Grantees

An afterschool expansion program for middle school students.

An afterschool program specifically for middle school students.

The Milton Community Youth Coalition is a prevention based organization serving the youth and families of Milton. At the core of our youth empowerment initiatives is our youth mentoring program, Milton Mentors. As we emerge from the pandemic, we believe youth mentorship has a critical role to play in supporting youth, fostering resilience and creating the social connections imperative for healthy youth and adolescent development. We are promoting greater access to youth mentorship in Milton through expansion of our community based program and peer based E-Mentoring programming and the addition of new E-Mentoring and STEM based programming opportunities for youth and adult volunteers.

The Milton Elementary School located in Chittenden County is one of the largest elementary schools in the state; it has 650 students in pre-kindergarten to 4th grade. Coming off the heels of the pandemic, MES has seen a large increase in behavioral issues affecting students’ academic and social experiences. In an effort to help our students in need of social-emotional skill development and their families, MES seeks to create specialized Social Emotional Learning (SEL) support services. The Monarch Classroom will provide guided mindfulness and sensory activities for students to learn and practice regulation, optimistic thinking, self-awareness & personal responsibility, and provide resources to continue this practice at home.

Provide enriching mentoring opportunities between youth and adults in the Milton community that support children and provide assets for them to lead happy and successful lives.

This grant will fund the expansion of Milton Mentors, to include a cross-age peer mentoring component between Milton High School Students (grades 10-12) and Milton Elementary School Students (grades 3-5).

Data shows that Milton youth need greater community support. Milton Town School District (MTSD) reports describe bullying around issues of racial and gender identity. MCYC is working to improve this problem. The peer-to-peer mentoring program will expand youth mentoring opportunities in the community and build relationships that improve youth resilience, social connection and enhance social and emotional competence. MTSD educators have been informally pairing elementary age students with Juniors and Seniors over the past few years. This program is a formalized, evidence-based program in which high school students are matched with elementary students in mentoring relationships that meet weekly during the school year.

Address the needs of youth of Milton area and to create alternative opportunities for summer activities, while incorporating healthy coices and lifestyles into the families of the young people here in Milton.