•  
•  
•  
•  
• • Grants at Work
  • Guidelines for Grants
  • Application
  • Sue Olson YEA! Grant
  • Substance Abuse Grant
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  
•  

Sue Olson YEA! Grant

This annual grant was established by the Olson family to honor their wife and mother who died in a tragic accident in 2005.  Dan Olson shares, “Sue’s life ended prematurely, and this grant through MCF is simply our small way of extending her influence and creativity by supporting people and organizations she would have endorsed if she were still alive and active in her community.”

The title, YEA!, reflects the unique personality of Sue Olson, her lifelong love of Youth, Education, and the Arts.  The exclamation point reflects her spontaneity, her creativity, and her unique, contagious enthusiasm and zest for life.  She lived these qualities and gave of herself to her students and community.

Sue Olson was known as an energetic and passionate teacher who used hands-on projects, magic tricks, songs, art, common objects, and toys to teach science, social studies, math, and reading during her time with Columbine Middle School.  According to her family, Sue was “creative and humorous, spontaneous and loving, and keenly focused on how students could best learn.  She was very concerned about students as individual people and freely shared herself with them.”

The Montrose Community Foundation is proud to honor this outstanding woman and teacher by offering annual YEA! Grants to qualifying organizations who are making a difference in the lives of community youth.  To apply for this grant, applicants are asked to complete the Common Grant Application during the advertised grant cycle. 

 During the first week of April, the Foundation was pleased to present two $1000 grants.  The first grant was given to Girls on the Run where young girls are encouraged to develop their physical and emotional selves.  The second grant was given to the Montrose County School District for the First Tee Golf Program, a physical education program that will be introduce elementary students to golf.  In addition, two $500 grants were awarded to the Valley Youth Orchestra to support an educational program introducing area schools to stringed instruments and to the Climbing Tree Children’s Museum to add an Assembly Plant.