OtterCares Foundation

📚 Inspiration Alert! 📚

Chapter 12 of Unstoppable! is all about turning ideas into action through projects with a purpose 💡💛

With the support of Project Heart, sophomore students came together to design and build inventions that serve others. They wanted to focus on solutions rooted in compassion and care for humankind. 🌍✨

Thanks to OtterCares funding, these young innovators were able to bring their ideas to life, using real tools, real materials, and real-world thinking to create prototypes that make a difference. 🛠️🚀

With guidance from their teachers, they’re proving that when students combine creativity with empathy, they can engineer meaningful change.

Explore Unstoppable! at myprojectheart.org

Big hearts making a big impact 💛🔥

After learning about fires in class, 4th-grade students at Timnath Elementary were inspired to support local firefighters as wildfire season approaches. Through the Project Heart program and support from the Illumination Fund, students created care packages filled with thoughtful essentials like snacks, water, socks, chapstick, granola bars, hand sanitizer, mints, and inspirational stickers.

To make the experience even more meaningful, the Poudre Fire Authority visited the school to thank the students, share more about their work, and help load the care packages onto their truck. 🚒

This project is a powerful example of what happens when students turn empathy into action and discover the impact they can make in their community. We’re so proud of these young leaders for showing appreciation and support to those who serve others every day. ✨

Timnath Elementary School
Poudre Fire Authority
Poudre School District

School’s out, but giving back is always in season 💛🌞

This summer, we’re encouraging families, parents, and homeschool communities to give back and inspire.
If it’s volunteering your time, using your talents to help others, or supporting a cause you care about, every small action adds up to something bigger. 🌍✨

Looking for ways to get your kids involved? We’ll be sharing simple, meaningful ideas all month long that you can do together at home or in your community.

Because when young changemakers take action, incredible things happen. 💙

Innovation meets compassion at Altona Middle School 💡💛

Thanks to support from the OtterCares Illumination Fund, students brought “Scrunchie Help” to life. This is a creative wearable device designed to help students with disabilities or communication challenges easily signal a teacher when they need help in the classroom.

Using microbit technology, students created bracelets and scrunchies that empower communication, encourage inclusion, and support a more accessible learning environment for everyone. 🙌

This project engaged 180 students through Project Heart lessons and allowed students to turn empathy and problem-solving into real-world impact for their school community.

We’re proud to support student-led ideas that make classrooms more inclusive, innovative, and connected. ✨

SVVSD Community Schools

What’s your favorite way to give back during the summer?🌞

A) Volunteering your time to help others
B) Donating items to those in need
C) Organizing a fundraiser for a cause you care about
D) Other (we’d love to hear your ideas!)

Every act of kindness, big or small, creates positive change in our communities. 💗

Comment your answer below!

From classrooms to communities, students across the country turned compassion into action through Project Heart. Whether they were supporting local nonprofits, protecting the environment, or helping those in need, these young changemakers proved that giving back has no age limit. 🌍✨

This school year, more than $28,000 in Illumination Fund dollars helped bring many of these student-led projects to life, empowering ideas that made a real impact in communities near and far.

We are so proud of everything these students accomplished this year—and we can’t wait to see what they do next. 💛

We’re proud to announce the Spring 2026 recipients of the OtterCares Impact Fund.

These outstanding educators and organizations are empowering students with experiences that build entrepreneurial thinking, leadership skills, and a commitment to giving back.

Congratulations to our Spring 2026 grantees:

Stephanie Basile, Altona Middle School
Dan Dannahower, Fossil Ridge High School
YouthBiz by Young Americans
Global Business Academy by Institute for Entrepreneurship at CSU
Torch and Keystone Clubs by Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County
The Innovation Center of SVVSD Community Schools
Side Hustle Incubator by Mini Money
Generation Schools Network
Ignite Business Experience by Celebrate EDU

The Impact Fund supports programs that inspire students to use their time, talent, and treasure to create meaningful impact in their schools and communities.

Learn more about the Impact Fund and its mission: https://ottercares.org/impact-fund

On May 1st, High Plains School students spent the day giving back across Northern Colorado, volunteering their time with incredible local nonprofits and learning firsthand the impact of serving their community through their 3Ts: time, talent, and treasure. 🙌

Inspired by Project Heart, this day of service reflects a commitment to helping students connect classroom learning with real-world impact.

This year, students partnered with organizations including Loveland's Community Kitchen, Loveland Youth Gardeners, Colorado Association of Trail Stewards, Hearts & Horses, NOCO Humane, High Plains Environmental Center, Sleep in Heavenly Peace, Quilts for Kids - Colorado, House of Neighborly Service, and more below.

From gardening and building to caring for animals and supporting local families, these students showed how meaningful it can be to make a difference at a young age. 💛

Big impact from small changemakers 💛

First graders at Werner Elementary School turned their coin unit into something meaningful through Project Heart 💰✨

While learning about money in class, students organized a coin drive to support the Northern Colorado Wildlife Center. With support from the Illumination Fund match, these students raised an incredible $1,044.09 🙌

To celebrate, Northern Colorado Wildlife Center visited their classrooms and introduced them to a very special guest… Fruit Loop the bull snake 🐍💚

From counting coins to making a difference, these students are proving that you’re never too young to give back 🌎

Poudre School District