The Nathan Yip Foundation announced that more than $75,000 was awarded to 69 rural Colorado teachers to create and implement classroom projects that will have a positive impact on students and classrooms this year.   

In the second year of the rural teacher grant program, the Nathan Yip Foundation received 169 requests, totaling more than $350,000 in requested funds. Teachers who work in 140+ rural or small rural school districts in Colorado were able to apply to fund a dream they have for their students by completing a simple grant application. With 2023 summer/fall donations raised, including at the annual Mid-Autumn Festival sponsored by Alpine Bank, the Nathan Yip Foundation was able to grant $75,000 to rural Colorado teachers.

Some of the funded requests include:

• Adaptive Swings so all students can swing (Delta, CO)
• One Book, One Community - Purchasing books so a community of students, parents and teacher call all read and discuss one book (Canon City, CO)
• Pocket Translators so bus drivers can communicate with students with diverse home languages (Steamboat Springs, CO)
• Supplies and materials so students can learn outdoors (Montrose, CO)
• Hands on materials to teach geography, geology, earth sciences and more (McClave, CO)

Those in southeast Colorado receiving funding:

Ryan Jaques

• $300.00 Arriba-Flagler Consolidated School - STEM Bins for 4th Grade

Andrea Strobel Guynes

• $1,500.00 Bethune - School and Community Spirit

Janelle Fox (Lausier)

• $2,500.00 Genoa-Hugo - Support the Arts for Our High Schoolers!

Jennifer Apodaca

• $1,500.00 Manzanola - CCIRA Reading Conference

Beth McElroy

• $1,150.00 McClave Elementary School - It's Time to ROCK and Roll and DIG Deeper!

Samantha Menz

• $2,500.00 McClave School - Let's Throw Mud

Adriana Almanza

• $1,000.00 McClave School - Cruising Into Technology

Kimberly Wait

• $800.00 Vilas School - PE equipment

Nicole Piner

• $250.00 Wiley School - Connecting Through Current Events in the Rural Classroom

The Nathan Yip Foundation works to empower rural Colorado schools and students by providing resources to help close the increasing opportunity and experience gap between education in rural schools and those in more urban areas.