Over the past 6 months, members of the Telluride Education Foundation, the Telluride PTSO (Parent/Teacher/Student Organization), the Telluride Booster Club, and the administration of the Telluride R-1 School District, have been meeting to integrate the three organizations under the Telluride Education Foundation, to be known colloquially as “WeR-1.”  The organization has a new, broader mission of communication, volunteerism, and philanthropy across the District’s schools.

 

“WeR-1”, under the leadership of Cecily Hughes as President, and Tiffany Osborne as Vice President, is committed to improving communication to the school community, broadening support for the schools throughout the community, increasing volunteer opportunities in the schools, and attracting additional donors to help augment and expand upon the District’s current excellent educational opportunities.

 

We encourage all parents and community members to volunteer this year—there will be opportunities big and small, of short and long-term duration, throughout the school year.  So get involved! 

 

Help to make “WeR-1” a successful organization working on behalf of our children.

 

Our Mission

The Telluride Education Foundation's mission is to expand and enrich experiential education opportunities for students and to motivate and recognize those who guide student learning. The Telluride Education Foundation creates partnerships with Telluride schools, local funding agencies and other community organizations established for educational purposes.

History

The Telluride Education Foundation (TEF) was established in 1993 for the purpose of preserving, supporting and improving the education of students in the Telluride R-1 region. TEF strives to enhance and amplify the educational opportunities of Telluride children and attract and retain high quality teachers. To date, it has proved extremely successful in its endeavors. Through its fund raising efforts, TEF has been able to help create a rich diversity of exciting educational programs and projects for students of all ages and abilities.

Programs

The Telluride Education Foundation has two major programs for giving:

Monthly Grants For Monthly Grants, students, teachers and community members submit Grant requests. The TEF board meets monthly during the school year to consider grant requests. Requests range from classroom non-consumable materials and projects, to field trips and other creative supplemental programs. TEF has a strong history of funding a deep and diverse pool of very special educational opportunities. While the public school and the Telluride Mountain School each have a budget that funds their very worthwhile operations, these institutions can always benefit from greater funding. TEF allows the creative student and teacher to go the extra mile and provide the enhanced programming that would otherwise fall outside the school's operating budget.

Teacher Magnet Fund The Teacher Magnet Fund, is an ambitious  teacher retention program designed by TEF with input from the TSD staff and administration.  Telluride Education Foundation's objective is to provide additional funds to teachers in the Telluride Public Schools and the Telluride Mountain School who are working on their Masters degrees, as well as help teachers alleviate the financial burden of living in a resort community on a teacher's salary. In addition to continuing education, TEF also offers assistance with down payment, childcare and commuting expenses.  Applications are evaluated based on demonstrated commitment to students and the community, financial need and intended use of funds.  Applications are reviewed each May and then awarded  in September.

Sources of Revenue:

TEF has numerous donors each year. Revenues come from businesses and community members of the Telluride area. The Telluride Foundation, Alpine Bank and other organizations support TEF. TEF has awarded over $267,000 since its inception, benefiting 110 teachers and over 1,650 students of the Telluride School District and Telluride Mountain School.

Governance:

The Telluride Education Foundation consists of an all-volunteer board of teachers, parents and administrators that works to raise funds and facilitate financial support for projects, materials and programs that fall outside the scope of our school system's normal operating budget.