A new philanthropic partnership with the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians is enhancing the success of Indigenous students at Fort Lewis College. The partnership has bolstered peer mentoring services at the Native American Center, expanded the Media Loan program to provide more textbooks, laptops, and calculators, and relaunched Native American College Day, giving Indigenous students and their families a comprehensive introduction to college life.
170 Tribal Nations represented at FLC
$63,000 gift from the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians
The Colorado Trust’s generous contribution is advancing reconciliation efforts at Fort Lewis College through the Center for Indigenous Research, Culture, and Language (CIRCL). CIRCL focuses on enhancing scholarship on key Indigenous topics, improving the understanding of Indigenous communities among faculty and staff, and serving as a hub for language revitalization efforts through teaching and events.
Complementing this, the Gates Family Foundation has invested in FLC’s interdisciplinary Language Revitalization certificate program, which trains students to design and implement Indigenous language revitalization projects. This comprehensive program includes coursework across several disciplines and offers a semester-long internship for hands-on experience.
$50,000 gift from The Colorado Trust
3 Native languages taught: Diné, Ute, and Lakota
Fort Lewis College is creating the Sky Pavilion & Indigenous Gardens, as community-designed outdoor learning and gathering spaces that honor Indigenous Knowledge systems and celebrates cultural diversity, slated to break ground in Spring 2025. The Sky Pavilion & Indigenous Gardens will serve as destinations for the entire Four Corners community, offering a natural, sheltered space that reflects and shares diverse cultural backgrounds and promotes sustainability and demonstration gardens.
$2.1 million raised to date for the Sky Pavilion & Indigenous Gardens
300+ members involved in conceptual planning
FLC's Tribal Water Media Fellowship, supported by donors like the Walton Family Foundation, explores the vital connections between Indigenous cultures and water. The fellowship allows students to research, create, and present multimedia projects on water-related issues. The inaugural showcase featured diverse projects, including documentaries, podcasts, and oral histories.
12 Tribal Water Media fellows
$1,000 stipend per student
8 multimedia projects at the 2023-24 showcase
An anonymous donor has established the Koby Kemple LGBTQ2S+ Excellence Fund with a $20,000 gift. This fund supports the Gender and Sexuality Center and the Gender and Sexuality Studies department, focusing on enhancing student growth, retention, and graduation rates. The fund also contributes to professional development, programming, and career services within FLC’s diverse academic environment.
22 donations to the Koby Kemple fund
$20,000 gift launching the initiative
El Centro de Muchos Colores is a cornerstone of Latinx cultural promotion at Fort Lewis College. Supported by donor contributions, El Centro provides scholarships and impact funding for programs such as Ballet Folklorico de Durango. These funds help cover essential college expenses for undocumented students and support a range of cultural arts initiatives, inviting students of all backgrounds to engage in and celebrate traditional Mexican folklore and other cultural activities.
$3,552 raised to support El Centro’s scholarships and programs
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