OUR PURPOSE:

The Mikkelson Education Fund and The Mikkelson Mathematics and Science Teachers Scholarship Fund were established to encourage and reward excellence in the teaching of mathematics and science. The main focus of the funds is to provide opportunities for K-12 teachers to attend short courses, seminars, and workshops which will improve or renew their technical knowledge and skills. We provide funding for tuition, travel, and living expenses for workshops, seminars, and projects which the teachers expect to find useful and enjoyable.

OUR HISTORY:

The Mikkelson Education Fund was created in 1997. In our twelve years of operation, we have provided support for over two hundred sixty individual teachers and fifteen organized programs. Teachers have attended workshops and courses in areas such as space science, engineering, chemistry, biology, geology, mathematics, and systems modeling. Programs we have supported include The Little Shop of Physics at CSU, The Frontiers of Science Institute at UNC, The Peak Area Leadership in Science, The Keys to Science Institute and Content Updates Through Scientific Inquiry at BSCS, and the Eleanor Roosevelt Institute at The CU Medical Center. We also supported science kit training for over 100 elementary school science teachers in El Paso County.

FUND ORGANIZATION:

For Individuals:
The Mikkelson Mathematics and Science Teachers Scholarship Fund was created in 2006 because of changes to grant making rules of donor advised funds. The fund is specifically aimed at providing scholarships for individual teachers to attend courses, seminars, and workshops. This program is now administered directly by The Denver Foundation. For further information and applications, please see mmastsf.
Through The Mikkelson Mathematics and Science Teachers Scholarship Fund we expect to be able to continue to support fifteen to twenty teachers each year.

For Groups and Organizations:
The Mikkelson Education Fund provides grants to non-profit groups, organizations, and institutions which provide teacher training experiences consistent with the Fund's objectives. The Mikkelson Education Fund is a donor advised fund administered by The Denver Foundation. As a donor advised fund, The Mikkelson Education Fund solicits requests for funds and provides recommendations to The Denver Foundation. The Mikkelson Education Fund primarily supports educational requests in Colorado. The Denver Foundation has the final authority to approve grants and will ensure that grant rules and accounting practices are followed to preserve the charitable status of the Denver Foundation and the Mikkelson Educational Fund.
Grants will be made on the basis of the suitability of the program or project to further the goals of The Mikkelson Education Fund. To apply for funding, please see Organizations.
Through the Mikkelson Education Fund we expect to be able to support two to three group or institutional programs each year.