MIDDLEBURY, VT - $286,480 was awarded to 40 organizations throughout the state as part of the Vermont Community Foundation’s Successful Communities grant round, which makes awards to organizations that support civic engagement; diversity and equity; and education.

The following organizations received grants:

Statewide
Audubon Vermont was awarded $2,000 for general operating support.

Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity was awarded $10,000 to expand the services of the Growing Money financial education program for low- and moderate-income adults in Chittenden, Franklin, Addison, and Grand Isle Counties.

The Chelsea Shakespeare Program was awarded $1,200 to develop a sustainable business plan by hiring additional staff for one year to research and develop funding opportunities in the community.

Girls Move Mountains (formerly Diva Adventures) was awarded $8,000 to expand programming for girls, ages 11-17, in Lamoille, Franklin, Caledonia, Washington, and Orleans Counties.

Global Campuses Foundation was awarded $10,000 to strengthen current campuses and expand advanced learning opportunities for under-served populations, primarily people with disabilities, to other communities in Vermont.

Governor’s Institutes of Vermont was awarded $9,000 to provide need-based financial aid to qualified Vermont high school students whose families cannot afford tuition for its enrichment programs.

Kids on the Block – Vermont was awarded $2,000 for general operating support.

Outright Vermont was awarded $10,000 to maintain the Burlington-based youth center as a safe space for all queer youth in Vermont, as well as to provide services and expand its statewide programs including youth empowerment initiatives and education presentations.

Smart Growth Vermont was awarded $1,000 for general operating support.

Toxics Action Center was awarded $1,000 for general operating support.

Upper Valley Arts was awarded $10,000 for a documentary film collaboration, entitled Freedom and Unity, that weaves together Vermont’s history, connecting its present, past, and future. The film explores traditions of freedom, independence, tolerance, and participatory democracy in the state.

Vermont Association of Child Care Resources and Referral Agencies was awarded $2,000 for general operating support.

Vermont Folklife Center was awarded $10,000 to research the needs and goals of refugee communities and create a plan of action to salvage arts traditions that are vital to their cultural identity, economic growth, and a successful transition to their new communities.

Vermont Workers Center was awarded $10,000 to develop an intensive leadership program, Organize For Change, which is rooted in popular education, anti-racism, human rights, economic justice, community organizing, and base building.

Vermont Works for Women was awarded $2,000 for general operating support.

Voices for Vermont’s Children was awarded $2,000 for general operating support.

Bennington County
Mark Skinner Library was awarded $3,700 to expand Books to Go, a delivery service to homebound library customers, by increasing both numbers served and materials available.

Oak Hill Children’s Center was awarded $7,550 to support staff development to build staff skills and knowledge about children with special needs. All staff will participate as a group in monthly training sessions.

Caledonia County
University of Vermont Center for Rural Studies was awarded $8,725 to do an assessment of civic engagement and information sourcing in the Hardwick area. Part of a statewide rural news initiative, the assessment will identify existing resources and create a plan to increase civic engagement using new media.

Chittenden County
Burlington School District was awarded $10,000 to promote civic engagement, celebrate Burlington’s diverse student population, and improve educational outcomes for the disadvantaged by creating two magnet schools in the Old North End.

Lund Family Center was awarded $10,000 to support the Lund Early Childhood Program, which provides high-quality childcare to approximately 50 low-income families per year.

Milton Family Community Center was awarded $10,000 to expand services to the Birchwood Trailer Park in order to bring Teen Time to teenagers who don’t have transportation to the Center. Funding will also help bring teen populations together to let go of stigmas based on socio-economic status.

Mobius was awarded $1,000 for general operating support.

Somali Bantu Community Association of Vermont was awarded $10,000 to facilitate the resettlement and integration of the Somali Bantu Community and other refugees by providing education, cultural and life skill training programs, and a meeting facility.

University of Vermont, Campus Kitchen was awarded $4,000 to create a summer internship program that will allow weekly meals to continue throughout the summer months and to collaborate with the Intervale Center's Healthy City program.

Women’s Rape Crisis Center was awarded $10,000 to enhance the Youth Violence Prevention Initiative with a focus on civic engagement and prevention education for at-risk youth.

Franklin County
Gedakina was awarded $10,000 to work with youth and families from the Abenaki community of Missisquoi on community health and wellness, undoing internalized racism, and redirecting the cycles of family, social, domestic, and sexual violence.

Lamoille County
The Children’s Garden was awarded $10,000 to expand and split its infant and young toddler program to be able to serve five extra children. Outcomes will include more developmentally appropriate programs, increased capacity, and the ability to meet community needs for more slots.

Clarina Howard Nichols Center was awarded $10,000 to support a partnership between AWARE and Clarina Howard Nichols Center that will educate and advocate for the needs of children affected by violence.

Orleans County
Green Mountain Farm-to-School was awarded $10,000 to develop a regional food distribution system to sell Vermont farm products directly to schools. This project will support local farms, provide students with fresh nutritious foods, and educate the community about the benefits of eating locally-grown foods.

Rutland County
The Mentor Connector was awarded $10,000 to recruit new volunteer mentors for its affiliated programs and provide technical support.

Poultney Mettowee Conservation District was awarded $8,305 to increase capacity and public outreach by relocating its native plant nursery to a more centrally located site.

Rutland Area Farm and Food Link was awarded $10,000 to continue and increase outreach and civic engagement activities during a time of important organizational growth.

Rutland Redevelopment Authority was awarded $10,000 to conduct workshops for community leaders on the idea and process of eco-municipalities with support from the Sustainable Rutland Committee of the Rutland Creative Economy Initiative.

Vermont Achievement Center was awarded $10,000 to support Kaleidoscope, a ten-week summer program for ages 6-12 that emphasizes healthy nutrition, respectful interaction, and physical activity.

Washington County
Everybody Wins! Vermont was awarded $1,000 for general operating support.

New Directions for Barre was awarded $10,000 to reach out and help middle school students develop and carry out a social marketing campaign that focuses on discouraging underage and binge drinking.

Windham County
University of Vermont, Extension Youth Horticulture Project was awarded $2,000 for general operating support.

Vermont Independent Media was awarded $10,000 to expand the paper from a monthly publication to a weekly print and a daily online publication, and expand the Media Mentoring Project to engage more youth participants.

World Learning was awarded $10,000 to use local resources to grow healthy, organic food for donation to low-income families, and to organize self-sufficiency workshops for youth and adults to reconnect citizens with their community and food.