Summer field study connect teens to nature, science and art

Summer field study offers arts, science and nature in Oregon park

April 25, 2019 LA GRANDE, Ore. – Cottonwood Crossing Summer Institute (CCSI), a week-long residential field studies program for high school students, is now accepting applications for its June 2019 program. CCSI takes place along the John Day River at Cottonwood Canyon State Park and is one of a growing number of programs being offered to regional students by Eastern Oregon University.

Since 2015, CCSI has offered students an opportunity to work with regional professionals to conduct research and complete projects on various topics related to the natural and cultural resources of eastern Oregon.

Twenty-five students from around the region will spend a week together working on one of five different projects. These include: using current research techniques to learn more about macroinvertebrates in the river or wildlife on the surrounding landscape; designing and building solar solutions to modern problems; researching how the human body responds to the environment; and, practicing the fine art of writing non-fiction about nature. Get a first-hand look at what students experienced last year in their video at vimeo.com/289124305.

High school students work with students and faculty from EOU to complete enduring projects and earn early college credit. Some of their efforts become permanent fixtures in Oregon State Parks.

Last September, Oregon State Parks and the Oregon State Parks Foundation completed construction of an Experience Center at Cottonwood Canyon State Park dedicated to educational pursuits such as CCSI. Included in the complex are restroom facilities and four new cabins. Students and leaders attending CCSI will spend the week enjoying these amenities while immersed in Oregon’s landscape.

This year’s camp runs June 16 to 21, and applications are open now. For more information, visit eou.edu/cottonwood-crossing.