AXL Academy Middle Schoolers Enjoyed a Spring Trimester full of Fishing, Planting, Creating, and Adventuring! Written by AXL Academy CAP Instructor Harmony Esqueda. AXL Academy 7th graders started the spring trimester by practicing survival skills and learning all about safety in the outdoors. In teams, students competed in “CAP Camp Olympics” where they learned how… Read more »
Teens from Longmont Youth Center Brought Curiosity, Courage, and Joy to the Overnight Trip. Written by CAP Instructor Sara Grillo. Earlier this summer, Cottonwood Institute teamed up with teens from the Longmont Youth Center for an overnight adventure full of learning, laughter, and time in nature. We kicked off the trip early in the morning,… Read more »
Experiences in Labyrinth Canyon and with Regenerative Agriculture Provided Changemakers with Opportunities to Show Grit, Growth, and Share Plenty of Laughs. Written by Changemakers Senior Instructor Chelsea Tossing. We spent our first day in Dinosaur National Monument trying to find fish scales and instead discovered a thousand similar lizards. We sat on warm rocks, crawled… Read more »
Centaurus High School Students Gained Knowledge and Skills Through Indoor Activities and Outdoor Explorations. Written by Senior CAP Instructor Erin Angel. Thank you all for a great semester of CAP class at Centaurus High School! Looking back, we did so much fun and interesting stuff. We started the semester with creating our own utopian society,… Read more »
Combating Clothing Waste with Upcycling Projects was a Unique Way to Close Out the School Year. Written by NVHS CAP Instructor Lori Powell. It was obvious from early on in the spring quarter that the New Vista High School Community Adventure Program (CAP) students were a creative bunch. Creativity was expressed throughout the class in… Read more »
Windy and Snowy Conditions Punctuated the Overnight Trip to Cheley for the AXL 8th Graders. Written by CI Field Instructor David Goldsmith. On a windy Thursday morning, AXL Academy 8th graders met once again, but this time, for their last CAP overnight before migrating to high school. Before setting off in the caravan to Cheley… Read more »
The Rain-Snow Mix Encountered at Cal-Wood Enabled Students to Practice Thermoregulation Skills Learned Indoors. Written by CI Field Instructor David Diaz and NVHS CAP Instructor Lori Powell. Cottonwood had the privilege of guiding a group of New Vista High School students on a backcountry adventure to Cal-Wood as part of their Community Adventure Program (CAP)… Read more »
Making Seed Bombs and Organizing a Bake Sale Provided a Valuable Hands-On Learning Experience. Written by Angevine Middle School CAP Instructor Sara Grillo. This spring, our Angevine Middle School CAP students set out to support wildlife — and found creative, hands-on ways to do just that. Through seed bombs and a student-led bake sale, they… Read more »
Under blue skies and the shade of towering cottonwoods, Cottonwood Institute alumni and Changemaker students teamed up to host our second annual Cottonwood Ancestral Skills Gathering at Ollin Farms—a day full of hands-on learning, cultural connection, and community building. Inspired by the success of our student-led gathering last year, our alumni invited participants to reconnect… Read more »
In a world where broken gear often means buying new, Changemaker students decided to take a different approach: repair, reuse, and keep it out of the landfill. As part of their spring action project, our Changemakers tackled two big issues in the outdoor industry—waste and accessibility. Outdoor gear isn’t cheap, and when it breaks, it’s… Read more »
