Action Projects

The mission of the Cottonwood Institute is to inspire students to become active community leaders and environmental stewards. Below are a few case studies of the student-directed Action Projects that our students have created to make a positive impact in their communities: 

REUSABLE GROCERY BAGS:

Issue: According to the Sierra Club, “in the U.S. alone, we throw away 100 billion plastic bags each year -- the equivalent of 12 million barrels of oil.” After learning about this statistic, Community Adventure Program students at P.S.1 Charter School wanted to raise an awareness of the environmental impact of plastic grocery bags.

Plan: Students decided to sell reusable grocery bags to help reduce the number of plastic grocery bags that are thrown away each year. Students contacted local businesses to set up a table to sell their bags.

"I was sick and tired of seeing plastic bags stuck in trees and in Cherry Creek. It was nice to work with the Cottonwood Institute to be able to help the community and to be able to help change something. I felt like part of the solution." Maria Ridgeway, Community Adventure Program Student and Project Manager.

Impact: Students worked together to sell 100 reusable grocery bags and raised $300. Students decided to donate $200 to the MaxFund, a no-kill animal shelter in Denver. They used the other $100 as a fund raiser for their class. Students helped raise an awareness about the environmental impact of plastic grocery bags in the community, developed their communication skills while selling the grocery bags, and practiced philanthropy by donating the money their raised to a local nonprofit in need.

"We were very grateful that these students decided to choose the MaxFund as the beneficiary of their project. This donation will go far and will help us provide food and medical care for approximately 150 stray animals. I am excited that these high school students care so much about issues facing the community and that they had the courage to do something about it." - Scott Rupp, Assistant Director of the MaxFund.

ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT:

Issue: Community Adventure Program students at New Vista High School decided to be proactive about helping the Boulder community reduce their environmental footprint and their school reduce their carbon footprint.

Plan: Students decided to sell reusable grocery bags and energy efficient light bulbs to encourage Boulder community members to reduce their environmental footprint. With the revenue they generated, they decided to buy wind energy credits to help offset New Vista High School's carbon footprint.

"This was a good Action Project to take on because it required a lot of involvement with the community and exploring your community is really what CAP is all about. My favorite part of this project was contacting people in charge and requesting that we be able to sell at their store, school, etc." - Kris Gandrud, Community Adventure Program Student and Project Manager.

Impact: Students sold enough reusable grocery bags and energy efficient light bulbs to buy $506 worth of wind credits from Driven by the Wind. This is the equivalent of saving 48,829 lbs of CO2 emissions and saving 13 tons of coal from being burned! Students practiced their communication skills by selling green products to the Boulder community, philanthropy by donating their proceeds to a local environmental nonprofit, and their efforts made a positive impact in the environment!

"Taking CAP for the second time was a great experience for me. The Action Project was logistically challenging from a leadership standpoint and helped me learn more about how to manage time and resources. Second Quarter CAP also got me further interested in the outdoors and the environment. CAP has been an overall great experience that has made me far more aware of my community and the natural environment surrounding me." - Ruby Kark-French, Community Adventure Program Student and Project Manager.