NORTH YELLOWSTONE EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Today is Giving Tuesday! Will you support performing arts and music education at Gardiner Public Schools?? We believe that performing arts are essential to a well-rounded education. Through music, theater, and dance, students gain confidence, creativity, and critical thinking skills that extend beyond the stage. The performing arts foster teamwork, empathy, and self-expression, allowing students to connect with themselves and others in meaningful ways. By supporting performing arts in our schools, we are investing in the personal growth, resilience, and success of future generations. Every donation, no matter the size, makes a difference! Thanks to a generous donor, all donations made by December 31 will receive a 1:1 match. Join us in empowering students to thrive—support the performing arts in our schools and help nurture creativity, confidence, and connection for all. https://lnkd.in/gpEqgxEn

Catch our latest news in our Fall Newsletter and meet Dr. Jeannette Bray. https://lnkd.in/g_Ve3m9R

NYEF is excited to announce our 2nd teacher housing unit. we now have 5 apartments for local teachers. Gardiner School has also added a new manufactured house for Jeanette Bray, our new Superintendent/principal. Our work is not over, we anticipate five teacher retirements in the next few years. https://lnkd.in/gFRhCshe

Dear Friends and Supporters, We are immensely proud of all the accomplishments that the North Yellowstone Education Foundation (NYEF) has achieved in the past 6 years. As we finalize our 2023 Annual Report*, we are inspired by community and collaboration that have propelled NYEF so far in such a short period of time. The 2023-2024 school year was challenging due to administrative changes at the school but overall a success. NYEF provided over $80,000 in Connect! Grant Funding. This included roughly $18,300 for kitchen equipment, $20,000 for a part-time intervention/student teacher, over $20,000 in classroom support/equipment/educational trips, and $20,000 for Rural Resilience for the mental health support they provide to Gardiner School. Additionally, we made our final $85,000 loan payment on our teacher's house. The 2024-2025 school year is shaping up to be an incredible year for our community. Our new Superintendent, Jeannette Bray, started just 12 days ago and is already fully engaged. Jeannette and I attended Park County Community Foundation's Paradise Ramble event and made many introductions. Today, we met with our RTCA collaboration team to discuss a teacher in-service happening before the start of the school year. During this and future in-service days, we will create an exceptional place-based science program for our school, receiving hands-on assistance from Ripple, NPS, and Yellowstone Forever. Ryan Perkins is also joining Gardiner School as our new Special Education Teacher. He is living in our newly remodeled third-floor unit. He has spent the last three summers working in the park and is serving as the amazing YAC (Yellowstone Adventure Camp) coordinator this summer. NYEF is excited about our next teacher housing project, which we expect to finalize by the end of July. This new house will provide two extra apartments for our school. In addition, we aim to raise sufficient funds during this year's GIVE A HOOT campaign to acquire a third teacher's residence. This will be a significant endeavor for us, as the third house has the potential to offer two three-bedroom units after some remodeling. We have big goals for our school and community, and the reason for our success is the commitment of the people involved. We have dedicated teachers who inspire our kids, parents who volunteer and support our teachers and children, and community members who donate their time and money to ensure the success of our school. GIVE A HOOT is the ideal time to donate to NYEF; not only do we get a partial match from the Park County Community Foundation, but we also have a donor willing to match up to $50,000. ???????????? ???????????????? ???????????? ???????? ???????????????? ??????????. Thank you for your continued support! Laura Chastain

The North Yellowstone Education Foundation (NYEF) is committed to supporting Gardiner Public Schools (GPS) and enhancing the Gardiner, Montana community. Founded in 2016 amid declining enrollment and loss of funding, NYEF strives to preserve the rich history, unique culture, and vibrant community of Gardiner, which is located at the entrance to Yellowstone National Park. The school is a crucial element of Gardiner's identity and serves as a community anchor and gathering place. It is a nexus of kinship, a cornerstone of stability, and fundamental to the well-being of the community. However, with enrollment at an all-time low, real estate prices soaring, and mental and behavioral health needs on the rise, Gardiner is at a critical juncture. To address these challenges, NYEF has developed three program areas: Connect! Grants, Teacher Housing Initiatives, and Mental and Behavioral Health Efforts. Since its inception, NYEF has provided over $100,000 in classroom grants to support students and teachers through the Connect! Grants program. Additionally, the Teacher Housing Initiative has provided three affordable housing units for local teachers. At the same time, a partnership with Rural Resilience has enabled a county-wide behavioral analyst to serve over 50 students. Over the past six years, NYEF has raised over 2.3 million dollars to support Gardiner Public Schools. With your support, NYEF can complete Phase One of the Teacher Housing Initiative and provide affordable housing to three GPS teachers for years to come. Furthermore, our next phase of the initiative aims to provide affordable housing to an additional three GPS teachers, for a total of six. NYEF will also continue to offer classroom grants and mental and behavioral health efforts, which are vital to the well-being of the Gardiner community.

We are making progess on our third floor teacher housing remodel. Today with the help of Mr. Carlsons math lesson we are more efficient in the removal of our tape.