Mini-Grants

Each year VREC provides a range of mini grants to schools for innovative projects that promote youth leadership, place-based education, and foster inclusive practices and community partnership.

Mini Grant Opportunities 2024 – 2025

Student-led, Place-Based Learning Grants (up to $1,500) 

VREC encourages classrooms or student groups of all levels to participate in our student- led, place-based learning mini grant process. This process fosters student voice through the development of applications, pitching ideas, and giving & receiving peer feedback.

Students engage in direct hands-on implementation of projects and present at our Annual celebration of Learning in May. Students learn many transferable skills throughout the process and make meaningful contributions to their school community. (Visit vtruraledu.org for examples of past projects and guidelines for the process.)

Service Learning Grants (up to $500) 

VREC offers grants for service learning projects to take during the school year. Applications must be submitted by a team of at least three students, one school staff member and one community partner. Projects such as (but not limited to) community gardens, local food shelf support, senior meals, or Green-Up Day activities that take place within a school-community are all eligible. Rolling application process until funds are all allocated.

Inclusive Schools Grants (up to $750-$1,000) 

VREC will provide grants to schools in support of diversity, equity and inclusion practices. Grants of $750 for single classrooms and grants of $1000 available for school-wide activities. Schools can use grants to support: performers, artists in residence, guest speakers, culturally responsive libraries or classroom collections or training for student groups or staff that foster D.E.I. awareness and best practices. Rolling application process until funds are all allocated.

students building chair
student with library books
community garden

Contact John A. Castle at vrecdirector@gmail.com for more information or to express an intent to apply for any of the above grants.

Student-Led, Placed-Based Learning Mini Grants

View MINI-GRANT Proposal Guidelines

Place-Based Learning Grants Timeline for 2024-25:

  1. Inform the VREC Director of your intent to submit a grant by Sept. 20. 

  2. “Pitch” your grant to teams from other schools and our pitch panel virtually and participate in providing feedback to other schools. Dates & times for pitches will be set up between the weeks of Oct. 7th & 14.  

  3. Write your grant after receiving feedback and submit by Nov. 1 

  4. Each school team will provide feedback to two other proposals by November 15. 

  5. School Teams will be notified if you are awarded a grant by November 22.  

  6. School Teams will attend and present at the VREC Celebration of Learning in May.

student-led learning

VREC Mini Grant Celebration of Learning 2024

Eleven schools convened on May 30th Sterling College in Craftsbury for VREC's Annual Celebration of Learning.  Students in grades 5 through high school presented on the respective mini-grant projects and the learning that took place along the way.  In addition to outstanding presentations, the food was great and students enjoyed visiting the animals on the college farm.

These grants are made possible by the generous support of individuals, foundations, organizations and businesses in our region, including: