EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON ARCHEOLOGY FIELD SCHOOL RESEARCH AT CONNLEY CAVES
Total: $37,000
Students attending University of Oregon Archeology Field School's Connley Caves program spend six weeks studying 13,000 years of human experience in the high desert. Connley Caves is a series of caves located south of Fort Rock within the homelands of the Klamath, Modoc, and Northern Paiute peoples. The field school course includes instruction in excavation, survey, mapping, research design, cutting edge methodologies, and cultural heritage management. The course is worth 12 credits, and upon completion, students are considered ready to pursue employment as professional archeologists. Since 2021, NewSun awarded six scholarships to Warm Springs Tribe students to participate in the program, and helped the field school pay for tech and infrastructure needed to run the program.
SOUTH COUNTY COLLABORATIVE
Total: $6,000
Two scholarships for La Pine students to participate in a 120-hour construction pre-apprenticeship program. The program includes trade vocabulary, hand and power tools use, rigging, blueprint reading, and safety. Graduates qualify for registered apprenticeship programs and entry-level positions in construction.
HIGH DESERT MUSEUM
Total: $5,000
The High Desert Museum’s ”Little Wonders” early childhood education program offers free two-year museum passes and gas cards to low-income families with kids ages 3-5. In 2026, the museum expects 69 Crook County families to participate in the program.
RURAL OREGON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION (FORMERLY THE CROOKED RIVER ROUND-UP FOUNDATION)
Total: $23,000
The Rural Oregon Community Foundation brings together members of the community from all walks of life who share our passion for farming, ranching, agriculture, animal health and wellness. Our donations support the "Growing Leaders in Western Culture" scholarship program.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER
Total: $50,000+
NewSun supports environmental education programming in Deschutes and Crook counties, including multi-year funding to pay for a Crook County outreach coordinator position and garden boxes for the Garden for Every School program.
NEWSUN ENERGY CLIMATE & AG SCHOLARSHIP
Total: $50,000+
From 2023-2025, students from Crook, Sherman, Wasco, Klamath, Harney, Lake, Wasco, Douglas, Curry, Gilliam, Morrow, and Umatilla counties received scholarships for writing exceptional essays about the impact of changing climate on their community and way of life. Learn more about the Climate & Ag Scholarship program .
HARNEY COUNTY CATTLEWOMEN SCHOLARSHIPS
Total: $29,000
Since 2019, NewSun has proudly donated $1,000 annually for every 10MW project in Harney County to support the Harney County Cattlewomen Scholarship program.
CROOK COUNTY ROTARY ON THE RADIO SCHOLARSHIPS
Total: $20,000
The “Rotary on the Radio” annual scholarship fundraiser for Prineville students pays for college or technical programs after graduation.
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON - MUSEUM STUDIES SCHOLARSHIPS
Total: $6,000
Scholarships for two students to attend an intensive Museum Collections and Laboratory Methods course led by Chris Rubioux, the Director of the Klamath Tribes’ Culture and Heritage Department at the University of Oregon. Students were selected by the Klamath Tribes and the Museum of Natural and Cultural History.
All Education Donations
2026
Rural Oregon Community Foundation
High Desert Museum
South County Collaborative
NewSun Climate and Ag Scholarships
Harney County CattleWomen
Rotary Foundation
Powell Butte Charter School
2025
Crooked River Roundup Foundation
The Environmental Center
NewSun Climate and Ag Scholarships
Harney County CattleWomen
Crook County Rotary Foundation
Support Our Students - Harney County
2024
The Environmental Center
University of Oregon Foundation
NewSun Climate and Ag Scholarships
Harney County CattleWomen
Crook County Rotary Foundation
2023
The Environmental Center
University of Oregon Foundation
NewSun Climate and Ag Scholarships
Harney County CattleWomen
Crook County Rotary Foundation
2017-2022
The Environmental Center
University of Oregon Foundation
Harney County CattleWomen
Rotary Foundation
Jama Harms Scholarship Fund
North Lake Education Foundation