Grantee Spotlight: GCSAPP & ECC Universal Summer Scholarship Filling the summer childcare gap Summer programs go beyond enrichment opportunities; for many families, they are essential childcare. When Gunnison Watershed School District announced last year it would not run its Summer Experience Programs, a group of youth-serving organizations mobilized quickly, supported
Photo courtesy of Adaptive Sports Center. Grantee Spotlight: Adaptive Sports Center Opening the outdoors to everyone Navigating life as an individual with a disability or specific needs means accessing outdoor activities can be difficult—socially, logistically and financially. The Crested Butte Adaptive Sports Center (ASC) helps break down barriers for visitors
Grantee Spotlight: West Elk Hockey Association Instilling in students a love of trying hard things With skates laced and helmets on, Gunnison Valley first graders are stepping onto the ice for the first time through the West Elk Hockey Association (WEHA)’s Skate for PE program. WEHA might be best known
Grantee Spotlight: Gunnison Nordic Free Trails, Shared Winters, Stronger Community Gunnison Nordic plays a practical, steady role in keeping residents active and connected through the winter. Since the early 2000s, the volunteer-run organization has focused on one clear goal: provide reliable, close-to-home Nordic ski access. Today, the organization maintains about
Grantee spotlight: Crested Butte Avalanche Center Empowering and educating the community Gunnison Valley boasts the only local avalanche center in the entire state. The Colorado snowpack is notoriously fickle. It can be the difference between a good day and a tragic one. The Crested Butte Avalanche Center (CBAC) has worked
Photo courtesy of Crested Butte Land Trust Balancing recreation, conservation and community On any given summer day in the Crested Butte, people walk dogs on Lower Loop, bike Lupine, float the Slate River or simply sit quietly with a view. Much of that access—often seamless, often unnoticed—is made possible by
Ski for PE program puts students on slopes The Gunnison Community School Ski for PE program provides a path for students to hit the hill in a supportive, affordable way. Lift tickets, rentals, transportation and lessons add up fast, often putting skiing out of reach for families nearby. The long-running
Gunni Bike Bus builds safety, community and confidence This fall, the Gunnison PTA added a new way for students to get to school: the valley’s first Bike Bus. Now on Wednesday mornings with safe outdoor temperatures, adult volunteers ride along a mapped-out route, picking up students waiting at designated “Bike
Photo credit: Xavi Fane Crested butte nordic center provides Winter cardio, year-round community Crested Butte Nordic (CB Nordic) plays a vital role in helping the community stay active and connected. Every winter, the organization grooms 55 kilometers of trail, roughly 20% of which are free to the public. Year-round, they
Building community through creativity The Crested Butte Mountain Theatre (CBMT) provides a physical place for creativity to thrive and community connections to deepen. “Creative expression is the backbone of who we are as human beings, no matter the medium,” CBMT Artistic Director Britney Kuehm said. This philosophy drives everything at