Meet Derek Branstrom
Degrees and Experience
- M.A., Sport Administration (University of Northern Colorado)
- B.S., Math Education (University of Wyoming)
Biography and Professional Achievements
Derek Branstrom originally hails from the Chicago area. After college he moved to Denver and began his teaching career in Jefferson County Public Schools, teaching math and physical education for 19 years.
During the summer, he instructed for Outward Bound for eight seasons and then for Solid Rock Outdoor Ministry with an emphasis in backpacking, climbing, and mountaineering.
He has been teaching wilderness first aid for NOLS Wilderness Medicine since 2008. He has been the director of the Outdoor Leadership Program at CCU since 2015.
Branstrom lobbied to add a major in Outdoor Leadership at CCU, which came to fruition in the fall of 2017. He took CCU students to Tanzania with CCU2theWorld on a missional trekking experience, which included climbing Kilimanjaro.
Branstrom also took students to Argentina to climb Aconcagua, the tallest peak in the Southern and Western hemispheres and one of the famed seven summits. He currently lives in Littleton with his wife, Cassie, and their daughter, Annika.
Training
- Wilderness First Responder - NOLS
- American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) Single Pitch Instructor
- Completed AMGA Rock Guide Course
- Leave No Trace Master Educator
- Avalanche Level 2 trained with AIARE