After weeks of preparing, AXL Academy’s CAP class set off with 9 excited students, 1 AXL Academy chaperone, and 3 Cottonwood Institute instructors to Cheley Outpost just outside of Meeker Park. Many students had never been camping before and were looking forward to the camping trip all trimester. On the drive up we stretched our legs… Read more »
When their parents dropped them off in the parking lot early on this dreary and cold Saturday morning, most of our STRIVE Prep – Sunnyside Middle School CAP students looked like or readily admitted that they would rather be sleeping. After a quick banana-and-granola bar breakfast and a notable short 20-minute drive to the Rocky… Read more »
Our Calwood camping trip was a new fun experience for everyone. Through the cold days and nights we enjoyed hiking, exploring the mica cave, learning how to filter stream water, playing camouflage, and cooking together. Here is what some of the STRIVE Prep -RISE CAP students had to say about their first trip: “My favorite part… Read more »
“It was terrible, it was awesome”. Who are you when you are at your center? Who are you when you are your best self? These were the questions we asked the New Vista High School Community Adventure Program (CAP) students before we embarked on our backpacking trip to Taylor Mountain. We all have experiences that… Read more »
The weekend started with our future teacher dabbing (a cool dance move) during the name game. Who knew that high school teachers were so funny? We loaded up in the van and played a hazardous game of B.S. The Angevine Middle School Community Adventure Program class trip to Cal-Wood had officially begun! When we got to… Read more »
One of the hallmarks of a Community Adventure Program (CAP) classroom with Cottonwood Institute is the use of attunements. What is an attunement? It’s any activity that helps students transition from their outside life to being able to focus in the classroom. Attunements also help students get to know each other and build camaraderie, setting the… Read more »
If you have ever wondered what happens when you disconnect teenagers from their technology… Once upon a time, eight brave adventurers set out to explore the wilderness of the mysterious woods of Calwood Camp in Jamestown, Colorado. They had packed all they would need and met sharply at eight am as the talking eagle required. The great… Read more »
A full day of adventure at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge was a spectacular way to launch Cottonwood Institute’s newest CAP Program, at AXL Academy in Aurora! A group of 13 middle schoolers and 3 Cottonwood instructors jumped at the opportunity to escape the daily grind at school to adventure off into an… Read more »
Do you realize how much of modern human life depends on tiny buzzing insects? Without bees many of our favorite foods would be gone or vastly more expensive. And it’s not even just fruit we’d be missing: even *gasp* chocolate and coffee would be at risk. And bee populations are declining at an alarming rate…. Read more »
This spring Denver Green School CAP classes had an awesome and exciting semester! We explored the world around us; Learned new skills and wilderness survival; Educated ourselves about environmental issues that affect our communities; And designed and implemented community action projects to affect real change in our worlds! We began the semester by exploring our connection to nature,… Read more »
