Support Rural Colorado
Support Our Future

Ute Mountain Ute Partnership
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Support Rural Colorado
Support Our Future

Eads High School Technology Project
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Support Rural Colorado
Support Our Future

Cortez Professional Development Partnership
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Support Rural Colorado
Support Our Future

Center Consolidated Schools Community Development
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Investing in Rural Communities

Colorado is where the Nathan Yip Foundation has grown its roots. Here, at home, our goal is to provide teachers and students in rural Colorado with equal access to learning opportunities.

The Challenge

According to the Colorado Department of Education, 80% (147 of Colorado’s 178) school districts are in rural areas. While these schools often have small student populations, they represent a critical aspect of our education system.

Rural school districts are often understaffed and cut off from resources and access to the same learning opportunities and experiences as their urban peers.

Whether it’s sheer geographic distance or lack of funding, rural schools and communities are often overlooked and need support bridging the gap.

Center Consolidated Schools Community Development

Our Strategy & Plans

Rural communities are the heart of America. After seeing our success in improving education quality and access in remote areas of China, the Nathan Yip Foundation is continuing that tradition by supporting teachers and students in Colorado’s rural schools.

We are 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 these 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.

Our Projects

Grassroots Impact Driven By Local Culture

During our first year supporting Colorado’s rural communities, we have developed relationships through our projects in the San Luis Valley, on the Eastern Plains, and in the Southwest’s Four Corners region. By working directly with schools and district administrators, we get grassroots buy-in and ensure that our programs are making the biggest impact in a way that is culturally relevant to the community.

We are always on the lookout for unique and innovative projects that will have an immediate and direct impact on your classroom, school, or community.

If you have a project that aligns with our strategy to support education in rural Colorado, we invite you to apply for our Rural Education Grant Program!

Eads High School Technology Grant

  • Eads is a small and tight-knit agricultural community on the Eastern Plains of Colorado. Although the school has amazing students and teachers and a great graduation rate, it is under-resourced when it comes to technology and access to arts and culture programs. Teachers write grant requests to equip their own classrooms and often raise funds within their community.
  • The economic landscape in Colorado is shifting and Eads teachers must prepare students so they can keep up with modern workforce demands. This includes a focus on STEM education and project/problem-based learning.
  • In 2016, The Nathan Yip Foundation provided a grant to upgrade the high school science classroom in Eads High School with equipment including a SMART Board, 3D printer, virtual reality equipment, and a new fume hood for traditional chemical experiments.
  • NYF was excited to provide a supplemental grant to further update and equip the classroom, providing supplemental materials to engage students even further in STEM learning.
  • Through funds raised from the 2018 Chinese New Year special live appeal, Eads High School was able to purchase a new classroom computer, 3D scanner, more materials for their 3D printer, updates to their virtual reality system, including a 3D camera, educational games, and funds to install ceiling electrical outlets with retractable cord reels.

Center Programs

Cortez Programs

Ute Mountain Ute K-12 Program Partnership

  • The Ute Mountain Ute (UMU) reservation is located in Towaoc, Colorado, about 15 miles southwest of Cortez.

  • With graduation rates at 49.1% (compared to the State of Colorado average of 77.3%), Native American students are in need of a little extra support. The Ute Mountain Ute staff and Tribal Council have been working closely with the Montezuma-Cortez School district to ensure that their kids have a fair chance at achieving academic success and several programs have been developed at the high school level.

  • The UMU reservation has an incredible K-12 Education Center that is currently under-utilized due to lack of programming and staff support. Students of all grade levels living on the reservation are looking forward to the opportunity to supplement their school day with enriching and culturally relevant extra-curricular programs.

  • The Nathan Yip Foundation will work directly with the UMU tribe to expand educational offerings and provide programs for the Education Center. UMU staff will be able to engage students and their families by offering cultural activities and classes, like Ute language and arts and crafts, and expand on monthly family nights by partnering with guest facilitators and subject experts.

Arickaree School Interactive Digital Screen

  • Arickaree School is located amidst the agricultural fields of the Eastern Plains, 13 miles east of Anton, Colorado.

  • Arickaree was the first school to partner with the STEM School highlands Ranch on its synchronous online learning platform. In order to keep pace with the STEM School, Arickaree requested some tech hardware of its own.

  • NYF granted funds for the Arickaree school to purchase a large touch screen board for use with its online lessons.

Peyton High School Automotive Program

  • Peyton is a small agricultural community 25 miles northeast of Colorado Springs.

  • Career and technical education has increasingly become a focus, giving students the opportunity to learn trade skills that they can apply right after graduation.

  • Through the automotive program, students get hands-on experience fixing cars and the community gets low-cost car repairs.

  • NYF provided a grant for auto diagnostic software that will allow the program become compliant with guidelines for the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF), as well as laptops for diagnostic and student work and a projector to facilitate classroom lessons.

Other Colorado Programs

support 76 projects

Colorado

The Nathan Yip Foundation has been supporting education efforts in Colorado since 2009. We’ve developed and implemented over a dozen programs to address the educational needs for students with limited resources.

supporting 63k students

China

The Nathan Yip Foundation has been working in China since 2004. Since then, eight schools, two cafeterias, one dormitory, and two orphanages have been built or supported across five provinces, providing education for over 4,000 students.

worldwide impact

Worldwide

Since its founding in 2002, the Nathan Yip Foundation’s support has reached communities across the world in many countries in Africa, North, Central, and South America, as well as all over East and Southeast Asia.