Welcome to the YSC Foundation

YSC Foundation, Inc. (YSCF) is the current name of the former West Yellowstone Economic Development Council, Inc. (WYED) We are still a nonprofit, 501(c)(3), charitable private operating foundation that, since 2006, has contributed solutions for a healthy and progressive local economy in and around West Yellowstone, MT.

In 2011, we purchased an 11,500 sq. ft. building at 239 Firehole Ave. (the corner of Highway 20 and Electric St.) and established it as the central location for our operations. Our Board of Directors conducts business there, and the multi-use building enhances our local economy by offering rental space to a few residents and businesses and housing the Yellowstone Studies Center.

A few of our projects include:

• Initiated and established a Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) for West Yellowstone (2009)
• Launched and completed the three year Buffalo Roam public art project (2007 - 2009)
• Currently assisting local events and projects with payment of their Resort Tax Bond (since 2009)
• Established a Community & Business Development Grant Program using funds raised from the Buffalo Roam Project (2010)
• Developed and currently overseeing the new Historic Walking Tour Map and Sign Project (since 2010)
• Established and currently operating the YSCF Building at 239 Firehole Ave, the central location for our operations. Also, the location provides some community housing and multiple business tenancy (since 2011)
• Established and currently operating the Yellowstone Studies Center (YSC), our facility that provides support services for elementary, middle, and high schools, colleges and universities, and other educational organizations that come to Yellowstone Park for experiential learning. (since 2012)
• Partnered with the Yellowstone Nature Connection (YNC) to utilize the YSC in conjunction with their West Yellowstone and Yellowstone Park outdoor education program for elementary, middle, and high school classes from Gallatin and Park counties and around the U.S. (2015) Visit www.yellowstonenatureconnection.org
• Partnered with NRMEDD, HRDC and Habitat for Humanity to help fund and develop a Housing Plan for West Yellowstone and an Exploratory Growth Plan for the newly acquired 80 acres (2016)
• Converted space to a second resident apartment in the YSCF building (2018)
• Became a non-profit private operating foundation; continued to make charitable distributions to community organizations; maintained resident and business tenancies; painted the Historic Walking Tour Bear Paw Trail; reduced YSC use due to COVID-19 (2020)
• Amended our name to YSC Foundation, Inc, Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Mission, the domain name (yscfoundation.org), website, and logos, Resumed limited use of the YSC (2021)
• Resumed unlimited use of the YSC and converted space to an additional sleeping area, sitting area and restroom for use by professors and teachers (2022)

We thank the community of West Yellowstone for their many contributions. Learn more about our organization by checking out the rest of our site.