Rapid Response Grant Awards

Aldrich Public Library—Lost Nation screening with Jay Craven *
Barre
$550 to help present Jay Craven’s film Lost Nation and host a Q & A following the program.

Baldwin Memorial Library—We The People Pen-Pal Project: with Literacy and Connection for All
Wells River
$1000 to help launch an inter-library pen-pal program with a goal of connecting community members with people from across the state and the nation to encourage learning and establish communication across cultural divides.

BarnArts Center for the Arts—Etienne Charles at Feast & Field *
Barnard
$1000 to support Etienne Charles’ Gullah Roots project on July 9, including a panel about Black Americans in the Revolution & a panel on Gullah Geechee influence on the development of jazz.

Bennington Museum—Bennington Historical Society: Artillery at the Battle of Bennington Lecture *
Bennington
$1000 to support a free lecture by historian Eric Schnitzer, part of the summer Bennington Historical Society (BHS) programming at Bennington Museum.

Brattleboro Floral Arts and Garden Club—Brattleboro Creamery Covered Bridge Day *
Brattleboro
$1000 to celebrate the history of the Creamery Covered Bridge in Brattleboro and to honor this well-visited landmark.

Clarina Howard Nichols Center—Lamoille Area Book Discussions – Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice
Morrisville
$1000 to support a group-based discussion series focused on the book Nobody’s Girl by Virginia Guiffre. Each group will meet for 3 sessions (Hyde Park-Mondays, Hardwick-Tuesdays).

Cobleigh Public Library—Beginner American Sign Language Course at the Cobleigh Public Library
Lyndonville
$900 to host a Beginner American Sign Language (ASL) course for three months, beginning in February 2026. Jessica Simard of Focus on Abilities (a dedicated Social Emotional Learning Center) will run this program.

Cradle to Grave Arts — Forest
Chelsea
$1000 to cover part of the cost of accessibility services offered to expand dance audiences at a multi-discipline, site-specific, contemporary dance/theatre piece sited in two forests in central Vermont.

Dorothy Alling Public Library—Williston Past, Present, Future *
Williston
$500 for a four-part lecture series focused on the past, present, and future of the community, offered in partnership with the Williston Historical Society.

Education Justice Coalition of Vermont—Statewide Youth Gathering
South Burlington
$1000 to support a gathering for clubs to come together and learn from one another. Goals are to create connections to unify clubs, share skills and resources, cultivate joy and energy, and share stories from across the state.

Fairfield Community Center Association (FCCA) —Visit to the Missisquoi Wildlife Refuge and Storytelling with Virginia Holiman *
East Fairfield
$1000 to transport campers and interested community members to the Missisquoi Wildlife Refugee for a day of storytelling and immersion into the indigenous cultures and populations who cared for the land for millennia.

Georgia Historical Society—Georgia Timeline Book, in celebration of America’s 250th *
Georgia
$593 for a project that aims to publish a book in timeline format, highlighting significant events in Georgia.

Glover Equity—Songs of Slavery and Emancipation *
Glover
$1000 to support a special Juneteenth celebration, focusing on sites with connections to the Underground Railroad and African-American Culture.

Groton Free Public Library—It Takes a Village
Groton
$1000 for an afterschool mentorship program that provides guidance and structure to meaningfully investigate the humanities-based query, “what makes up a good life?” in relationship to citizenship, service to others, and our relationship to the natural world.

Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History—Drawing on the Archive: Tillie Walden’s Charity & Sylvia Promotional Film *
Middlebury
$800 to produce a short film promoting the museum’s exhibition Drawing on the Archive: Tillie Walden’s Charity & Sylvia, as part of its exhibits on America at 250. This film will feature Tillie Walden, HSM staff, and pastor, Caryne Eskridge.

