changing the world! These books are sold through independent booksellers and the Cottonwood Institute receives a percentage of each sale. For book ideas, go to: http://www.cottonwoodinstitute.org/store/recommended-books/

Shop Online with a Conscience: If you shop online for airline tickets, clothes, or books, a percentage of each purchase can benefit the Cottonwood Institute at no cost to you! Here’s the scoop: when you shop online this holiday season, consider using GoodShop to shop at stores like Expedia.com, Amazon.com, J. Crew, Banana Republic, Nordstrom, Gap, Macy’s, Old Navy, and more! For more info, go to: http://www.cottonwoodinstitute.org/store/goodshop/

A Donation With Every Search: You can help raise money for the Cottonwood Institute by searching the Internet! You may have heard about this website through friends, the NY Times, Oprah Magazine, or CNN. If you use GoodSearch, which is powered by Yahoo, every time you search the Internet, a donation will be made to the Cottonwood Institute! For more information, go to: http://www.cottonwoodinstitute.org/blogs/cottonwood-institute/raise-money-for-the-cottonwood-institute-by-searching-the-internet/

Happy Sixth Birthday CAP!

Watch out, we’re going to do a little bragging to celebrate.

The Community Adventure Program, or CAP, the Cottonwood Institute’s main educational program, is celebrating its sixth year at New Vista High School!

If you don’t know…CAP aspires to inspire students to change the world through community involvement, an increased awareness of local environmental issues, and practicing essential wilderness survival skills. CAP gives students a chance to grow from within and to become more confident in order to make change. In the words of one student, “the Community Adventure Program has changed my life.”

As a part of this service learning curriculum each CAP class does an Action Project, which focuses on an environmental issue. CAP students have implemented 22 unique action projects over the years, taking on everything from the creation of gardens and changing transportation habits to helping educate about non-point source water pollution and pollinators.

Partially as a result of this fantastic teaching model several CAP alumni have been nominated for the City of Boulder’s Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award. Many have won! One of our alumni received a $100,000 Environmental Stewardship Scholarship to Sterling College. But our students don’t stop there. Several CAP alumni have come back to become paid Cottonwood Institute instructors. We are so happy to have these superstars on board.

CAP is often touted at New Vista as a class that everyone should take at least once. To quote one student’s final reflection paper:

“CAP has shown me the potential that all human beings have. I have learned to have faith and trust in people and to have faith in myself as well… We have changed our world and look down upon ourselves for doing it. But I believe we have the potential to change it back. If we act with consideration, with knowledge, with awareness and respect for our planet and each other we can change the world in different ways — in better ways.” – Lindsey Q.

Happy sixth birthday, CAP, and way to go!

Free Winter Surival Skills Clinics

Whether you are an experienced winter camping guru, backcountry snowboarder or skier, casual snowshoer, or a beginner, this winter survival clinic could save your life. During this clinic you will participate in an interactive survival scenario, learn about winter survival priorities, tips, strategies, and techniques, learn how to make basic snow shelters, and will learn how to make a personal survival kit.

This free clinic is brought to you by the Cottonwood Institute, a non-profit in Denver, CO that inspires students how to change the world through an exciting blend of adventure, wilderness survival, and environmental service. Voluntary donations to help underwrite our public school programs will be accepted. Below is a list of our upcoming survival clinics:

• REI - Boulder, Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 7pm located at: 1798 28th Street, Boulder, CO 80301.

Please RSVP by contacting April Pishna, Cottonwood Institute Administrative Coordinator, via Email.

CAP Students Take A Closer Look At GMOs

Chances are that the tortilla chips you just ate for lunch contain Genetically Modified Organisms (a.k.a. GMOs). Most of us have heard about GMOs, but what’s the big deal?

To learn more about GMOs, an incredibly complex and controversial issue, Community Adventure Program students at New Vista High School began researching the issue by reading articles from the Boulder Daily Camera and by watching a film entitled, The Future of Food. The students also spoke with community members, Laura Snider, an environmental journalist from the Boulder Daily Camera, and Donald Arrent, a local farmer with Red Wagon Organic Farm. Ms. Snider was able to speak eloquently about all sides of the issue, helping the students understand the opinions of people who oppose and approve of GMOs. Mr. Arrent spoke to students about why he chose not to grow GMO crops on his farm.

Students found that some people support GMO crops because they believe that they require less water, fertilizer, and herbicides. However, one of the biggest concerns they discovered was a GMO crop called “Roundup Ready.” These crops have been genetically modified to resist the herbicide Roundup. When Roundup is applied, it is harmful to other plants, wildlife, important pollinators such as bees, it can contaminate the soil and organic crops, and it can threaten water quality when the herbicide enters the watershed.

Right now, approximately 1,500 acres of genetically modified corn are grown on Boulder County Parks and Open Space and the Boulder County Commissioners are considering whether to allow genetically modified sugar beets this fall. Genetically modified sugar beets dominate the market and it is difficult to grow or find non-genetically modified sugar beets.

In order to raise awareness about GMO’s, CAP students launched a week-long Action Project where they:

• Evaluated the contents of the vending machines located throughout the school and created a display to raise awareness about what products might contain GMOs
• Held a GMO-free bake sale
• Presented an awareness raising PowerPoint presentation for the school
• Hosted a GMO-free lunch for the school to raise awareness
• Created and wore t-shirts exhibiting information about GMO’s
• Placed numerous posters throughout the school detailing GMO’s
• Distributed fliers with information about GMO’s

During their Action Project week, students reached approximately 350 people in their school community. Because of their hard work and dedication, the students educated their peers and teachers about GMO’s, giving them the opportunity to make an informed opinion about what they think about the issue. Although it required great effort, CAP students made a positive impact in their school and in their community.

The more you do to help the world, the more powerful you feel, the less helpless… At the start of the quarter I was skeptical… I was sure I couldn’t learn anything new about the environmental problems of the world. When we began looking at issues I was close-minded and righteous. When we debated issues I had a strong “I am right and you are wrong” opinion. CAP has not only changed that righteousness, but it has ended it. As my mind open and I began to trust other people in the class I became more than willing to learn other people’s opinions. The Action Project renewed my faith in the human race.” Marley K., Community Adventure Program student.