Youth Leadership DevelopmentSummer Social Justice Camp Statewide Pilot Program
The Summer Social Justice Camp fosters youth leadership development and community engagement by providing a platform for youth to plan and facilitate their own day camp. Youth will work with local community partners to learn about social justice issues and related advocacy skills. Focus areas may include: antiracism, youth gun violence, LGBTQIA+ inclusivity, and reproductive freedom. Hosted in four regional locations across Vermont, this new program builds upon the previously existing youth leadership training series by the Education Justice Coalition.
Received by: Education Justice Coalition of Vermont (2026)
After-School / Out of SchoolSummer Youth Program
A program specifically for at risk teens in Lamoille County for the summer.
Received by: Lamoille Family Center (2003)
ArtsSummer Youth Theater
Chandler Center for the Arts is continuing to grow its Youth Musical Summer Program. In its heyday, the program served over 100 students from all over Central Vermont, and we are growing back each year. This summer, rec programs are being cut, and there is a scarcity of childcare options in the area. Chandler fills a need by offering a full-day camp for three weeks during the summer to elementary and high school students. Theater programs and summer camps offer social and emotional benefits, as well as aid in developing skills such as teamwork, creativity, commitment, and literary engagement. They foster mentorship with role models and a sense of community belonging.
Received by: Chandler Center for the Arts (2026, 2027, 2028)
Parent Ed / SupportSunrise Community Picnics
Parent support opportunity designed to develop social support, access to community resources and healthy parenting. Learning opportunity for teen parents to develop planning and social skills as they work along side adult mentors. They will plan and off
Received by: Sunrise Family Resource Center, Inc. (2006, 2007, 2008)
EquipmentSunrise Family Resource Center
Sunrise Family Resource Center has been “Strengthening Families” in our community for over 50 years and is Bennington County’s only Parent Child Center. We recently opened a food Pantry for program participants to access free fresh, frozen, and nonperishable food items, clothing/shoes, toiletries, menstrual products, diapers/wipes, baby formula, household goods, and children’s toys/books. The equipment funded by this grant will allow us to expand our fresh/frozen food offerings, by doubling our refrigeration/freezer space in our Pantry. Since opening our Pantry in May 2021, our Pantry has been accessed over 260 times. Over the 2021 year, we worked with over 2,200 children, who have access to our Pantry.
Received by: Sunrise Family Resource Center, Inc. (2022, 2023)
EquipmentSunrise Family Resource Center ECE
Sunrise is a non-profit organization, one of 15 parent-child centers in the State of Vermont. We provide many services to families in the Bennington county. The ECE program provides priority care to student-parents in our Learning Together program as well as families that are getting services from Sunrise's other programs, and families that have DCF involvement. We are currently not fully staffed and have low child enrollment that is currently causing the Early Care and Education program to not have enough funds to get a new dishwasher.
Received by: Sunrise Family Resource Center, Inc. (2025, 2026)
Early Childhood EducationSupport for All Families
To strengthen the partnership between the Howard Center and Burlington Children's Space for the purpose of providing more seamless support services for families and children.
Received by: Burlington Children's Space (2009)