Wooden Hawk Foundation

The Wooden Hawk Foundation (WHF) was established by the Michele Peeters Vanags family of Evergreen, Colorado to support students, programs, and educational initiatives in perpetuity.

While raising two children in the public school system, Michele and her late husband, Einar, saw firsthand the decline of vital opportunities in areas such as music, theater, and extracurricular activities. Many programs and teams became cost-prohibitive for families, and the loss of school transportation to events further limited access to enriching student experiences. In 2023 Michele decided to forge ahead creating the WHF to bring their vision to life by providing ongoing support to students and schools through charitable and educational initiatives.

The Foundation’s first major projects launched at Evergreen High School:

• The Futures Center, which helps students explore all post-high school pathways—from trades and the military to community college, elite universities, and gap years. It connects students with local professionals and businesses offering mentorships, job shadowing, internships, and employment opportunities during and after high school.

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• The Alumni Center, which links current students with alumni who serve as mentors and guides, helping them navigate future goals through shared experiences.

WHF is now expanding these initiatives to Conifer High School, with plans to extend to Clear Creek High School and other mountain area schools in the coming years.

Each August, WHF also presents the Mountain Music Fest, a nine-hour, six-band outdoor music festival that is largely student-run. Students gain real-world experience in event planning, lighting, sound, marketing, ticketing, and logistics. School clubs, teams, and organizations are invited to host booths, engage the community, and raise funds for their activities—instilling a sense of ownership and pride in their success.

Arts in Schools (AIS) is a newly endowed program by the Wooden Hawk Foundation and presented by Ovation West Performing Arts . AIS brings high-quality performing arts educational experiences to K–12 students in the foothills community, addressing budget cuts that have reduced staffing and arts programs in public schools. 

At its heart, the Wooden Hawk Foundation believes in empowering students to lead, create, and achieve. By providing hands-on learning experiences and meaningful community engagement, WHF helps young people build confidence and life skills that extend far beyond the classroom.