Grantees: Social/Emotional Development

NCSU Encore runs afterschool and summer programs out of nine elementary schools in the NEK. A goal of the program is to keep 6th-8th graders in small rural communities engaged, help them build community, and to leverage their leadership in program, school, community and state decision making. This project would support the establishment and sustainability of a middle school SU-wide GSA (for LGBTQIA+ youth and their allies) that meets for Saturday retreats throughout the year. In these retreats youth will learn advocacy and leadership skills, connect with the local community through service and stewardship, and build community with other youth that they will eventually attend the centralized high school with. 

Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center was founded to ensure access to lake-based education and recreation for all community members regardless of gender, ability, income, age, race, culture & ethnicity. Now in their 30th year, theyy continue to seek new ways to ensure lake access and life lessons for all. The Diversity Access Initiative (DAI) has been designed to mitigate historic, social, and economic barriers to outdoor, water-based recreation experienced by children who identify as BIPOC: free summer camp and afterschool activities, with a pathway to employment.

Outright is building a Vermont where all LGBTQ+ youth have hope, equity, and power through programs like the vibrant and robust statewide Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Network. While 30% of VT public schools have a GSA, only 2% of the state’s GSAs are in an elementary school. Why is this important? Because by age 4, most children have a stable sense of their gender identity (American Academy of Pediatrics), by age 8, the average trans person has socially transitioned, and between ages 10-13, the average LGBTQ+ youth has begun feeling they may not be straight (Pew). Outright is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and affirming environment for young people by celebrating their identities, combating isolation, and making their schools safer, by expanding supports in elementary schools.

Through this year-long pilot program, Safeline’s Youth Advocate will deliver direct outreach to eight school, library, and youth group sites in Orange and Windsor counties, reaching 204 students grades pre-K through high school with programming on developing healthy relationships, boundaries, and consent. They will also provide targeted resources to help teachers and librarians discuss healthy relationships as well as sensitive issues concerning domestic, sexual, and teen dating violence so that they can respond to students in need.

The Teen Center is a community space for teens serving the ACSD school district. They plan to continue a program piloted last year, ConnecTeen. ConnecTeen was designed to bring teens and parents together for a fun night of food, games, crafts, or projects. The idea was simply to make it easier for teens to connect with their trusted adults. This year, they will expand their idea of 'parent', and invite trustworthy community members to their events.. For those teens who are reticent to invite their parents (and many are, because, well, they're teens), they will provide more social connections with adults in the community, with the hope of strengthening our teens' sense of belonging, ability to seek guidance, and access to support.