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Search Results for: learning garden

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Graffiti, Local Food, and Night Hikes: Strive Prep Makes Lasting Memories With Cottonwood Institute

STRIVE Preparatory Schools recently wrapped up two of our “Mini-CAP” 6-week Community Adventure Programs.  The Westwood campus and the Lake campus both had a great time during their 6-weeks together, which concluded with a final overnight camping trip.  During the accelerated version of our Community Adventure Program, the students played games, learned more about each… Read more »

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Top 10 Inspiring Stories From 2012

We are wrapping up another incredible programming year with the Cottonwood Institute and have been blown away by the students we have served and the Action Projects they have taken on to improve their schools, the community, and the environment. In 2012, we served over 375 youth, logged over 15,000 program contact hours, and recorded… Read more »

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Veggies Bring Out The Best In Us – CYC Youth Take On Farming!

In mid July a group high school girls from Colorado Youth for a Change in Boulder (a drop-out prevention program), along with one girl who flew all the way to Colorado from the DC area just for this course, spent four days at beautiful Sunrise Ranch learning the ways of sustainable agriculture on Cottonwood Institute’s… Read more »

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Hope and Adventure at Casa de la Esperanza

Six weeks ago a group of boys and girls from Casa de la Esperanza gathered together in nervous anticipation for the first ever Casa CAP program. Casa de la Esperanza (House of Hope) is a residential community in Longmont dedicated to helping agricultural workers. The learning resource center at Casa provides educational and recreational services… Read more »

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Quality Quinzhees from Quality Instructors!

It’s hard to think about winter survival skills when its been in the 60’s recently here in Denver.  But only a few weeks ago, we had enough snow to build some serious quinzhees.  Amidst the gently falling flakes at Brainard Lake Recreation Area, a quintessential group of outdoor educators gathered together for Cottonwood Institute’s annual… Read more »

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Cottonwood Institute Impact Surges in 2011

As I reflect about the impact the Cottonwood Institute had this past year, I am delighted to see our impact surge in 2011. We do a lot more that just connect kids to the outdoors. In the words of one of our instructors Madeline Bachner, “Our courses are centered around cultivating direct action for positive… Read more »

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Part of the Movement to Label GMOs

The 30th Community Adventure Program (CAP) started off the 2011-2012 school year with an energetic bang! Students took an early interest in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and that shaped the class as they delved into research and public action! The pertinence of the topic of GMOs was amazing.  The first week of class three students… Read more »

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West Denver Prep “Whips” into Shape this Spring!

The Cottonwood Institute and the Garden Club of Denver teamed up with an amazing group of curious sixth graders from West Denver Preparatory Charter School for a service-learning trip to Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield. It was a beautiful sunny day and our mission was to plant cottonwood tree whips for re-planting later in the… Read more »

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CAP Inspires Another All-Star Group

Another quarter of the Community Adventure Program has come to a close, but we inspired another all-star group of outdoor enthusiasts as well as old and new environmentally minded students.  We had tons of fun on the overnights bonding with this small group.  The weather was unseasonably warm for December camping and, while we talked… Read more »

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CAP Students Unleash Their Inner Worker Bee

Community Adventure Program (CAP) students unleashed their inner worker bee this quarter to create a great two-pronged Action Project that focused on honey bees and cold-frames. Based on early class discussions, the plight of the honey bee was a hot topic within this group, which was duly noted. However, they just couldn’t let go of… Read more »