The Northwest Vermont Prevention Network is funding 8 special projects taking place April through June 2023. These projects aim to reduce the onset and prevalence of substance misuse among youth and young adults in Vermont.  

The total funding is $52,300 and specific projects are below. These special projects focus on prevention of substance misuse and/or promote wellbeing for youth and/or young adults. 

“The partners that we work with through the Northwest Vermont Prevention Network are doing incredible work to provide youth and young adults with safe, supportive spaces, connection to community and each other, and opportunities to engage in meaningful and enriching experiences. Our partners understand that prevention starts with connection and opportunity,” says United Way of Northwest Vermont Community Impact Manager Megan Bridges.  

• All Together Now (ATN): $10,000 to hire a temporary contract position to oversee the transition of ATN to a Prevention Coalition for the MMU School District (Bolton, Huntington, Jericho, Richmond, Underhill) 
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Vermont: $10,000 for development of volunteer mentor outreach and recruitment marketing strategy to recruit new volunteer mentors and re-engage mentors/mentees to serve as mentors. 
• Essex CHIPS: $4,800 to pilot expanding afterschool and evening programming to high schoolers to offer a safe, supportive, and engaging third space on Friday evenings at no cost to the families. (Essex, Essex Junction, Westford) 
• Franklin Northeast Supervisory Union (Bakersfield, Berkshire, Enosburg, Montgomery, Richford and Sheldon): $3,000 to support the Enosburg-Richford Vermont Youth Project which will host workshops in Enosburg and Richford to help build community, equity, and inclusion between people of various ages and other demographic groups in collaboration with community members, the schools, and youth groups. 
• Georgia Public Library: $10,000 to fund a weekly “Here I Belong” programming that specifically welcomes, and provides a safe, fun, creative space for LGBTQIA+ youth at the library. 
• Richard Kemp Center: $9,500 to support activities following a youth/adult trip in April to the National Museum of African American History and Culture which will center around wellness through safe discussions, celebrations and expressions using art, music, video platforms and education about substance use and prevention as well as a youth/community art project based on five Adinkra symbols. 
• Swanton Recreation Commission: $3,500 to support a skill-based workshop series called The Art of Tinkering where youth will have the opportunity to learn from community mentors the basic principles of outdoor safety, primitive survival skills, building/construction, basic home repair, and small engines. 
• Sheldon Middle School: $1,500 to support the Getting to Y Group and Student Council joining forces to complete a Data Analysis Retreat which will be a leadership opportunity for middle school students (ages 11-14). It will serve to positively reinforce their model behavior and commitment to mentoring, school stewardship and prevention efforts. 

United Way of Northwest Vermont is the recipient of a Vermont Prevention Center of Excellence (PCE) grant awarded through the Vermont Division of Substance Use Programs (DSU). As part of this grant, UWNWVT helped to launch and provides backbone support to the Northwest Vermont Prevention Network and provided special project funding to prevention-focused organizations and programs. 

Learn more about the Prevention Network here.