Out of This World: A Cortez PTO Brings the Universe to Students | LOR Foundation
Complete Education

Out of This World: A Cortez PTO Brings the Universe to Students

  • Local Champion: Kemper Elementary PTO
  • Date Funded: October 7, 2022
  • Grant Amount: $9,065

A statewide focus on math and reading test scores means that at Cortez elementary schools, science class gets the short end of the proverbial stick. (Because of the emphasis on test scores, funding is directed largely to the other two subjects.) To help ensure the next generation of Galileos don’t miss out, Kemper Elementary’s PTO had an idea: What if there was a way to bring a SkyDome Astronomy Immersion program—age-appropriate astronomy lessons inside an inflatable planetarium—to four elementary schools for six full-day sessions? Fortunately, there was a way. With support from the LOR Foundation, this winter the SkyDome Astronomy program will reach more than 1,000 Cortez students.

Contact our community officer in Cortez. Meet Nicci Crowley
More Education Solutions
Education / Questa Educational Materials Boost Questa After-School Learning
Local Champion:
Localogy
Date funded:
April 17, 2025
Grant Amount:
$6,576
Education / Lander Lander Youth Learn Carpentry Skills Through Chicken Coop Project
Local Champion:
Project Carpe Diem
Date funded:
April 9, 2025
Grant Amount:
$2,770
Education / Lander Community Book Binding Project Helps Lander Writers See Their Work in Print
Local Champion:
Project Carpe Diem
Date funded:
April 9, 2025
Grant Amount:
$1,305
Education / Weiser Smart Screens Facilitate Collaborative Learning in Weiser Classrooms
Local Champion:
Park Intermediate School
Date funded:
March 25, 2025
Grant Amount:
$9,921
Education / Weiser A Camera System Helps Weiser Students Improve Their Performances
Local Champion:
Weiser High School
Date funded:
March 18, 2025
Grant Amount:
$8,100
Education / Lander Leadership Training Strengthens Lander’s Nonprofit Community
Local Champion:
Lander Community Foundation
Date funded:
March 14, 2025
Grant Amount:
$23,200

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.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.