Grantees

King Street Center, located in downtown Burlington, serves children and youth ages 18 months to 18 years and their families through our Toddler, Preschool, K-5, Middle School, High School, Mentor, and Family Support programs. Family engagement is critical for student achievement and social development, and is a powerful strategy for sustainable long-term student success. Our philosophical approach is to serve the whole child, which means not just supporting their own development, but also their families so they are able to provide a positive and resilient environment at home.

For the last six months, King Street Center has been engaged in a strategic planning process with a heavy focus on equity to better approach our work in an anti-racist and anti-bias way. We have met with and listened to our families, alumni, staff, board, volunteers, and partnering organizations to learn about experiences, where opportunities to grow exist, what needs aren’t being met, and what KSC means to this community. Among many ideas, one of the most pressing needs we have heard is that parents needs more support, assistance, and connection. To that end we plan to hire a Family Support Specialist to coordinate services, support, and training to assist families in meeting the needs of their children and prevent crisis situations.

A six week summer mountain bike program open to all kids in the Lamoille Valley between the ages of 11 to 16. The program teaches youth about the sport of mountain biking hwile providing educational lessons on health, fitness, community responsibility and other basic life skills within a positive peer group monitored by trained professionals.

Lamoille Restorative Center is a 43 year old nonprofit that touches the lives of about 1,000 people each year; many of these individuals are children and youth. LRC works in three primary arenas: supporting school success, empowering employment-related goals, and intervening when youth and adults are involved in the legal system. LRC has significant needs related to technology to better meet the needs of lower income program participants who struggle with transportation and other barriers to in-person participation. COVID highlighted the disparities Lamoille's more remote and isolated residents experience regarding access to needed services. LRC can effectively complement in-person services with technology to support participants' goals.

Matching children with trained mentors within the Lamoille Valley Mentoring Partnership. LVMP will work collaboratively with area agencies, coalitions and organizations to enhance current and develop new community-based mentoring programs.

Purchase gross motor and sensory/fine motor equipment for the children's center.

Lawrence Memorial Library Children's Theater is an 8-week immersive theater program run 4X per year and committed to fostering the growth of young people through the practice of theater arts in a welcoming, youth-centered community library. We are committed to the development of creativity, self-discovery, self-esteem and peer support through theater. Over the course of an 8-week program, the theater group will produce a theatrical performance for the community, demonstrating the value of arts education and community art projects to the participating children, families and audiences. Our first group will begin in July 2023 and the program will run until July 2024