College and Career Funding Opportunity and Event Planning Toolkit
College and career events can help students of all ages, backgrounds, and interests access education and training resources, as well as send teh mesage to indivuduals that the community supports them in pursuing their dreams.
Funding Opportunity
To encourage communities to apply best practices in event planning and delivery, Advance Vermont and VSAC are pleased to announce a Request for Proposals to support College and Career Events.
Through generous support from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, Advance Vermont and VSAC will award grants of up to $2,000 to schools and organizations across Vermont to support innovative college and career events in their communities.
Proposals must be received by September 30, 2019!
Event Planning Toolkit
To support Vermont’s school and community leaders in developing successful college and career events, Advance Vermont and VSAC have partnered to develop the College and Career Event Planning Toolkit: a guide to planning these events in Vermont, including checklists, tips, templates, and resources. Click the image to download the toolkit.
Join us for the Today’s Students Summit
Registration Open
Registrations continue to pour in for Vermont’s first summit focused on who is participating in the state’s postsecondary education and training system, who is not, and the changes needed at the state, regional, employer and institutional level to support these students — many of whom are post-traditional.
We are hoping to get a broad mix of leaders from business, PK-12 education, postsecondary education and training, government, nonprofits, and philanthropy to participate. Please share this event widely, and encourage your colleagues and partners to attend!
The Vermont Context
As a sneak preview, we are excited to announce that our keynote speaker, Dr. Michelle Asha Cooper, will be followed by some of Vermont’s experts in education, community development, and economics for data-rich conversation examining our current and potential postsecondary students, and how they fit into our communities and our economy:
- Alex Yin, Director of Institutional Research, University of Vermont
- Carolyn Weir, Senior Philantrhopic Advisor, The J. Warren & Lois McClure Foundation
- Mat Barewicz, Economic and Labor Market Information Chief, Vermont Department of Labor
Lodging
There are various lodging options for Summit attendees looking to stay overnight prior to or following the summit. Sugarbush Resort is offering Summit attendees a discounted rate of $193.50 per night (plus taxes and fees) for a king-size room at the resort. Please mention “Advance Vermont” when booking.
Additionally, there are affordable options within a 10-minute drive of the resort, including Warren Lodge, Lareau Farm Inn, and Featherbed Inn. Prices start at $95 per night. Airbnb also offers affordable and unique options in the Mad River Valley.
Advance Vermont Joins National Coalition
Advance Vermont is proud to announce that we have joined the national Today’s Students Coalition. Key organizations from around the country have recognized the need to support the changing needs of postsecondary students, both in and out of the classroom. The Coalition advocates for postsecondary policies in the following three policy areas:
- Creating robust student supports
- Modernizing student financial
- Connecting learning opportunities
The focus of Today’s Students Coalition perfectly aligns with Advance Vermont’s Today’s Students Initiative, including our Summit on November 14. The Coalition connects Advance Vermont to national resources, networks, and opportunities that will allow us to propel our work forward, both nationally and here at home in Vermont. Students today are not who they were thirty years ago, and it is time to transform our postsecondary education and training system to reflect that. Click here to learn more.
Working Communities Challenge Funding Opportunity
There are countless ways to strengthen access, equity, and opportunity in rural Vermont communities. The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston is teaming up with its Vermont partners to invite community leaders, business people, elected officials, nonprofit groups, advocates, and community members to learn more about the Working Community Challenge. This grant competition supports collaborative, cross-sector teams working towards strong, healthy economies and communities in rural towns, regions, and small cities across Vermont.
There will be Regional Information Sessions during October to explain more about this opportunity and the grant application process. Click here to learn more.
For more information, please visit the Vermont Working Communities Challenge webpage or contact Stephen Michon, VT Working Communities Director, at [email protected].
