Cairn Student Application

Our award-winning high school program guides and challenges students to become caretakers of Colorado's natural resources.

Applications are closed and will reopen late Spring 2026.

STUDENT REQUIREMENTS

To participate in the Cairn Program, students must:

Be between 14–18 years old
Be enrolled in grades 9–12
Commit to attending monthly activities from September through April
Have an interest in environmental stewardship and the outdoors
Attend a required Student Orientation in late August (2-hour evening session)
Students may participate over multiple years, though annual applications are required

Questions? Contact Emily Novack or 303-715-1010 ext. 113.

CAIRN PROGRAM APPLICATION

FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

This application form does not save. Please review the application and draft your answers in a separate document before submitting. All prompts with an '*' are required for submission.

Download our Cairn Program Application for Students (.docx)
(This application requires online submission).

Contact Us

Name*

Age*

Pronouns (optional)

Email Address*

Phone Number*

ZIP Code*

New Field:

Parent/Guardian Cell Phone Number*

Free Text

ESSAY QUESTIONS

Why are you interested in participating in VOC’s Cairn Program?*

Please list any relevant experience for participating in this program. This can include work experience, volunteer experience, extra-curricular experience (i.e. soccer team, art club), or personal experience (such as camping with your family).*

Why do you think it’s important to care for our natural environment?*

Free Text

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Will you have access to reliable transportation to and from our monthly event locations?* (NOTE: Events will range from as close as 30 minutes from Denver or as far away as 2 hours from Denver. Your access to reliable transportation to and from our monthly event locations does NOT automatically disqualify you from the program—as long as you are able to be dropped off at and picked up from our office in Denver, we will provide transportation in VOC vehicles on a first-come, first-served basis.)

Yes

No

If you answered ‘No’ to the question above, will you have access to reliable transportation to and from the VOC Office in Denver?: (Please see the above note. Once accepted into the program, we encourage you to let us know if you will need to utilize our transportation to and from the VOC Office in Denver, located at 600 S Marion St Pkwy, Denver, CO 80209, so that we can plan accordingly.)

Yes

No

What are you most interested in learning in this program? (check all that apply)*

Careers in natural resources

Outdoor recreation activities (hiking, climbing, etc.)

Leadership skills

Making connections with new people

Volunteering/Earning community service hours

Environmental Science

Resume Building

Other

New Field:

The fee for participating in this program is $200 for the year. This covers program costs, materials, tools, food, and transportation to other locations. Do you need a partial or full scholarship to participate in this program? (If you need a scholarship, please don’t hesitate to apply to the program.)*

Full scholarship needed

Partial scholarship needed

None needed

How did you hear about the Cairn Program?*

Any other comments or details we should know when considering you for this program?

Free Text

Thank you for contacting us.
We will get back to you as soon as possible.

Oops, there was an error sending your message.
Please try again later.