By Danielle Dascalos
The Nathan Yip Foundation recently announced that grants are available for rural Colorado teachers to create and implement classroom projects that will have a positive impact on students and classrooms this year.
The deadline to apply is September 13. Grant recipients will be notified in late October.
Teachers who work in more than 140 rural or small rural school districts in Colorado can apply to fund a dream they have for their students by completing a simple application available at this webpage.
All teachers who work in a school district designated as rural or small rural in the state of Colorado are eligible. The grant can be used for just about anything that positively impacts students, whether it be a classroom, materials or an outing to expose students to something new, a classroom kit of tech training tools, or maybe an exciting new program for the school/classroom.
The Nathan Yip Foundation’s mission is to empower Colorado students, staff and schools in an effort to address the educational and opportunity inequities that can exist between rural and urban schools in the state.
Teachers are encouraged to look at these grants as a chance to provide opportunities/experiences for students that might not be otherwise be possible, either in the classroom or in school-related extracurricular activities.
What teachers can request funds for is only limited by their innovation. Funds must be used for anything that will positively impact the students, school, or community. This could include but is not limited to kits, equipment, materials that are beyond the scope of the district budget, traveling to conferences (for teachers and students), classroom supplies, etc.
In 2023, the Nathan Yip Foundation funded 69 teacher grant requests. Visit this page to see the grants funded in 2023 for some examples of things that we fund.
In addition, the Nathan Yip Foundation will be expanding the grant program through an online platform that gives Colorado residents an ability to help fund grants this year.
At the Nathan Yip Foundation’s Mid-Autumn Festival on September 22, more than 350 people are expected to attend as the fundraising drive for Colorado Rural Teacher Grants kicks off.
Following the festival, a statewide, online fundraising drive will take place from September 22 through October 11 to continue to raise funds for Colorado Rural Teacher Grants. This three-week virtual fundraiser is an opportunity for schools, teachers, and the general public to encourage friends and family to support individual teacher requests directly with a tax-deductible donation.
Grant guidelines
The teacher/school must be designated by Colorado Department of Education as rural or small rural. The list of districts in the state designated as such is available at https://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeedserv/cderuraldesignationlist.
- The grant amount can be anywhere from $100 to $2,000.
- The grant deadline is September 13.
- School principal approval is required.
- Teachers requesting technology must check with district/school tech coordinator to ensure it is compatible with district systems.
- Teachers who received a 2023 grant are not eligible to apply again until 2025.
Learn more about the grant opportunity and the Nathan Yip Foundation at www.nathanyipfoundation.org.
For additional information, please contact jill@nathanyipfoundation.org.
Danielle Dascalos writes for The Nathan Yip Foundation.