Vermont towns offering expanded after-school, summer programming

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - Vermont communities have boosted after-school and summer programs thanks to funding approved by lawmakers two years ago seeking to increase access to kids in under-served corners of the state.

Whether school’s out for the day or the summer, there are services in place to support students statewide.

“Strengthen relationships with staff and other students and just be more free to explore,” said Jamie Dansereau, who directs the West River Education District’s afterschool and summer programs -- which just received new funding from the Agency of Education. “Gives us the ability to provide our programming with no barriers to any students and anyone in our district, and we are thrilled about that.”

The district’s programming supports K-8 students and career exploration for grades 7-10. Dansereau says investing in universal after-school programs takes the stress off parents. “A lot of our families are hard-working Vermont families, so we try to provide engaging, enriching activities for their children so that they don’t have to worry about them,” he said.

In its first year, the Agency of Education committed $3.7 million of Act 78 funding to after-school and summer programs impacting some 4,000 students.

The Missisquoi Valley School District received funding last spring and says they expanded opportunities for teens to help pair them with local organizations to get hands-on work experience. “They’re looking for young people to really start joining the pipeline and understanding all the incredible career opportunities they have in the area,” said the district’s Beth Ann Miller.

Nicole Miller is with Vermont Afterschool, which helps support the services that receive the money. She says the funding also takes away some of the financial stress from schools. “To deliver really rich and exciting experiences for young people and to be a little less worried in the interim about funding and how they’re going to provide the next year’s funding,” she said.

Helping guide Vermont’s students to shape the state’s future.