Rural schools in our region face unique challenges, from funding gaps, teacher recruitment and retention, to high levels of poverty that put students at a disadvantage on their journey to find employment and hold successful careers. Many schools lack adequate resources to help students learn about career planning or prepare them for college. Additionally, the cost of college can be prohibitive for rural families and first-generation students.

We manage the Chang Chavkin First-Generation Scholars Program for rural first-generation college students. Scholars are selected in their junior year and given support during the college application process and throughout college. Scholars are awarded up to $15K per year. 

Each year, we award at least one Neil Armstrong Scholarship to a student in the 5-district region pursuing college degrees in STEM fields.

We annually award $10,000 in Telluride Foundation Scholarships, providing a student from each of the 5 school districts with $2,000 toward higher education.

We administer several other scholarship programs, including the San Miguel Power Association college and technical school scholarships, the Latina/Sparky Scholarship, and the Elaine Fischer Scholarship.

Through funding and resource coordination, we manage the Norwood and Nucla high school’s Apprenticeship Programs, which provide high school students a path to graduate with workforce experience, credit towards certifications, and/or college credit and connect them to well-paying jobs.

In 2024 and in partnership with EcoAction Partners, we launched an Energy Workforce Development Program which provides training opportunities to individuals seeking a career in the energy field.  The energy field includes renewable energy, beneficial electrification (heat pumps, electric vehicles, etc.), building science (BPI certification), RESNET HERS rater certification and more. The goal of this program is to add new skilled labor to the energy sector and may include reimbursement for the cost of technical certifications (including paying individuals a minimum wage for the time they invest in obtaining a certification) as well as possibly an hourly wage to apprentice with a professional in the energy field.

For more information on any of the Foundation’s college scholarship and technical training programs please contact elaine@telluridefoundation.org

Chang Chavkin First Generation Scholarship program now serves 28 scholars from 9 regional school districts. $189K was awarded to 21 scholars this year alone. Seven high school scholars are receiving college counseling and are expected to enroll in 2024. Scholars have attended Colorado College, the University of Washington, Cornel University, Barnard College, and Colorado University, Boulder. Graduates have pursued careers in business, nursing, engineering, and finance and marketing. To date, the Neil Armstrong Scholarship has awarded $138,000 to 18 scholars. Scholars have attended University of Colorado Boulder, Western Washington University, University of Southern California, and Colorado School of Mines and gone on to pursue graduate degrees in engineering and medicine and become aerospace engineers.

The Telluride Foundation Scholarship program, provides $2,000, in each of the 5 regional school districts, to a student selected by the school administration.

Through Telluride Foundation donor-advised funds (DAFs), we awarded $99K in college scholarships to 12 regional students in 2023.

Supported 12 high school apprenticeships in Nucla and Norwood to date.