The Cool Mountain Education Fund is dedicated to the education of the Nuosu people and their neighbors in the Liangshan (Cool Mountain) region of China. We provide opportunities for youth, adults and for teachers. Our focus is on education, because we believe that an educated, informed population encourages not only social progress, but also the social, economic and environmental well-being of a community. Our largest gift program is in partial scholarships for graduating primary school students in rural areas to continue their studies in middle and high school. We fund and organize teacher training workshops, and we provide the salaries for extra teachers at the Yangjuan Primary School. We also facilitate innovative community development projects that improve infrastructure and encourage economic choices. We are conscious of Liangshan's need for sustainable ways out of poverty, and look to support small, innovative projects that will show the way. Our work increases the visibility and appreciation of rural culture in the global community.

I helped found this organization in 2005 because I am committed to helping children access meaningful educational opportunities. At CMEF, we strive to make this goal a reality through supporting their school attendance and providing enriching curricular content for the Yangjuan Primary School.

On a personal level, I conducted a participatory teacher training for Yangjuan Primary School teachers in March 2006 with Fu Chunmin from the Sichuan Normal Institute.

I have also conducted short-term educational research in Yangjuan, the village where CMEF operates, and provided support for arriving UW exchange students in 2004 and 2005.