Grantees: After-School/Out of School
Essex CHIPS, Inc.
Pages, a Book Club for Parents and Caregivers is a group to gather caregivers to discuss the highs and lows of raising tweens. The discussion will be guided by a book of the group's choosing and will center the expertise of participants. This is an opportunity for parents and caregivers to find community, share tips, and develop a support network. Friday Nights in the Teen Center for High School Students will open our Teen Center space to 9-12th graders. We will offer games, dinner, crafts, and other activities of the kids choosing. Providing this third space for youth at no-cost to families will help engage high schoolers.
Finding Our Stride
Finding Our Stride (FOS) has been addressing the mental and physical health of VT and NH youth for 12 years, reaching over 3,000 kids, grades K-8, with free and accessible after school running programs. In 2021, through careful evaluation, FOS confirmed its meaningful impact on the fitness and social emotional growth of participants (more data below). In 2022, through a board-led strategic plan, FOS committed to growing its regional impact. In spring of 2023, due to a high level of interest, FOS will expand from 10 to 15 VT sites. FOS is in conversation with ten additional VT sites for 2024 and 2025.
Lake Paran Recreations
Paran Recreations INC is dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of rural children from low income families. Our goal is to sustain the access of year-round outdoor and place-based education for our surrounding community focusing on youth populations by providing at least 45% of campers with a full funded scholarship to attend our camps throughout the year.
NFI Vermont Family Center
Mwangaza (means Light in Sawhili) Summer Program is designed for and by refugees and immigrants. This program's focus is female high school students who came as refugees from Africa. We want to create a safe and fun space for the students to talk and learn about important and sensitive subjects. Each week is a different topic on social emotional well-being, physical health, and personal growth. Experts will be invited to share with the group. For example, a licensed mental health provider for depression and anxiety, a primary care provider for adolescence health and hygiene. At the end of the program each participant will take home a back to school bag that has supplies to enhance their growth.
Sage Mountain Botanical Sanctuary
Afterschool in Nature is an out-of-school program that follows the calendar school year, and provides a platform for youth to cultivate an understanding of themselves and the world around them through the natural lens of a holistic, hands-on afterschool program. The goal of Afterschool in Nature is to develop future leaders to advocate for the protection of their environmental community while providing the resources to nourish the student's whole self. This includes social-emotional wellbeing, and physical and mental health centered curriculum that is evidence-based and realistic to the student's circumstances and background. This program serves students from grades 4th to 8th grade and consists of primarily middle school students.
Very Merry Theatre
Very Merry Theatre plans to expand access to theatre arts-based after school and summer camp programming to children in Winooski. Winooski's population of young people includes a high percentage of youth from the global majority. We hope to partner with Winooski Parks and Recreation to offer theatre arts-based programming to enrich out of school time program offerings in this community and most importantly bring Very Merry's inclusive approach to developing literacy skills, communication skills and teamwork to children from a range of diverse backgrounds. Our goal is to provide 18 weeks of afterschool programming and 1 week of summer day camp to Winooski youth in collaboration with Winooski Parks and Recreation.
Village of Enosburg Falls
The Village of Enosburg Falls is working to open a Youth Center within walking distance of the middle & high schools. Being in a space designed for and with youth will enhance their sense of self-worth through activities and relationships. Youth in our community do not feel a sense of belonging outside of school and the library is our only youth friendly
business. This space will help youth express themselves, explore their self identities, provide safe opportunities for stepping outside of their comfort zones, and the grace of being supported through their trial and errors, rather than reprimanded or discouraged by them. This Center will increase youth mental health and help increase youth-positive feelings in the community.
Youth Service, Inc.
Friends For Change is a grassroots community program built for and by youth in June of 2016. In partnership with our local substance abuse prevention coalition, we've built a program that specifically addresses the unique needs of our often overlooked community members. Our entire program is rooted in identifying and responding to the needs of marginalized and most impacted youth and families. We provide after-school and summer programming where youth and their families thrive and learn how to build a stronger community.