About Us

OVERVIEW:

The Cottonwood Institute is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Denver, Colorado that inspires students to become active community leaders and environmental stewards through an exciting blend of adventure, wilderness survival, and environmental service learning. We teach students the essential camping and wilderness survival skills necessary to comfortably and competently explore the outdoors, while providing them with the tools and resources to tackle important environmental issues affecting their communities. We offer high quality service learning programs for public schools and community organizations that address civic engagement, community leadership, environmental education, and environmental sustainability.

VISION AND MISSION:

The vision of the Cottonwood Institute is to inspire a new generation of young community leaders who are environmentally aware, civically engaged, and who are empowered to make a positive impact within their respective communities. The mission of the Cottonwood Institute is to inspire students to become active community leaders and environmental stewards through an exciting blend of adventure, wilderness survival, and environmental service.

EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

The Cottonwood Institute achieves its vision and mission by inspiring participants:

1. To become active community leaders and environmental stewards through our award winning environmental service learning curriculum.
2. To increase their awareness of local environmental issues, environmental sustainability, and how to reduce their environmental footprint.
3. To develop essential camping and wilderness survival skills to comfortably and competently explore the natural world.
4. To develop life skills, including problem solving, project management, logistical coordination, leadership, teamwork, and communication skills.

WHAT THE COTTONWOOD INSTITUTE IS NOT:

Having explained what the Cottonwood Institute IS, it is also important to explain what the Cottonwood Institute IS NOT. The Cottonwood Institute:

• Is not a summer camp.
• Is not a wilderness therapy program for at-risk or troubled students.
• Is not intended to promote radical environmentalism or inappropriately influence political views or the political affiliation of students.
• Is not affiliated with any religious institution or belief system, although we welcome faith-based youth and youth groups to attend our courses and collaborate with us to design custom courses.
• Is not a boot camp or military-based program.

RECENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Eric Ellison, a graduate of 5 Cottonwood Institute courses, recently received a 4-year $100,000 Environmental Stewardship scholarship to Sterling College in Vermont. Eric is an excellent example of the community leaders we have inspired through the Cottonwood Institute.
• Alys Hansen, a graduate of 3 Cottonwood Institute courses and several internships, was one of ten students to receive the 2007 Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award through the City of Boulder’s Youth Opportunities Program.
• We received the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE) 2006 Environmental Education Award for Excellence in the citizen and community category for the Community Adventure Program!
• In 2007, we served 668 participants, logged 1,262 participant days, and recorded 10,778 contact hours with students through our award-winning educational and outreach programs. This represents a 68% increase over participants served compared to last year.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM:

• Cottonwood Institute educational programs combine service learning, environmental education, and wilderness survival skills to empower students to become active citizens and future community leaders. Students learn how to break out of the cycle of cynicism and act within the cycle of hope by increasing their awareness of the natural world, practicing outdoor skills, learning about environmental issues, and by gaining hands on experience to do something positive to address those issues. Because students self-select themselves into our programs and because our environmental service-learning projects are student-directed and not forced by teachers or adults, students have ownership in their project and are more empowered to do the best they can to address their issue. Students learn how to take the life skills and experience they acquire, including project management, leadership, communication, and teamwork, and apply this to other systemic issues facing their communities.
• There is growing data, especially through Richard Louv’s book: Last Child in the Woods: Protecting our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, that suggests programs, like those offered through the Cottonwood Institute, may help reduce the symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), improve cognitive abilities, stimulate creativity, reduce stress and depression, and address childhood obesity. The Cottonwood Institute is committed to making all of their educational programs accessible to public high school students and is seeking to develop partnerships with individuals, businesses, and foundations to help underwrite the costs of our educational programs.

HISTORY OF THE COMPANY:

The Cottonwood Institute was founded by Ford Church, M. A. in September 2004. The idea for the Cottonwood Institute came from his passion for the outdoors, his commitment to the environment, his love for inspiring the youth of America, and from his interest in giving back to the community. In 2003, Ford received a Master’s degree in Adventure Education from Prescott College and created the Community Adventure Program as a culminating project of his thesis. The Community Adventure Program has been implemented at New Vista High School in Boulder, Colorado since October 2003 and based on the success of the program and requests for more programs from parents and students, Ford founded the Cottonwood Institute and their summer programs approximately one year later.

STAFF:

To learn more about our Executive Director, Board Members, Advisory Board Members, and Instructors, Click Here.

HOW YOU CAN HELP THE COTTONWOOD INSTITUTE THRIVE:

The Cottonwood Institute is currently raising money to help underwrite our educational programs through public schools and community organizations in the Boulder/Denver area. To make a tax-deductible financial contribution to the Cottonwood Institute and to help transform the lives of high school students, please make all checks or money orders payable to Cottonwood Institute and mail your donation to PO Box 7067, Denver, CO 80207. For more information, click on the Donate Online Now! link.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ford Church, M. A., Founder and Executive Director
303.447.1076
Email

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