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New Vista High School

AN NVHS student shading their head in the sun

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From Fire-Building to Friendship: New Vista High School Camps Out at Camp Patiya

Students Encounter Wildlife, Build Shelters, and Learn Valuable Outdoor Skills on a Memorable Camping Trip. Written by Instructor M Tormasi.  Earlier in April, Cottonwood Institute had the wonderful opportunity to take New Vista High School students camping just 25 minutes northwest of their school. Throughout the trip, many students stepped into leadership roles, facilitating team-building… Read more »

Student is tasked with making a fire, as small as possible and alive as long as possible

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NVHS 1st Quarter CAP Class: An Extraordinary Journey

Unveiling Growth, Connection, and Environmental Awareness in a Quarter of Discovery. Written by CAP Instructor Sadie Norton. After CAP Class, in an anonymous survey, 92% of students agreed they are “more likely to make a positive difference in my community,” 92% “feel more connected to my peers,” and 92% of students “believe my actions can… Read more »

New Vista students passing logs to each other during their fire mitigation project

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Team Bonding through Fire and Ice

New Vista students did lots of bonding on their spring overnight, whether by fire or by ice. Written by Field Instructor M Tormasi. Upon arriving at Cal-wood’s Solitude Camp, New Vista High School CAP students displayed their excitement and dedication through an efficient and coordinated unloading of the vans. From the moment our clean boots… Read more »

New Vista CAP students create a palm-sized fire

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What keeps your fire alive?

New Vista CAP students contemplate methods and themes surrounding fire while trying to build their own palm-sized fires. Written by Field Instructor Ruthie Cartwright.  Silence. For the first time since our New Vista CAP class headed out this morning on our first overnight to Cal-wood. Silence from a group of twelve high school students. No… 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 »

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 »

Cobbled Streets field day

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The Stories We Tell: Film & the Environment

“The stories we tell will determine whether our society declines and self-destructs or whether we can heal and thrive”. – Favianna Rodriguez Movies have power. Remember back to the last time you were in a darkened theater? The anticipation you felt as you waded through the commercials and previews – the savory scent of buttered… Read more »

CHS water testing marshall mesa

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Activism Through Self Expression at NVHS

“If anything, art is… about morals, about our belief in humanity. Without that, there simply is no art.” –Ai Weiwei – Chinese contemporary artist We only have 8 years to create and execute a plan to stop the worst effects of climate change. This 8 year window comes from an IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate… Read more »