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Dear Friends:

 

As I reflect on this past summer, I definitely have a much greater appreciation for the idiom “it takes a village.” It’s exciting to be part of such an amazing community of supporters, both near and far, who believe in NYEF. Your support has helped us advance our mission, and we could not have done it without you! Thank you for being the “unity” of the NYEF community!

 

In July, NYEF participated in the Park County Community Foundation’s annual “Give-A-Hoot” giving challenge. Thanks to your support, we raised more than $43,000 in support of Gardiner Public Schools. On behalf of all of us at NYEF, we are truly inspired by your involvement in our community and grateful for your tremendous support. When we are inspired, we can inspire others! We are fortunate to have PCCF as a community partner, and we thank them for their work facilitating this county-wide fundraising campaign. 

 

Just in time for the start of the school year, NYEF completed the teacher housing renovations and welcomed a Gardiner Public School teacher as the first tenant in the property. Thank you to our funders and donors including the Park County Community Foundation, the Gardiner Resort Tax District, First Interstate Bank, Bill and Debbie Tracy Foundation, and the George L. Ohrstrom, Jr. Foundation and family for helping to make this affordable housing opportunity for teachers become a reality! A special thank you to Bauer Construction, Dennis McIntosh, and Barb and Allan Bush for going above and beyond to make the property move-in ready in a short period of time.

 

Together, we have much to celebrate this year. I hope you’ll join us on December 4th at noon for NYEF’s Festival of Trees event in Arch Park. Due to the continued challenges with Covid-19, we responsibly decided to pivot to an outdoor event and move our silent auction online. The family-friendly event will include creating handmade decorations for an Arch Park tree, a hot chocolate bar and cookies, and a live auction featuring pre-decorated trees and wreaths made with love by members of the community. Please follow us on Facebook and check the Gardiner newsletter for regular event updates.

I look forward to seeing you soon.

All the best,

Shelly Siedlaczek

North Yellowstone Education Foundation 

Executive Director

Connect! Grants 

Connect! Grants is our classroom grants program. This program is 100% community driven (meaning we respond directly to needs as they arise) and community evaluated (local volunteers help determine which projects get funded). 

One change this year - we are now accepting applications via email. Please download application materials and return them via email to info@gardinerNYEF.org. We are currently in the process of reviewing applications from our October round, and we will be announcing grant recipients next week. We will review grants again on 1/20/22 and 3/31/22, or until funds have been expended.   

During our final round of grants last spring, funded projects included include a field trip to the Bear and Wolf Discovery Center, curriculum for Yellowstone Adventure Camp, and multicultural reading materials for use by the Park County Rural Schools 360 program.  


View more Connect! Grants information >>


Teacher Housing Initiative


This August, we officially "cut the ribbon" on our affordable teacher housing! All three units are now being used to house Gardiner School teachers. The renovations turned out great (see below), and we are overcome with gratitude for all that have supported this project.

Affordable housing is still a major issue in Gardiner -- where the median income is $56,000 per year, but the median cost of a home over $500,000. By providing affordable housing for teachers, we are helping the school retain their current staff and potentially hire for the future. 



Welcome Erin to Board of Directors!

Festival of Trees

Please join us on Saturday, December 4, 2021 at noon in Arch Park for Festival of Trees. This year, we have converted this beloved community gathering into an outdoor event in Arch Park. We will decorate outdoor ornaments and adorn a tree in Arch Park together. We will also have a live tree auction that this event is known for, a silent auction, a raffle, and a hot chocolate bar. All are welcome at this family friendly event with a suggested donation.

Follow us on
Facebook for up to date information. Please contact us if you are interested in donating a decorated tree or wreath. 

Who We Are

North Yellowstone Education Foundation (NYEF) is the nonprofit dedicated to supporting Gardiner Public Schools. Our mission is to work with the community to build sustainable support and enhance innovative educational opportunities for students, teachers and community members in partnership with Gardiner Public Schools.

Learn more about who we are and what we do to >>


Copyright © 2021 North Yellowstone Education Foundation, All rights reserved.

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Photo credits:
Music Class by Julie Reichert, Ribbon Cutting courtesy of Nico Wood Kos [featuring Sandy Choate, Erin Stahler, George Bumann, Nico Wood Kos, and Hali Kirby], all Teacher Housing images by Shelly Siedlaczek, and Erin Stahler portrait courtesy of Erin Stahler. 

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North Yellowstone Education Foundation · PO Box 166 · Gardiner, MT 59030-0166 · USA

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