In 2022, Cottonwood Institute (CI) received not just one, but TWO awards from the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education (CAEE)! Our Changemaker Program was selected to receive a 2022 Innovative Environmental Education Program Award! The Awards Selection Committee announced that they are very impressed with the caliber of the work taking place through this program,… Read more »
Written by Program Relationships Manager Teagan Papke. “Almost 20 years later, I have been getting hit hard with the deep realization of how important the lessons that I learned through the Community Adventure Program (CAP) really were. I realize now how so many humans really don’t understand the ideas of basic survival, Leave No Trace,… Read more »
Global Climbing Day 2022 with Environmental Learning for Kids (ELK), Black Girls Climb, Movement Gyms, and The North Face. Written by CI Instructor Carly Winner. Did you know that August 20th is Global Climbing Day? Started in 2017, Global Climbing Day is a celebration of the climbing community and the opportunities we find in every… Read more »
Written by Curriculum Manager Chelsea Tossing (Escrito en español más abajo) We don’t know about you, but here at CI it’s certainly hard to believe we’re nearing the end of the summer months! As we crest into the end of the summer program season and start of the school year, we wanted to take a moment… Read more »
Escrito en español más abajo. Written by Cottonwood Institute alum Kira Gilliland. Cottonwood Institute’s flagship program, the Community Adventure Program (CAP), has been at Centaurus High School in Lafayette, CO since 2017. More recently, Cottonwood created Changemakers, a high school leadership program for alumni of our Boulder County programs. The Changemakers program gives about ten… Read more »
For the first time in two years, Cottonwood Institute held our one and only Throwdown in 2022 – a cornhole tournament that throws down and lives up to its name! This year’s event at McGregor Square in Denver was a raging success. Competition was strong amongst the players, side games were a hoot, and our… Read more »
Written by CI Instructor Carly Winner. Cobbled Streets and Cottonwood Institute had a fantastic second week this summer at SWIC and Garfield Lake Park. The group enjoyed many games, challenges, and learning nature skills, including a fly fishing day to round out the week. Each day started at SWIC where the group had to successfully work… Read more »
Written by CI Senior Instructor Amy Atkins. Check out photos here! “I’m scared, but I want to try it.” It’s what every teacher hopes to hear as students figure out their learning edge and step into brave space. It’s what every camper should be saying this summer as they attempt new things and grow into… Read more »
Cottonwood Institute is grateful to receive a $15,000 grant from Xcel Energy Foundation for the second year in a row! This gift will help support our CAP Classes at AXL Academy, Angevine Middle School, Centaurus High School, New Vista High School, and STRIVE Prep – Westwood during the 2022-23 school year. Because of the continuing… Read more »
Escrito en español más abajo. Written by Cottonwood Institute instructor Tucker Knight. See more photos here! Cottonwood Institute led Horizons at Colorado Academy for a three day journey in the valley between the Wet Mountains and the Sangre de Cristos, home to Mission:Wolf. This group of middle schoolers was excited and nervous to sleep outside,… Read more »
