Press Release: Vermont Education Associations, Vermont Community Foundation Issue Grants to Support Local Efforts that Advance Educational Equity

The Vermont School Boards Association (VSBA), Vermont Superintendents Association (VSA), and Vermont Principals ’Association (VPA) have awarded $50,000 in mini-grants to local efforts that advance educational equity as part of the Welcoming, Equitable, and

Anti-Racist Communities Initiative of the Vermont Community Foundation’s VT COVID- 19 Response Fund.

The program attracted 41 applications from around the state that demonstrated considerable commitment to educational equity and antiracism in local school communities. Five applications were selected at the $5,000 level and an additional 10 applications were selected to receive $2,500 grants.

The goal of the equity mini-grants is to provide direct and meaningful support to local changemakers across the state. Representative projects include affinity spaces for BIPOC students and educators; strategic planning for support of LGBTQ+ students; partnerships with local small businesses, such as the Clemmons Family Farm; and integration of Abenaki culture and history into educational programming. “Few things are more central to a sense of community than the idea of belonging,” said Dan Smith, president and CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation. “As Vermont evolves, we are committed to the role of the Community Foundation and its fundholders in fostering the idea of belonging. That work begins in our schools, where our young people spend the most time.”

VSBA, VSA, and VPA provided the equity mini-grants as part of the Associations ’larger efforts to promote equity, antiracism, and inclusion in communities statewide. That work was supported with an initial grant of $150,000 from the Vermont Community

Foundation’s VT COVID-19 Response Fund in January 2021 and an additional $100,000 grant in January 2022 from the same fund as well as the Fountain Fund

housed at the Vermont Community Foundation. In addition to the recently issued mini- grants, the grants are supporting educational policy review and revisions, equity

consultation for school leaders and school boards, and professional learning opportunities for staff and membership.

For more information, you can visit the given association websites at vtvsba.org, vtvsa.org, and vpaonline.org

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The Vermont Community Foundation inspires giving and brings people and resources together to make a difference in Vermont. A family of hundreds of funds and foundations, we provide the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise that make it easy for the people who care about Vermont to find and fund the causes they love.

The heart of the Community Foundation’s work is closing the opportunity gap—the divide that leaves too many Vermonters struggling to get ahead, no matter how hard they work. We are aligning our time, energy, and discretionary resources on efforts that provide access to early care and learning, pathways to college and career training, support for youth and families, and community and economic vitality. We envision Vermont at its best—where everyone has the opportunity to build a bright, secure future. Visit vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information. For information on our COVID-19 response, visit vtcovid19response.org.