News and Events

Red Rock Auto Group is donating $100 per car to D51F

11th Annual White Iced Celebration – February 4, 2023

Join the D51 Foundation at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at the Colorado Mesa University Ballroom to celebrate public education in Mesa County. It's an evening to honor White Iced Award recipients and Outstanding Academic Growth Schools. This event welcomes community members, D51...

11th Round of Professional Learning Grants now open

D51F is pleased to announce the 11th Round of Professional Learning Grants is now open to staff members in D51. This grant provides funds to educators in D51 to pursue professional learning opportunities. Supporting professional learning is at the heart of the D51 Foundation. Since 2018,...

Community Chromebook Distribution Rescheduled

The Community Chromebook Distribution has been rescheduled!   School District 51 Foundation is announcing a large donation from School District 51 of over 5,000 retired Chromebooks from the 2017 mill/bond. While these Chromebooks are at the end of their useful life in the classroom setting, we...

D51 father raises $15,000+ to support theater programs through D51F designated gift

A BIG thank you to Mark Leistico for his enduring support of the high school theater programs in Mesa County Valley School District 51! Mark’s fundraising efforts and donor designated gift through D51F raised over $15,000 for D51 high school theater programs. Mark participated in the Moab...

8th round of Bloom Where You Are Planted Grants now open!

The District 51 Foundation is pleased to announce the opening of the 8th Round of Bloom Where You Are Planted Grants. This grant fund was created by the family of Karl Bloom who passed away in February of 2020. Karl’s life was an example to so many...

10th Round of Professional Learning Grants Awarded

In the 10th round of Professional Learning Grants, the D51F has reached a milestone of donating over $100,000 since 2018 to over 200 D51 staff members for professional learning. All research indicates highly trained teachers make a significant difference in student academic growth and achievement. Since...

Dillards donates 10% of all proceeds to D51F on October 1

On Saturday, October 6 Dillard's at Mesa Mall will generously donate 10% of all the day's proceeds to D51 Foundation! Be sure to check out at the designated register in the kids department for the proceeds to be donated. What a great example of an engaged and supportive...

Pat and Tillie Bishop Legacy Fund donates $100,000 toward D51 extracurricular activities

The Pat and Tille Bishop Legacy Fund at the Western Colorado Community Foundation very generously donated $100,000 to Mesa County Valley School District 51 high schools to support each school’s extracurricular programs. While the exact amount of funding in the future cannot be known, a...

MOD Pizza supports D51F at Sept. 6 Grand Opening

MOD Pizza is new to Grand Junction and is celebrating their grand opening by supporting local students and schools. On Tuesday, September 6 Mod Pizza will donate a slice of every pizza sale to the D51 Foundation. D51F wishes to thank MOD Pizza for this...

7th Round of Bloom Where You Are Planted Grants Now Open

Since 2020, this fund has donated over $14,000 to 155 children in our community who have needed financial assistance to participate in extracurricular activities. The Bloom Where You Are Planted Grant Fund was created by the family of Karl Bloom.  Karl's life was an example to...

New Donor Designated Fund: 240 Mile Theater Project

The D51 Foundation is proud to host fundraising efforts for the 240 Mile Theater Project. This fund raises money for the theater programs at Central, Grand Junction, Fruita, and Palisade High Schools. This donor designated fund was started by D51 Parent Mark Leistico, who will...

10th Round of Professional Learning Grants Open

This grant provides funds to educators in D51 to pursue professional learning opportunities. Supporting professional learning is at the heart of the D51 Foundation. Since 2018, the D51 Foundation has given over $90,000 to 171 staff members for professional training. Click here to complete an application. Applications are...

The Hot Tomato is generously donating 1% of all August sales to D51F!

Be sure to head to The Hot Tomato this month for delicious pizza! They are generously donating 1% of sales D51 Foundation. We are so thankful for the Hot Tomato's generosity and support of D51 staff and students! Learn more about the Hot Tomato & see their...

Back-To-School Home Run

Join D51F and Alpine Bank for a baseball game to kick off the school year! Bring your D51 staff or student ID for $1 off your ticket. Don't forget to bring school supplies to Stuff The Bus!...

GJHS Groundbreaking

After years of anticipation, Grand Junction High School students and staff will finally walk into a new building in the fall of 2024! June 1, 2022 was the groundbreaking for the new GJHS.   Thank you to the voters for passing the 2021 bond measure and investing...

Generous Book Donation for D51 Elementary Students

The local chapter of Professional Women in Building generously donated over 30 copies of The House that She Built by Mollie Elkman for D51 elementary students. Donor driven designations allow donors to support students and teachers in a way that is meaningful to them. Thank you to the local...

10th Round of Professional Learning Grants Now Open

This grant provides funds to educators in D51 to pursue professional learning opportunities. Supporting professional learning is at the heart of the D51 Foundation. Since 2018, the D51 Foundation has given over $90,000 to 171 staff members for professional training. Click here to complete an application. Applications are due...

