Your Contribution Empowers Rural Colorado Schools, Students and Teachers

Empowering Rural Colorado’s Schools and Students

It takes a village to raise a child!

We believe everyone should have access to equitable education. Rural communities epitomize the “villages” that raise our children; however, due to the size of the population and/or the remoteness of the town, rural schools and districts are often overlooked when it comes to providing opportunities and resources for students.

It’s our mission at the Nathan Yip Foundation to provide financial support to rural schools and teachers to help provide equitable and innovative opportunities for students in rural Colorado. 

The Challenge

According to the Colorado Department of Education, 80% (147 of Colorado’s 178) school districts are in rural areas. Rural school districts are often understaffed and cut off from resources and access to the same learning opportunities and experiences as their urban peers. 

Our Approach

Nathan Yip Foundation is committed to reaching students in some of Colorado’s most underserved communities and work directly with stakeholders so that we know our work is thoughtful, sustainable, and fits with the school’s needs.

By building partnerships with the communities we serve, we open communication channels that allow us to get to the root of each school’s unique needs and work together to craft innovative solutions.

Make a Donation

Colorado’s rural communities are home to approximately 130,500 students that are often forgotten when it comes to access to the educational resources and learning opportunities that are necessary to build skills and succeed in the changing economic landscape.

Make a donation to help provide resources to our teachers, schools and districts in rural Colorado!

Click on the tabs below to see what we could fund with $30,000.

$2,000

Graphing Calculators for 20 High School Students: $2,000

$3,000

Build a greenhouse to develop the agriculture/ fire science programs to certify students as entry level firefighters: $3,000

$4,000

25 Student Guitars, Ukuleles, and Recorders a Music Classroom: $4,000

$21,000
Hands-On Science, Technology and Engineering Materials and Curriculum for a rural K-8 School: $21,000

Our Impact

Since 2002, the Nathan Yip Foundation has funded more than 125 projects serving more than 75,000 students worldwide.

In Colorado, since 2016, we have donated $786,000 more than 195 rural Colorado teachers, schools and districts.

2022 Year at a Glance:

$106,000  distributed through Rural School Partnership Grants

$104,00 distributed through our first annual Rural Teacher Grant Programs

Thousands of students impacted

rural colorado playground
donate musical instruments
donate computer to students
Home visits
ARROW DONATES DRONE TO rural colorado

Our Grants

Ortega Middle School | Alamosa,CO (San Luis Valley)

Funding for ICAP Fridays monthly at the middle school to build school community and begin exploration of careers and job paths.

Kwiyagat Community Academy| Towaoc CO (Southwest)

Playground equipment for Colorado’s first public Native American reservation charter school.

NYF rural colorado project

School-Wide Grants

With grants ranging from $5,000- $30,000 we help rural schools and districts design and implement education programs that directly meet the needs of their community.
Here are two examples:

  • Akron High School | Akron, CO (Eastern Plains): Construction Science vocational training program
  • Center Consolidated School | Center, CO (San Luis Valley): Home Visit Program—Teachers conduct in-home visits with the goal of increasing parental engagement and support to better understand the whole child.

2022 Rural Teacher Grants

Funded 49 teacher-initiated projects, including:

  • Purchasing a new Bass Clarinet for the Ridgway Secondary School band
  • Purchasing a new kiln for an amazing art teacher at Liberty School in Joes, Colorado
  • Transportation and supplies for community service projects at Clear Creek Middle/High School
  • A sensory room for students at Upper Blue Elementary
  • Fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as blenders, so students at Gypsum Elementary can make their own healthy snacks
  • A microscale Chemistry lab at Cotopaxi High School (thank you message image)
  • Graphing calculators for Dolores high school students
  • A student curated Graphic Novel Library at Alamosa Alternative School
  • Bucket drumming at Sleeping Giant Elementary in Routt County

Word of Thanks Fundraiser

Word of Thanks funding will help the Nathan Yip Foundation provide more grants to rural Colorado teachers through the Rural Colorado Teacher grant program this fall and fund more projects for schools and districts in early 2023.
Word of thanks