The excitement was thick in the air at the idea of making friends with wolves! It was a wet morning at Littleton Academy as 5th graders and parents said their farewells. We had a four and a half hour drive to the Sangre De Cristo range where, a ridge away from the Great Sand Dunes… Read more »
Cottonwood Institute set out with a very excited group of 22 Littleton Academy fifth grade students this May on their much anticipated trip to Mission: Wolf! With bags packed, eager smiles, and helping hands, we loaded the vans and were off! Many songs were sung on the way to Mission: Wolf along with curiously anxious questions… Read more »
It was the morning that the CAP crew had been preparing for since reading the class syllabus on day one, months ago. One by one the students came with all their overnight gear to District 12 at AXL Academy. They had many questions. Where exactly were they staying for the night? How long of a… Read more »
After any Cottonwood Institute backpacking trip, I routinely ask students what they learned on the trip as a part of our larger debrief and secret pal reveal. Overwhelmingly, students say that they enjoyed learning about knots. The New Vista High School CAP class were no exception. After their recent trip to Taylor Mountain near Allenspark,… Read more »
We caught up with Peter Zola, an amazing Community Adventure Program (CAP) student alumni from New Vista High School in Boulder, CO who is now 31 years old. He was gracious enough to fill us in on what he’s up to these days. Of course, he’s still “Livin’ the Dream!” as our Executive Director, Ford… Read more »
The Angevine Middle School CAP class has always worked together fairly well. When these eighth graders arrived at Cal-Wood Education Center last weekend, most of them had been in classes together for years and in CAP class they had worked through a lot of grroup teambuilding and games. Like most middle school students, though, they tended… Read more »
Inspired by Leave No Trace principles to leave the environment as you find it and to take only pictures for memories, the STRIVE Prep – Westwood CAP students gave their cameras a workout during their spring camping trip to Cal-Wood Education Center! “Bryan, take a picture of this!” “Sara – did you catch a shot… Read more »
Some camping trips are known for their epic climbs. Others are remembered for their harrowing experiences or are hallmarked by amazing animal sightings. The New Vista High School Spring CAP trip will be known for word games. To be specific, its epic five-hour word game (during which, two students built a blazing fire, three others… Read more »
The 2018 Base Camp Bash to benefit Cottonwood Institute (CI) was a huge success! We brought the spirit of the Big Easy to Denver with a fabulous New Orleans themed party at Great Divide Brewing Company’s amazing private event space in RiNo. It was the perfect venue for fun, socializing, music, and dancing. This… Read more »
The Base Camp Bash has been a special event for many years, raising critical funds for Cottonwood Institute (CI) students and programs. The past five years, CI started a new tradition by awarding two students from our Community Adventure Programs (CAP) the coveted Ripple Effect Award for their outstanding leadership, attitudes, and actions while designing… Read more »
