A Playground Upgrade Creates a Safe Space for Cortez Students | LOR Foundation
Complete Environment

A Playground Upgrade Creates a Safe Space for Cortez Students

  • Local Champion: Children's Kiva Montessori School
  • Date Funded: March 7, 2024
  • Grant Amount: $9,994

Prison yards don’t make great playgrounds, but that’s the only option for students at Cortez’s Children’s Kiva Montessori School. The school’s outdoor space is neither safe, adequate, nor pleasant for the roughly 140 K-8 students who attend the school, many of whom are underprivileged. One staff member reached out to LOR with the idea to update the playground and transform it into a space students could safely enjoy. LOR’s funding will help the school hire local contractors to clear out and clean the playground before creating a game court complete with a tetherball set and a painted chess board. The new outdoor space will give students at Children’s Kiva Montessori new opportunities to exercise and socialize, ensuring all Cortez kids have access to the school environment they deserve.

Contact our community officer in Cortez. Meet Nicci Crowley
More Environment Solutions
Environment / Libby A Community Fruit Press Reduces Waste and Bear Encounters in Libby
Local Champion:
Yaak Valley Forest Council
Date funded:
July 18, 2025
Grant Amount:
$6,355
Environment / Lander Community Workshops Teach Lander Residents to Cultivate Local Native Plants
Local Champion:
The Nature Conservancy
Date funded:
July 18, 2025
Grant Amount:
$4,882
Environment / Weiser Cemetery Improvements Create a Peaceful Space for Weiser Families
Local Champion:
Hillcrest Cemetery District
Date funded:
July 15, 2025
Grant Amount:
$6,061
Environment / Lander Friday (and Saturday and…) Night Lights: Electrical Upgrades Make City Park Safe for Evening Activities
Local Champion:
City of Lander, Wyoming
Date funded:
June 30, 2025
Grant Amount:
$27,000
Environment / Weiser A Community Dog Park Benefits Weiser’s Pets and People
Local Champion:
Weiser River Animal Shelter & Rescue
Date funded:
June 20, 2025
Grant Amount:
$17,975
Environment / Lander Solar Backup System Ensures Resilient Power Source for Lander During Outages
Local Champion:
City of Lander
Date funded:
June 17, 2025
Grant Amount:
$10,000

Share an Idea

If you have an idea for improving quality of life in Cortez or Monte Vista, Colorado; Lander, Wyoming; Libby, Montana; Questa or Taos, New Mexico; or Weiser, Idaho, use this form to start a conversation with us.

"*" indicates required fields