D51F Sponsors Robot Week

D51F is proud to sponsor Robot Week with D51 STEM. During Robot Week, elementary students create a robotics display to raise awareness of robots and robotics for students. Students submit pictures of their display, with the winning school receiving a Bee Bot Class Bundle funded by...

Local municipalities issue Teacher Appreciation Proclamations

A big thank you to the City of Grand Junction, the City of Fruita, and the Town of Palisade for their official recognition of Teacher Appreciation Week from May 2-6, 2022. Each of these local municipalities issued an official proclamation recognizing the tremendous efforts of...

A Note of Thanks to our Amazing Community of Educators

Educators make a real impact on our lives and in our community, often lasting long after we leave their classroom. We'd like to share a series of letters in thanks to D51 educators and beyond for all that they do. ...

10th Annual White Iced Celebration was a great success!

The 10th Annual White Iced Celebration was truly one for the history books! The D51 Foundation was proud to Celebrate this year's White Iced Award Winners and Outstanding Academic Growth Schools. Thank you to all who came to celebrate with us, and for all your support...

D51F Distributes 9th Round of Professional Learning Grants

The District 51 Foundation is pleased to announce its 9th round of Professional Learning Grant Award Recipients. A total of over $6,000 in grants will be awarded from the D51 Foundation to 15 District 51 staff members. Since 2018, the D51 Foundation has given over...

D51F Distributes 6th Round of “Bloom Where You Are Planted” Grants

The District 51 Foundation is pleased to announce the distribution of the sixth round of Bloom Where You Are Planted Grants. This grant fund was created by the family of Karl Bloom who passed away in February of 2020. Karl’s life was an example to so many...

D51F Grants Funds for “Courage to Risk Conference”

"We came back to school today energized and ready to build what we learned into our instruction."   Congratulations and a big thank you to Mesa County Valley School District 51 staff members Myra Brown, Mercy Madison, and Jessy McKinley who recently attended the "Courage to Risk...

10th Annual White Iced Celebration Rescheduled

The D51 Foundation is pleased to unveil the new date for our 10th Annual White Iced Celebration. We are looking forward to gathering with you on Friday, April 22 at 7:00 p.m. at the CMU Outdoor Plaza Tent where we will host this year's event. It's...

6th Round of Bloom Where You Are Planted Grants Now Open

It's time for the 6th Round of Bloom Where You Are Planted Grants! Since the beginning of 2020, approximately $8,800 has been granted to 85 children to pay for extracurricular activities. The Bloom Where You Are Planted Grant Fund was created by the family of Karl...

9th Round of Professional Learning Grants is Now Open

The 9th Round of Professional Learning Grants for D51 Staff is now open. Applications will be accepted until February 15, 2022. Find the application here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1FSxzjerqN3by7DAOQud02-_e621Fy9ucsjdQfHVIV5E/viewform...

D51F funds professional learning grant for D51 Art Teachers

3 Cheers for Art! D51 Art Teachers were able to attend the 2021 CAEA Conference thanks to a generous grant for Professional Learning from the D51 Foundation. Because the mission of the D51 Foundation is focused on academic growth and achievement, we prioritize funding professional...

D51F receives $1000 donor designated gift for coats

Donor driven designations allow donors to support students and teachers in a way that is meaningful to them. A generous donor recently donated $1000 to purchase coats for students in need. We are so grateful for their warm-hearted generosity to ensure that our kids stay...

D51F grants funds for Dual Language Education Conference

In its 8th Round of Professional Learning Grants, the D51 Foundation funded a grant request for 5 teachers to attend the dual language education conference, La Cosecha, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to the teachers, "We were able to attend many sessions and workshops that...

Colorado Gives Day

The D51 Foundation is proud to participate in Colorado Gives Day this year on December 7, 2021. On Colorado Gives Day all donations made to D51F via our profile on Colorado Gives will receive a boost through a $1.6m incentive fund. See our profile to...

Dillard’s In-Store Shopping Event

Alpine Bank SEL Grant Celebration

Stuff the Bus BIG Check Presentation

Click Here to read The Daily Sentinel article...

5th Round Bloom Where You Are Planted

Bloom Where You Are Planted HONORING THE LIFE OF KARL BLOOM GRANTS TO PROVIDE k-12 STUDENTS WITH FINANCIAL NEED THE SUPPORT TO ALLOW THEM TO PURSUE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES The Bloom Where You Are Planted Grant Fund was created by the family of Karl Bloom. Karl's life was an example...

ProSpace and FCI ROVER MakerSpace Donation

https://www.nbc11news.com/2021/07/29/prospace-interiors-fci-constructors-make-donation-grand-mesa-middle-school-district-51-foundation/ https://www.westernslopenow.com/news/local-news/grand-mesa-middle-school-gets-new-rover-makerspace/...

Stuff the Bus

Stuff the Bus has been supporting our students for over 20 years.  Many of our D51 students can't afford to purchase school supplies.  Started by Townsquare Media, Stuff the Bus has partnered with Mesa Mall, D51 Foundation, and D51 Schools to help provide much needed...

