2022 KT Mini-Grant program awards area projects!

On behalf of the Kingdom Trails Board of Directors, the Kingdom Trail Association (KT) is delighted to announce the 4th annual KT Mini-Grant program has awarded funds to 9 applicants around the Northeast Kingdom! KT was privileged to receive 17 applications in 2022 and $73,019 in total funding requested, the largest number of applications and funding requested since the program began in 2019! Kingdom Trails is grateful for all applicants who submitted an application this year, and we are thankful for the positive impact they have as we all work together to foster the health of our shared space and community. Kingdom Trails is grateful to the 105 landowners whose gift of access have allowed KT to contribute to our community and offer this program. 

The KT Mini-Grant Selection Committee awarded funds to applicants in Burke, East Haven, Kirby, and Lyndon, all who participated in a competitive application process. These applications met the criteria focused on community need, impact, sustainability, diversity and inclusion, public support, and a realistic, effective work plan and budget. The projects must highlight and advance valuable local endeavors that promote recreation, health and wellness, education and training, environmental stewardship, economic viability, heritage and culture, and the creative arts. 

Awarded project include:

• Lyndon Town School: Ski and Snowboard Project, Awarded $5,000: Lyndon Town School sought funds for scholarships for 6th-8th graders to ski and snowboard at Burke Mountain. These funds allow the school to offer this program free of charge to interested students, essentially erasing a barrier for participation many students faced.
  
  
• Adaptive Sports Partners: Bike Trailer Project, Awarded $2,500: Adaptive Sport Partners (ASPNC), with the growth of equipment and athletes, will purchase an enclosed trailer to access more athletes in our community and be able to serve everyone who wishes to recreate! The trailer will benefit the community by storing bikes safely, bringing bikes to various partners including schools and community organizations, and allowing athletes with disabilities to access different trail locations, including KT.
  
  
• Cobleigh Library: Bike Shed Project, Awarded $2,850: The Cobleigh Library will install a shed for storing bicycles for check-out, as well as our Book Bike. The Library has partnered with the Town of Lyndon to provide e-bikes for check out to the local community. This will help more people in the community to learn about biking and be able to bike in a comfortable manner, seeking a healthier lifestyle.
  
  
• Town of Lyndon: E-Bike Lending Project, Awarded $2,000: The Town of Lyndon will purchase an e-bike that will be available for checkout at the Cobleigh Library. The outcome will be an opportunity for Lyndon residents and visitors to try an ebike as an alternative form of transportation, in the hopes that overall vehicle miles traveled will be decreased by using an active mode of transportation.
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  Northeast Kingdom Preschool: Playground Shelter Project, Awarded $4,250: Building Will a shelter in both their infant and preschool play yards, offering the ability to have a dry space to teach, explore, and grow our curiosity on a day to day basis throughout the year. In addition to the shelters, this project will bring an outdoor classroom to their center to be utilized year round offering more opportunities for outdoor learning and exploration.
  
  
• Town of East Haven, VT: Gazebo Project, Awarded $4,400: The project will build a 12’ by 14’ gazebo in an area that is between the existing playground and the newly paved basketball court that is adjacent to both the East Haven Community Building and the East Haven section of the KTA trail system.
  
  
• Northwoods Stewardship Center: Wildlife Ambassador Program, Awarded $2,000: This project will expand capacity to deliver wildlife programs on campus and at afterschool programs. This includes rebuilding a new mew, building the program to include another visiting raptor (perhaps a Kestrel!) and program development around raptors as a key speciality. This will also include development of new program materials for display and travel for the local communities including Burke, Lyndon, Kirby, and East Haven.
  
  
• East Burke School: Self-Sufficiency Workshops Project, Awarded $1,000: EBS intends to build on the strong foundation they have established for their Self-Sufficiency Workshop Series with improved offerings designed to strengthen students’ skills and self-confidence, engender in them a greater sense of agency in their ability to contribute to their communities, and help them connect more deeply with the people and places that make the NEK home.
  
  
• Thaddeus Stevens School: Renovation Project, Awarded $1,000: Thaddeus Stevens School is completing a number of renovation projects at its new East Burke campus to convert the property into a forever home for the school. The renovation projects are being conducted in phases (driven by priority) and the Thaddeus Stevens School Board of Trustees is leading a capital campaign to help fund these renovation projects. These funds will help convert the basement into an art and music space. 

To learn more about the KT Mini-Grant program and how to apply for next year’s cycle, please visit https://www.kingdomtrails.org/kta-mini-grant. Applications will open in late July 2023 and close at the end of September 2023. Any questions can be sent to us at grants@kingdomtrails.org.