Our CRMS Wish List

"What really set Colorado Rocky Mountain School apart from other progressive schools was the creation of the place itself."                              --Dutton Foster, Former Faculty

At Colorado Rocky Mountain School, there are many projects and programs that require funding to be completed. Many of these projects are related to maintaining the campus and its buildings. CRMS remains committed to maintaining its property and its history, while at the same time ensuring that the school’s facilities are adequate for educating the students of today and future generations.

Others of these projects are designed to enhance programs, providing new facilities or equipment, to ensure excellence in all areas of the Colorado Rocky Mountain School curriculum.

If any of these projects speak to your heart, or to your experiences with Colorado Rocky Mountain School, and you would like to make a gift to the future of the school, please call the Development Office to discuss them further.

Garden Expansion and New Greenhouse
Goal: $38,000 for Garden ($34,500 raised to date) and $30,000 for Greenhouse ($20,000 raised to date)
Organic gardening has had a place at Colorado Rocky Mountain School since the time of the Holdens. Donations to this project will allow the school to double the amount of food produced to 40% of the produce consumed on campus (30,000 pounds annually), while decreasing the school’s carbon footprint. This project also includes a remodel of the recycling center and Recycling Work Crew program. The Stanley Smith Horticultural Trust recently donated $20,000 for a new greenhouse for the Organic Garden Learning Center, so look for construction of that to begin this spring.

Solar Hot Water Heaters
Goal: $75,000
Installation of solar hot water heaters in the Roaring Fork, Crystal and Solar dorms as well as the Bar Fork to improve energy efficiency and decrease the school's carbon footprint. CRMS has submitted a grant to CORE (Community Office for Resource Efficiency) for 30% of this project, and we are seeking donors for matching funds to enable us to complete this project.

Music Building
Goal: $25,000
We are breaking ground on a new music building this fall. This building will provide a new home for the music program at Colorado Rocky Mountain School. It will be located near the Barn. We have received generous funding to-date to realize this dream, the building will be called The Weber Music Building in honor of George Weber our Music Director.

Active Center
Goal: $150,000
This center, researched and planned by Colorado Rocky Mountain School students in a March, 2009 interim, would provide a central location for the Active program, would improve the safety and efficiency of planning and staging for trips, and would increase available storage. The students are planning a straw-bale building on a concrete pad. Student work crews will assist in the construction of the building, as crews did with the Adobe and the Solar Dorm in the past.

Jewelry Hogan
Goal: $10,000
This project would allow this historic building to be drywalled on its interior to increase the building's insulation, warmth, and energy efficiency.

Vehicles
Colorado Rocky Mountain School is in need of several vehicles to replace some of its aging fleet.
Large SUVs (2)—Suburban, Excursion or Yukon XLT; used with 50,000 miles or less
Sedan or small SUV for faculty trips to Denver for professional development
Electric truck

Technology
Goal: $75,000+
Colorado Rocky Mountain School is always in need of support for the information technology program, including hardware procurement and upgrades, software upgrades, and technical assistance, to ensure that our students, faculty, and staff have access to the technology resources they need to be successful. One upcoming project will run fiber to all of the dorms to improve wireless access, and enable parents to Skype with their students! Thanks to current parents Lynda and Ralph Lipe who have offered a challenge grant to raise funds for this project. You can support YOUR dorm, or your students dorm with a lasting legacy by donating $5,000 to pay for running fiber to it.

Double-Pane Windows
Goal: $50,000
A generous donation in 2008 made it possible for all of the windows in the Bar Fork to be replaced with Pella Proline low E argon-insulating ones. The windows are designed for high altitudes and they have more space between the panes with argon gas, which decreases the amount of heat or cold that is transmitted through them. Colorado Rocky Mountain School would like to replace the windows in other buildings on campus to increase energy efficiency.

Dorm Furniture
Goal: $10,000
The dorms are an integral part of the residential life program at Colorado Rocky Mountain School. The furniture in the common areas of many of the dorms needs to be replaced and upgraded for the comfort of the students living there.

Ranch Fencing
Goal: $5,000
Funds donated for this project will allow Colorado Rocky Mountain School to maintain its ranching programs on the campus.

History Project
Goal: $250,000
Colorado Rocky Mountain School is 56 years old. The school has a rich history that needs to be captured. This project would include contracting with an archivist, designing and building an exhibit area and storage for historical items, and developing an oral or written history of the school. CRMS is also seeking volunteer assistance for this project.