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The Throwdown 2015: Would You Rather Edition

It is go time people! The Throwdown to benefit Cottonwood Institute is less than 1 month away on Saturday, August 8th, 2015 in front of Union Station in Denver, CO. In order to help get you pumped for the event, we have put together a little round of The Throwdown 2015 – Would You Rather Edition:… Read more »

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About Us

  What We Do Cottonwood Institute (CI) is an award-winning 501(c)3 non-profit organization based in Denver, Colorado. Our vision is to awaken the changemaker within every student. Our Mission Statement: Cottonwood Institute is on a mission to connect middle and high school students to nature and inspire them to protect it. How We Do It… Read more »

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College of Menominee Nation Examines Floods and Fires in Colorado

Cottonwood Institute was excited to collaborate with the College of Menominee Nation Sustainable Development Institute (SDI) in a unique Fire and Flood Project exploring the foothills and gaining a deeper understanding of fire, water, and flood issues in Colorado. After an early morning pick-up at DIA, a group of 17 from Wisconsin, began their trip… Read more »

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2014 Environmental Leadership Summit Inspires Action

For the fourth year in a row, Cottonwood Institute collaborated with Johnson & Wales University (JWU) and the JWU Student Government Association to host the 2014 Environmental Leadership Summit. Students were able to get out of the classroom for the day and connect with for profit and nonprofit environmental leaders who are making a difference… Read more »

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Turkeys, Jays and Camo, oh my! Casa de la Esperanza Goes for a Hike

Early in November, Longmont youth from Casa de la Esperanza enjoyed a balmy autumn day in the foothills as part of Cottonwood Institute’s Mini CAP.  The Mini CAP is a six session environmental service-learning program that encourages students to get engaged with local environmental issues on a personal and community level.  As part of the program, students develop their critical thinking and… Read more »

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City Wild Takes on Growing Gardens!

Under the warm August sun, Cottonwood Institute and City Wild partnered up for a service learning project with Growing Gardens in Boulder. We were treated to a tour of this amazing property and walked along rows of sunflowers, heirloom tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, and potatoes.  In the Children’s Peace Garden, we ate grapes off the… Read more »

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Highlights from the 2011 Annual Report

I really get fired up about our work because we are addressing two really important issues in our community: So many kids along the Front Range see the mountains every day and either never have been to the mountains, don’t have access to the outdoors in terms of gear or transportation, or don’t have positive… Read more »

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Enchanted Evenings at Mission:Wolf with West Denver Prep

The long lazy days of summer has just begun, but a group of 12 West Denver Prep Lake Campus students decided to give up a few of these lazy days for an adventure at Mission:Wolf (MW) this past June.  MW is located near the beautiful Sangre de Cristo mountain range just outside of Westcliffe, Colorado…. Read more »