Career Bloom Event Helped Young People Explore Career Opportunities Written by Erin Angel, CI Senior Instructor, Changemakers & Alumni Coordinator. Our 2026 Partners In the Outdoors Career Day, called Career Bloom, lived up to its name, bringing opportunity, and community to help young people explore their futures. Planned in partnership with Environmental Learning for Kids,… Read more »
Low Ropes Course Activities and a Service Project Kept AXL 8th Graders Engaged During Their Winter CAP Overnight at Cal-Wood Written by AXL Academy CAP Instructor Harmony Esqueda. AXL Academy 8th graders were eager for another winter overnight CAP trip, expecting and excited for the same winter activities as last year, including snowshoeing, snow ball… Read more »
Angevine Middle School Students Discover the Joy of Snow Through a Brainard Lake Quinzee Construction Adventure Written by CI Field Instructor Hailey Schmidt. Earlier this February, the Angevine Middle School (AMS) CAP class was able to enjoy a wintery excursion despite the unseasonably warm weather. Up at Brainard Lake, the sun was out, the birds… Read more »
Wilderness First Aid: Changemakers Gain Skills for Caring for Others in Wild Places and Beyond Written by Erin Angel, CI Senior Instructor, Changemakers & Alumni Coordinator. On a cold January weekend, while most people were staying cozy indoors watching the Broncos, Changemaker students—and a few hardy Cottonwood staff—were outside doing something pretty powerful: learning how… Read more »
Curiosity Guided Students from Classroom Questions to Real-World Action at Angevine During Fall Semester. Written by Angevine Middle School CAP Instructor Sara Grillo. As the semester wraps up, it’s fun to look back at just how much we fit into our time together during our Fall CAP class at Angevine Middle School. It was a… Read more »
A Local Park Became an Outdoor Classroom for the AXL 8th Graders to Embark on a Microplastics Hunt and Archery Skill-Building. Written by AXL CAP Instructor Harmony Esqueda. AXL Academy 8th graders eagerly set out on our short and sweet 15-minute journey from school to Cherry Creek State Park. There, we were greeted by the… Read more »
AXL Academy‘s Day of Service Learning Connected Students to Local Wildlife, Public Lands, and Community Impact. Written by Shawn Heyland, CI Field Instructor. AXL Academy 7th-grade CAP students recently had the opportunity to visit Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora for a day of service learning, archery, and fun. Not far from where the students… Read more »
Students Enjoyed a Day of Fishing, Birding, Playing, Relaxing, and Doing Service Work at Golden Ponds. Written by CI Senior Instructor Erin Angel. Lafayette Explore Outside (LEO) is a new program for us this year. A small group of middle school-age students meets twice a month, once for an evening workshop and once for an… Read more »
The Taylor Mountain Trip Provided the Reminder that Sometimes All You Need is a Forest, a Fire, and Friends. Written by Erin Angel, Senior Instructor, Changemakers & Alumni Coordinator. The Changemakers kicked off their fall backpacking trip to Taylor Mountain with a little unexpected mystery. On the hike to our campsite, we were checking out… Read more »
A Fall CAP Trimester Full of Firsts: AXL Academy Middle Schoolers Enjoyed a First-Time Camping Trip, Rock Climbing, and Taking on New Challenges. Written by AXL CAP Instructor Harmony Esqueda. AXL 7th Grade CAP Adventures and First-Time Experiences We kicked off our trimester with a visit to Golden Gate Canyon State Park where AXL 7th… Read more »
