Years tend to demonstrate themes. Many of the mantras of 2020 and 2021 revolved around perseverance, tenacity, and responding to unprecedented challenges. If one theme were assigned to the Aurora Expeditionary Learning Academy (AXL) CAP class of 2020-2021, it would be complexity. Not only were these students faced with changing schedules and online classes, but… Read more »
What made Colorado’s 2020 wildfire season such an anomaly? What do you do if you sprain an ankle in the wilderness? Just how much food waste can one pound of worms eat? This spring’s CAP Class at New Vista High School answered all these questions and more! In one of our first units, students conducted… Read more »
When the nation went into lockdown last year and students transitioned to online learning, some learners went into a kind of dormancy. The second period CAP outdoor class at Angevine Middle School had many students who hadn’t participated much in online learning and were both eager and hesitant to go back to school with hybrid… Read more »
Combining things we like to do or want to learn with a desire to help the planet is what Action Projects are all about. The first period CAP class at Angevine Middle School is an enthusiastic bunch with lots of interests, so they decided to bring awareness to pollinators by setting aside a week to… Read more »
So much has happened to high school students this year. During a time in life where they are supposed to be seeking out new opportunities and finding themselves, their wings have been clipped and they are stuck in the nest, disengaged from the world around them. So much change is happening in the world that… Read more »
Any student that’s taken a CAP Class with Cottonwood Institute can tell you that Action Projects are of the highlights of their experience. Typically, students choose an issue that they want to tackle as a whole class. Together, they find solutions and work to plan an action in their community; classes in the past have… Read more »
Earth Day Stay-At-Home Challenge Just because you are stuck at home doesn’t mean you can’t do something to save the planet. Here are some great activities collected by the CAP Class at Angevine Middle School, and CAP instructor Erin Angel! Choose at least one challenge from each category and complete it. Each category contains some… Read more »
Fossil fuels are a big problem. They are non-renewable, unsustainable, create air pollution, and their production and consumption create greenhouse gases that are making our planet a perilous place to live. On the other hand, we love to use electricity! We love to use cell phones, play video games, watch movies and listen to music,… Read more »
The Angevine Middle School CAP class recognizes that one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gases is food waste, and they decided to do something about it. From giving out recipes and ingredients to low-income families, to turning tired Thanksgiving leftovers into delicious meals, to performing a rap and making a mural to educate their… Read more »
One of the hardest aspects of climate change is staying positive and proactive in the face of a huge, scary, global problem. It often feels too big for one person. Students in New Vista High School’s (NVHS) Activism Through Self-Expression Workshop used the scary side of climate change to their advantage by playing on this… Read more »