Teacher Appreciation Proclamations

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Alpine Bank $50,000 Grant Donation

Alpine Bank has generously donated $50,000 to the D51 Foundation to provide grants specifically to be used by D51 teachers, principals, and counselors to support Social Emotional Learning needs. Grants range in all amounts: small needs and large! Two $25,000 rounds will provide immediate support...

Teacher Appreciation Week Paper Dolls

Teacher Appreciation Week is right around the corner! It's time to let your teachers know how much they mean to you! Consider purchasing a paper doll and an optional coffee gift card to say "thank you" to a teacher. It's easy! The paper dolls will...

Clifton Elementary Library Ribbon Cutting

7th Round Professional Learning Grants

4th Round Bloom Where You Are Planted Grants

4th Round Bloom Where You Are Planted Grants...

2021 White Iced Award Recipients & Outstanding Academic Growth Schools

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2021 White Iced Celebration Sponsors

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9th Annual White Iced Virtual Celebration

Academy Mortgage Clifton Library Project

21st Century Digital Classrooms

The D51 Foundation just donated over $18K to outfit six D51 classrooms as "21st Century Digital Classrooms." This is an exciting new way to support in person and remote learning through technology now that we've realized our goal of helping to achieve a 1:1 ratio...

2020 Grand Valley Gives and Colorado Gives

Donate Through Colorado Gives  The D51 Foundation is a member of Colorado Gives. Colorado Gives Day is an annual statewide movement to celebrate and increase philanthropy in Colorado through online giving.  In 2017 more than 153,000 donations were made to support 2,308 nonprofits for a total...

3rd Round of Bloom Where You Are Planted Grants

Click Here for Bloom Where You Are Planted Grant Application...

Enstrom Candies Toffee Donation

Boxes and boxes of Enstrom toffee will be arriving at schools late this week and early next week. All the toffee was generously donated by Enstrom Candies. We are so thankful to have Enstrom VP Manufacturing/Co-Owner Doug Simons, Jr. serve on our D51 Foundation Board...

Academy Mortgage Donation for School Supplies

10th Birthday Celebration

Join our Celebration! Our first 10 years have been filled with celebrations, achievements, and connections. The momentum has been remarkable! That's because of generous donors and supporters like YOU! The impact of the D51 Foundation includes a total of over $800K in donations to help fund...

6th Round Professional Learning Grants

D51 Foundation to announce grants $13K going to local teachers, principals for training Grand Junction, CO – The District 51 Foundation is pleased to announce its 6th round of Professional Learning Grant Award Recipients. A total of $13,451 in grants will be awarded from the D51 Foundation...

2020 Thank You Video!

Stuff-the-Bus

  Don't forget about this year's Stuff-the-Bus! We've made it easy to donate through the foundation. Help D51 students get the supplies they need to start the school year. Click Here to Donate  ...

2020 Kiwanis Citizen of the Year- Judy Vanderleest

2020 Kiwanis Citizen of the Year- Judy Vanderleest Thank you, Judy, for the hours and hours of dedication to the D51 Foundation and so many other organizations in Mesa County! ...

Roy and Pamela Blythe: A Legacy of Building

Donor Spotlight Roy and Pamela Blythe: A Legacy of Building As a young man, Roy Blythe went off to college hoping to become a teacher and a coach. He discovered architecture along the way and became a registered professional architect instead. Fast forward four decades, Roy...

#GJ Strong Grant & Colorado COVID Relief Fund Grant

#GJ Strong: $25,000 to D51 Foundation for staffing and food expenses for Emergency Meal Program serving 20,000 meals each week while school is not in session at neighborhood drive through sites and mobile meal truck. Funding limited to GJ Sites only. Colorado COVID Relief Fund Grant:...

City of Grand Junction Teacher Appreciation Proclamation

Town of Palisade Teacher Appreciation Proclamation

City of Fruita Teacher Appreciation Proclamation

Mesa County Teacher Appreciation Proclamation

Summer Institute 2020

Once again, the D51 Foundation is proud to be a significant sponsor of the 2020 Summer Institute. For the past four years, the D51F has used proceeds from its fundraising to financially support a portion of Summer Institute where over 500 teachers gather for professional...

5th Round of Professional Learning Grants

Professional Learning Grant Recipient Julie Blevens at the 2020 CADA Convention. Ms. Blevens is a science teacher at F8/9....

Teacher Appreciation Week May 4-8

  Click Here to Order a Paper Doll for Teacher Appreciation Week...

Chromebooks Make a Difference During COVID-19

Sending a big thank you to the entire community for your support! As we transition to remote learning and work to provide Chrombooks to students so they can continue their education, we want to recognize who has helped make this possible. The D51...

Thank You D51 Families! An amazing response to COVID-19

Blythe Endowment

The D51 Foundation surprised Roy Blythe with our 1st Friend of the Foundation Award. Roy was the founder of the foundation over 10 years ago. He was driving over the mountains and stopped in Vail to pick up a paper and read that...