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2021 Summer Grant Program

Vermont Afterschool was proud to work with Governor Phil Scott, Senator Bernie Sanders, and the Vermont Agency of Education to establish the Summer Matters for All Grant Program in 2021. Read the Governor’s press release on the grants here. The purpose of the grant was to:

  • Create new summer learning programs in areas where few or no services currently exist;
  • Expand existing summer learning programs in order to increase affordability for K-12 children and youth through a variety of strategies;
  • Increase access to summer programs for children and youth with disabilities and other traditionally marginalized populations;
  • Eliminate barriers to summer program access based on geography, socio-economic factors, demographics.

Non-profit organizations; municipalities; licensed/regulated providers of school-age child care; and privately or publicly owned summer camp programs were eligible to apply.

We are excited to announce that 93 programs across 13 Vermont counties were awarded a total of over $3.3 million to expand access to summer enrichment opportunities for K-12 youth in Summer 2021.

This was a highly competitive process with 188 proposals submitting $7,427,584 in requests, which far exceeded available funds. Each proposal was peer-reviewed by three people. Reviewers represented national organizations, 12 states and the District of Columbia, with expertise and experience in: afterschool and summer learning; youth development; diversity, equity and inclusion; health; childcare; grants and grant making; higher education; K-12 education; community schools; and profit and non-profit organizations.

As we continue to face the effects of the pandemic, investments such as this grant are critical for Vermont’s youth to re-engage, connect, learn and heal; to meet the immediate needs of families; and to inform efforts to provide universal afterschool in the future.