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CAIRN STUDENT APPLICATION

Cairn Student Application

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

Applications are open for the 2026-2027 program.

Applications are due by July 31, 2026 (11:59 PM MST).

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 (First and Last)

Preferred First Name

Pronouns (optional)

Age

Email Address

Phone Number

ZIP Code

High School Attending

Year of Expected High School Graduation

Parent/Guardian Name (First and Last)

Parent/Guardian Email Address

Parent/Guardian Cell Phone Number

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ESSAY QUESTIONS

Please answer all questions completely and thoroughly.

VOC’s Cairn Program is designed to help students explore interests in natural resources, conservation, and environmental work through hands-on outdoor projects and leadership opportunities. Please describe your level of interest in these areas, and what would you hope to learn or explore through your participation? How does participating in this program align with your future goals?

Please list any relevant experience for participating in this program. This can include work experience, volunteer experience, extra-curricular experience (clubs or sports), or personal experience (for example: camping or other recreational activities).

This program requires attending weekend projects every month and active participation throughout the school year. What might make it challenging for you to attend regularly (other commitments such as sports or clubs you participate in), and how would you handle those challenges?

Why is caring for the natural environment important to you?

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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, VOC can provide transportation in our vehicles on a first-come, first-served basis as requested.

Will you have access to reliable transportation to and from our monthly event locations?

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. If accepted into the program, we will need you to let us know before each event 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 issues impacting Colorado

Resume Building

Other

If you selected 'Other', please specify:

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 for 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?

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Thank you for your interest in VOC’s Cairn Program and submitting your Cairn Student application! Please note that your application will be reviewed after the close date of July 31st, 2026 and final decisions will be communicated to you via email before or by August 7th, 2026. If you have any questions, please email emily@voc.org.

Oops, there was an error submitting your application.

Please try again later. If you continue to have issues, please reach out to emily@voc.org.