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DMLK: Brave Hearts and Bear Hangs

Middle Schoolers from Dr. MLK Jr. Early College Step Into the Outdoors—with Courage, Creativity, and Some Impressive Bear Hangs. Written by CI Field Instructor Blaise Miles. Recently, students from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Early College spent the week immersing themselves in outdoor activities from archery to rock climbing to camping in the foothills. On… Read more »

A Week in the Wild: RiseUp Community School Explores Colorado’s Waters

Exploring Colorado’s Water Systems Combined Science, Service, and Outdoor Adventure. Written by Hailey Schmidt and Caroline Paul. This June, a group of high school students from RiseUp Community School in Denver, CO, headed to the mountains for an unforgettable five-day camping expedition at the Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS) in Leadville, Colorado. The trip, designed… Read more »

Longmont Youth Center Overnight Adventure

Teens from Longmont Youth Center Brought Curiosity, Courage, and Joy to the Overnight Trip. Written by CAP Instructor Sara Grillo. Earlier this summer, Cottonwood Institute teamed up with teens from the Longmont Youth Center for an overnight adventure full of learning, laughter, and time in nature. We kicked off the trip early in the morning,… Read more »

Into the Labyrinth: Changemakers Summer Trip 2025

Experiences in Labyrinth Canyon and with Regenerative Agriculture Provided Changemakers with Opportunities to Show Grit, Growth, and Share Plenty of Laughs. Written by Changemakers Senior Instructor Chelsea Tossing. We spent our first day in Dinosaur National Monument trying to find fish scales and instead discovered a thousand similar lizards. We sat on warm rocks, crawled… Read more »

Weathering the Wild: New Vista High School’s Adventure with Rain-Snow Mix

The Rain-Snow Mix Encountered at Cal-Wood Enabled Students to Practice Thermoregulation Skills Learned Indoors. Written by CI Field Instructor David Diaz and NVHS CAP Instructor Lori Powell. Cottonwood had the privilege of guiding a group of New Vista High School students on a backcountry adventure to Cal-Wood as part of their Community Adventure Program (CAP)… Read more »

Angevine Middle School’s CAP Class Spring Overnight at Cheley

Cheley Outpost provided a solid base camp for Angevine Middle School students to learn outdoor skills and explore the natural surroundings. Written by CI Field Instructor David Goldsmith. After weeks of planning and learning in the classroom, Angevine Middle School’s CAP class set out for their overnight expedition at Cheley Outpost. We unloaded upon arrival… Read more »

Wilderness Canyon Backpacking with Peak to Peak Charter School

Dominguez Canyon Wilderness Provided a Unique Setting for Peak to Peak Students to Embrace Adventure while Backpacking through in Both Directions. Written by CI Field Instructor David Goldsmith. After a tempestuously windy night, the Peak to Peak Charter School group set out for Bear Family Ranch – our home for the next two nights. With… Read more »

Changemakers Winter Overnight Adventure in Quinzhees

Building Quinzhees for the Winter Overnight Kept Everyone Sheltered from the Cold. Written by Changemakers and Senior CAP Instructor Erin Angel. Changemakers met at the crack of dawn to beat ski traffic to the Colorado Outward Bound School (COBS) in Leadville for our winter overnight trip. We snowshoed to our site and got to diggin’… Read more »

Seeing the World through a New Lens: New Vista’s Fall Overnight

Surrounded by the Autumnal aspens who were casting their golden beams of light upon us, New Vista’s CAP Class followed the long and winding road to Camp Cheley in Estes Park, a place we would call home for the next two days. After arriving, we oriented ourselves to this new space, wild and new to… Read more »

CAP Alumni Spotlight: Galen O’Shea

Meet Galen! A Cottonwood Institute CAP Alumni who is living life to the fullest and always leaves time to explore the outdoors!  We caught up with him and asked a few questions about what he’s currently up to and the impact CAP has had on his life. What are you up to these days? “I… Read more »

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