Heritage Winooski Mill Museum—Professional Development Day for Educators *
Winooski
$1000 to assist in hosting a one-day workshop for Vermont educators to learn how a new Child Labor exhibit can serve as an entry point for teaching with primary sources and support inquiry, empathy, creative writing, and civic action in the classroom.

Heritage Winooski Mill Museum—Stitch Together Historic Trolley Tour
Winooski
$1000 to support a historic trolley tour of Burlington and Winooski for East African Refugee women. The tour will provide participants the opportunity to share their own memories of place and build a deeper connection to their new community.

The Hinesburg Record — Voices from the Past *
Hinesburg
$1000 to digitize 25 cassette tape recordings of 1976 interviews of elders by 8th graders at Hinesburg Community School, to be posted on the local library web site and then edited to be part of a project defining how Hinesburg has changed.

Historical Society of Windham County—2026 Windham County History Fair *
Newfane
$975 to support a fair in historic Newfane Village, featuring re-enactors, tours, demonstrations, and vintage exhibits of Vermont’s rich heritage.

Holland Historical Society—“Reviving History: Community Engagement for America 250” *
Derby Line
$500 for a community engagement initiative aimed at increasing participation and preserving Holland’s history.

John Woodruff Simpson Memorial Library—Screening of film Lost Nation followed by Q&A with Jay Craven *
Craftsbury
$750 for a free community screening of the film Lost Nation in East Craftsbury, with filmmaker Jay Craven present to answer questions following the screening.

Joslin Memorial Library—ACLU For Youth Summer Program
Waitsfield
$950 to support a three-day youth-led camp, culminating in a mock trial related to an ACLU case that will be open to the wider community.

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum—Commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Lake Champlain *
Vergennes
$1000 to support a day-long event to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the Battle of Lake Champlain, which will feature guided and experiential learning opportunities including exhibit tours, interactive activities, and a documentary screening.

Lanpher Memorial Library—The Diary of Anne Frank/Children of the Holocaust: a Community Partnership
Hyde Park
$1000 for a partnership with Lamoille County Players and Vermont Holocaust Memorial to host programming and exhibits aligned with the Players’ October production of The Diary of Anne Frank.

Lincoln Historical Society & Around Addison County Historical Collaborative—Around Addison County: A Passport to History *
Lincoln
$1000 to support a program offered historical societies that invites people to explore local heritage through various sites in eight neighboring towns.

Lyndon Historical Society—Summer Events*
Lyndon
$600 to support a series of accessible, community-centered events designed to encourage residents and visitors alike to connect with local history through the stories, traditions, and the people who have shaped the town.

Montpelier Alive—Heart of Vermont Podcast *
Montpelier
$1000 for “The Heart of Vermont” podcast that will showcase Washington County’s culture, history, and community. Episodes will highlight local arts, diverse stories, underrepresented voices, and foster a deeper understanding of the region’s humanity.

Morristown Centennial Library—Morristown Civic Project, Community Conversations *
Morrisville
$1000 to support a monthly series designed to create opportunities for better dialogue, boost civic health on the local level, and generate ideas to encourage volunteerism and volunteer-led projects in Morrisville.

Old Stone House Museum & Historic Village—Becoming Neighbors: Immigration Stories from the 1920 Census *
Brownington
$500 for a project that looks back a century ago to the lives and stories that wove us together as neighbors. The 1920 US Census reveals a tapestry of many first- and second-generation immigrants in Orleans County: Ukrainians, Russians, Bulgarians, Italians, and more…

Otter Creek Music Festival—Musick’s Recreation *
Shoreham
$1000 to support a project that celebrates America 250 by tracing the music of late 17th- and early 18th-century New England music back to its English roots.

Poultney Public Library—Reading is Revolutionary Book Discussion Series *
Poultney
$750 for a series of book discussions to celebrate America 250 and discuss the ideals upon which our country was founded. Titles will include non-fiction, adult fiction, juvenile fiction, and possibly a graphic novel.

