Changemakers show off their newly screenprinted shirts!

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The Environmental Impacts of Fashion

Changemakers spend their spring overnight exploring the environmental impacts of fashion and screenprinting their own t-shirts. Written by Instructor Chelsea Tossing. Escrito en español más abajo. Cheap t-shirts may seem like a steal, but do you know what your clothes really cost? Changemakers set out on our spring overnight trip to learn more about the… Read more »

A Centaurus high school student sets up a tent in the school yard

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Should you drink tap or bottled water?

Written by CAP Instructor Erin Angel. Escrito en español más abajo. The students in the Centaurus High School Fall 2022 CAP class are a very diverse group. About ¾ of the students are newcomers to the United States, bringing with them rich and varied experiences. As we studied water in Colorado, we took some time… Read more »

Angevine students learning from Angie at Calwood.

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Angevine students create emergency go bags

February 2023 Update: Angevine CAP student Margot dropped off the go bags to Sister Carmen Community Center, an organization that provides basic needs and help to residents of East Boulder County. There were about 40 bags in all, with essential materials like headlamps, first aid kits, phone chargers, and canned food. Great going, team! Written… Read more »

A group of Changemakers pose in fall colors while planting willows

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Changemakers plant willows in the Cameron Peak burn area

Changemakers planted willows with Wildlands Restoration Volunteers in an area that had been affected by the Cameron Peak wildfire. Written by CAP Instructor Erin Angel. Escrito en español más abajo.  Changemakers began our first overnight of the 2022-23 season with service to the environment. We joined Wildlands Restoration Volunteers in replanting willows in an area… Read more »

Two CHS students check out macroinvertebrates from Coal Creek.

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What Did Centaurus High School’s Coal Creek Data Reveal?

Read an update about Centaurus High School CAP Class’s water quality project on Coal Creek in Lafayette, CO. You can find the original article here. Our Spring 2022 fire/water Coal Creek project all started with the students. Their primary interest was contaminación de agua – or water pollution. When explored further, the students’ overriding view… Read more »

New Vista students fish with Colorado Parka & Wildlife at Gross Reservoir

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Water Issues through the Lens of Gross Reservoir

Students explore perspectives from different stakeholders in the Gross Reservoir Expansion Project to understand broader water issues. Written by CI Field Instructor Amy Atkins. See more photos here! In our current polarized cultural climate, it is often difficult to empathize with people who have different viewpoints from ours.  Polarization also furthers confirmation bias, an idea… Read more »

Fishing day

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Fish Catchers and Bug Collectors!

Escrito en español más abajo. AXL Academy joined Cottonwood Institute for a Friday of bug collecting and fish catching at Lake Lehow, which is a private lake owned by Denver Water and used by Colorado Parks & Wildlife (CPW) for clinics. The group started the day in inquiry mode: what bugs live in this stream?… Read more »

DCS Montessori

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Wild Times and Wildfire Learning with DCS Montessori

Cottonwood Institute and DCS Montessori explored Cal-wood through the lens of wildfire for 4 days and 3 nights. Highlights included completing a wildfire mitigation Action Project to help reduce unnaturally destructive wildfires, practicing proper fire-building techniques, playing games, and adventuring around the woods. The group was fortunate to be joined by various experts that taught… Read more »

CAP wildfire project

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CAP Fire Mitigation Action Project

Written by CAP Instructor & Curriculum Manager Chelsea Tossing If you live anywhere in the drought-stricken west, wildfire has almost definitely been on your mind these past few years. With three out of the four of Colorado’s largest wildfires ravaging the state in 2020 and both the Marshall fire and the NCAR fire impacting our… Read more »

Changemakers native pollinators Earth Day

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Changemakers give away native plants for Earth Day

Escrito en español más abajo. Early on Saturday morning, we all Changemakers met up behind the Lafayette Recreation Center to start preparing our booth for the annual Lafayette Earth Day festival. For our booth, we decided that we would inform people passing by of different native plants that they can plant in their own backyards… Read more »

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