Grantees

Since 1994, we have strived to eliminate barriers for people to access one of Vermont’s greatest natural assets, Lake Champlain. We have created programs to promote better gender balance, classes for individuals with disabilities, scholarships for low-income families, and initiatives to promote sailing among older Vermonters. Now, in our 28th year, we are shifting focus to address racial, ethnic, and cultural barriers to access recreation on the lake. In partnership with Burlington’s Trusted Community Voices we have designed the Diversity Access Initiative to create a new, long-term pathway for children in our community who identify as Black, Indigenous People of Color to access lake-based recreation in a safe, supportive and fun environment.

Opened a satellite program in Brandon to serve youth in Brandon and six surrounding towns - Goshen, Forestdale, Leicester, Pittsford, Sudbury and Whiting.

Bradford Teen Center is a drop in teen center in Bradford, Vermont. Our mission is to be a safe space where teens can gather, and engage in programs that empower them. After a successful Culinary Camp last summer, we agreed to create a Program Budget Expansion Project. Starting this year, we will increase our programs budget to include 3 high quality, multi-session courses a year, as well as offer 2-3 field trips through the year. This year will be Culinary, a VR Mindfulness Program, and a filmmaking class with professional teachers. Each program has a focus on an issue important to our teens: Culinary Camp on food insecurity, Mindfulness on non-clinical mental health support, and the film on racism in our community.

When you think back to your middle school experience, it is likely that what you remember happened outside of the classroom walls. Brattleboro Enrichment Activities for Middle Schoolers (BEAMS) is an after school and summer program that introduces students to many things that they may not normally have access to. BEAMS has been a staple of the BAMS school for many years, however this year it was expanded to include Saturday programming. One of our goals is to increase the opportunities available for our students by getting them out into the community, Vermont and New England, for a variety of experiences. We are in the process of revamping our summer program as well to include more experienced based learning opportunities for students.

Children with social or mental health needs have unique challenges. Camp Daybreak is a proven residential program to help these beautiful yet vulnerable kids. Each child is provided with a nearly 2 : 1 support ratio of energetic and encouraging staff and volunteers. This nationally renowned program based on evidence-based mentoring allows our passionate volunteer group to cater the experience to the individual mental, behavioral, social and financial needs of each child. Camp Daybreak is often cited by campers and their caregivers as “the most important time of their life.” For the first-time, Camp Daybreak kids are afforded an environment where they can be themselves. The outcomes are life-changing and the feeling of success lasts forever.

Provide leadership opportunities within a summer camp context using youth development techniques to spring board community service, benefit and improvement.