Putney Public Library—The Pursuit of Happiness with Meg Mott: Exploring the Virtues *
Putney
$800 to support a discussion series on “the pursuit of happiness” as described in the Declaration of Independence, led by scholar Meg Mott.

Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Office of City of Burlington—Juneteenth 2026 *
Burlington
$1000 to support Black-led cultural experiences and performances about Juneteenth’s history.

Robinson Elementary School—Starksboro Celebrates the 250th *
Starksboro
$750 to help create a History Walk on the school’s campus that showcases local people striving for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness then and now.

Ryegate Historical Society—Ryegate Celebrates America’s 250th *
East Ryegate
$750 for a town-wide celebration of America and Ryegate’s historical and social foundations with numerous historical exhibits, traditional craft demonstrations, musical performances, children’s games and more!

Shelburne Memorial Library—Lost Nation Showing by Jay Craven *
Shelburne
$550 to showcase Jay Craven’s Lost Nation project at the library.

Shelburne Museum—America 250 at Shelburne Museum *
Shelburne
$1000 for a public humanities initiative inviting audiences to reflect on American history, culture, and civic identity through engagement with objects and programs centered on the Museum’s Americana collections.

St. Albans Pride Corps — Vermont Pride Summit
St. Albans City
$1000 for a community-building and resource-sharing project among Pride event organizers.

Sterling College—Sterling’s Legacy in Vermont: Voices of Alums
Craftsbury Common
$1000 to help preserve voices of Sterling College alumni to provide insight into the impacts of graduates on the Vermont landscape. Interviews with 15 former students will enhance the institution’s digital archive.

St. Johnsbury Athenaeum—America 250 Constitutional Dialogue & Book Initiative *
St. Johnsbury
$1000 to support a project focusing on civic literacy and outreach to inspire the community to engage in meaningful discussion and access to accurate information.

Town of Warren—Art and Conversations of Freedom
Warren
$750 to support a three-hour workshop for up to 20 teens and adults led by artist, educator, and activist janet e. dandridge. The workshop teaches techniques for open political dialogue and political engagement through art.

Two Daughters Productions—Teens and the Constitution *
Brattleboro
$1000 to support an audio documentary for Vermont Public that explores what local teens—our future voters and leaders—think about politics, patriotism, civic engagement, and the U.S. Constitution.

Vermont Stage—Public Square Plays
Burlington
$1000 to support tours to Vermont middle and high schools, highlighting a story of historic importance & contemporary social justice, featuring young characters, and followed by a Q&A with students led by a community leader.

Vermont Symphony Orchestra—Jukebox: Porch Songs Americana Roots *
Burlington
$1000 for a project that visits four Vermont communities with musical performances and interactive displays on American folk traditions from Helen Hartness Flanders Ballad Collection at Middlebury College, the Henry Sheldon Museum, and Vermont Historical Society.

Vermont Truth and Reconciliation—Community Art Project
Montpelier
$1000 to support an art project that provides Vermonters an outlet for expressing their truths/testimonies and process their emotions. The project includes creating zines.

Waterford Historical Society—Revolutionary War Veterans of Waterford *
Lower Waterford
$750 to assist the historical society in gathering the stories of Waterford’s Revolutionary War veterans, printing the stories as books with relevant photos and maps, and sharing them in a public presentation.

Westford Historical Society—Community Events and Jay Craven’s “Lost Nation” *
Westford
$1000 to help celebrate the nation’s 250th with talks and other live events during the summer, with a capstone event of Vermont Filmmaker Jay Craven’s historical epic “Lost Nation” in November.

West Rutland School
West Rutland
$1000 to aid the Destination ImagiNation (DI) Teams in a trip to Global Finals in Kansas City, Mo.

Winooski High School—We the Students: A Celebration of America’s 250th Birthday *
Winooski
$1000 to support students in Civics class in Winooski High School as they end the year with one big question: How can we make real the ideals of freedom and democracy that our nation was founded on 250 years ago