School Information
Learn more about what makes Cottonwood College Prep Academy a great place to get an education.
College and Career Center
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Design Thinking
Design thinking in a high school involves a problem-solving approach where students empathize with users, define issues, ideate solutions, prototype designs, and test them iteratively, fostering creativity and innovation within the educational setting. It encourages students to tackle challenges collaboratively, think critically, and apply interdisciplinary skills to address real-world problems effectively.
CCPA Mission and Vision
MISSION (The HOW): CCPA, influenced by Montessori principles, provides an innovative, rigorous, self-exploring education through experiential learning, design thinking, and meaningful interdisciplinary studies cultivating a growth mindset.
VISION (The WHY): CCPA’s vision is to guide our student community to love learning, to profoundly contribute to our diverse world, and to lead lives of achievement.
CCPA Calendar of Events
Leadership
CCPACCPA and TCS High School students can participate in student leadership.
Math Tutoring
CCPAAll CCPA students and TCS high school students can receive tutoring in their math courses.
Leadership
CCPACCPA and TCS High School students can participate in student leadership.
Math Tutoring
CCPAAll CCPA students and TCS high school students can receive tutoring in their math courses.
Cottonwood College Prep Academy:
A Hybrid High School Pathway of The Cottonwood School
Cottonwood College Prep Academy (CCPA) is an optional hybrid high school pathway of TCS located in the Buckeye Union School District in El Dorado Hills. CCPA is a hybrid pathway that includes in-person instruction in English, Science, Social Science, Video Productions, and mandatory online courses in Mathematics and World Language. Our pathway incorporates Design Thinking, emphasizing the creation and testing of innovative solutions to tackle complex, unfamiliar challenges. Students will actively participate in hands-on activities such as prototyping, robotics, Model UN simulations, and theater as well as engage in mentorships and internships to further develop their skills and real-world experience.
What’s Happening
Our students craft engaging “SLO Down” slides each week, by each selecting one of our Student Learner Outcomes (SLOs) as a framework for the content of their slide. Each slide spotlights the SLO as it relates to a current event or a personal interest. These slides serve as a visually captivating platform, illustrating the richness of our educational experiences!
Step into the vibrancy of daily life at CCPA. In our state-of-the art facility students engage in interdisciplinary projects that are designed to assist students in developing their collaborative and critical-thinking skills. These photos highlight the collaborative nature of student projects and our facility.
Garden Beds Coming to Life!
We’re thrilled to share that our 9th and 10th graders at CCPA are ready to bring their hard work to life as they begin building their raised garden beds this week! For weeks, our students have been immersed in planning, designing, and creating 3D prototypes of these...
Model UN Conference
On Wednesday, our 9th and 10th-grade students took part in a Model UN Conference as part of their semester-long “Growing Solutions” project. The conference focused on food security in Venezuela, with each student representing a country and engaging in thoughtful...
High School Detectives: Solving Crimes with Critical Thinking in Criminology
Our 11th and 12th-grade criminology students recently dove into an interactive murder mystery activity that had everyone on the edge of their seats! Each student was assigned a unique role in the scenario and tasked with uncovering the mystery by piecing together...
Clubs at CCPA!
At CCPA, we take pride in offering a wide range of exciting after-school clubs that cater to our students’ diverse interests and passions. During our hybrid time from 1:15 PM to 2:45 PM, Monday through Thursday, students can participate in a variety of clubs while...
Halloween at CCPA!
Halloween at CCPA was a total blast this year! As a hybrid high school in El Dorado County serving both the Folsom and Sacramento areas, we’re all about blending community spirit with fun and creativity. This Halloween was no exception! Our celebration began with a...