Giving Feels Good!
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Raising Givers
How do we help children understand the importance of helping others? I’ve heard different strategies: requiring kids to donate part of their allowance; involving them in decisions around charitable contributions; participating in a fundraiser or volunteering as a family.
A few years ago, Kids VT came up with another way. We made organizing support for a local nonprofit part of the Good Citizen Challenge, our youth civics project. This summer, many young Vermonters stepped up to create their own fundraisers. You can read about some of them in the Challenge roundup on page 16.
My favorite entry this year came from 9-year-old Aaliyah Grace Brown of Ferrisburgh, who wrote: “I chose to raise money for the Ferrisburgh Recreation Committee because they make fun stuff happen for everyone in our town, like ice skating, pickleball and playing outside!”
Aaliyah asked people to donate bottles and cans and had adults post her request on social media and Front Porch Forum. Her family helped collect the returnables, worth 5 cents each. Some people donated to the cause, too.
All told, Aaliyah raised $314 for the town rec committee. “It made me really happy to help, and I hope they can use it to make more fun things for our community,” she said. I love the photo of Aaliyah, standing in front of the bags of bottles and cans she collected with her arms raised in triumph. It embodies what it feels like to know you made a difference.
In this “Giving Back” issue, which lands a couple weeks before the traditional giving season begins, you’ll find many ways to connect with that feeling, from the online fundraising platform made by local college students (page 11) to the Penguin Plunge for Special Olympics and a concert that supports young musicians from the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association in “Save the Dates” (page 9) to the 15 organizations highlighted in “Lend a Hand” (page 20) to Elisa Järnefelt’s comic about rescuing animals (page 15).
Money isn’t the only thing we have to give, as Evvi Tower-Price’s poem, “Kindness, Accidentally,” (page 27) reminds us. Just being present for someone and letting them know they’re not alone can be a powerful act. The poem also concludes the latest anthology from the nonprofit Young Writers Project. They accept donations, too.
See you next year!
CATHY RESMER
Järnefelt
Lend a Hand
Looking for ways to support Vermont children this season? Here are 15 places to direct your donations.
Save the Dates
FEBRUARY 15
Air Time
NOVEMBER 21-JANUARY 4
Night Lights
The Shelburne Museum grounds are lit this winter — literally. A nighttime stroll through the museum’s music-enhanced light installations during WINTER LIGHTS has become a new holiday tradition. Select dates from Friday, November 21, through Sunday, January 4, at Shelburne Museum. $10-20; free for kids 2 and under. $65 per car on special drive-around nights. Info, 985-3346, shelburnemuseum.org.
DECEMBER 7
Music Makers
Winter fun for the whole family
African circus star Yamoussa Bangoura founded his own troupe, CIRQUE KALABANTÉ, after performing with Cirque du Soleil and Cirque Éloize. Inspired by daily life in Guinea, this awe-inspiring spectacle showcases acrobats who execute gravitydefying moves accompanied by live Afro-jazz, percussion and kora.
Sunday, February 15, 7 p.m., at the Lyndon Institute Auditorium in Lyndon Center. $18-54. Info, 748-2600, catamountarts.org.
BY SAM HARTNETT
NOVEMBER 29
Now You See It...
Kids —and grown-ups — won’t believe their eyes at CHAMPIONS OF MAGIC: HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR, a high-energy evening of jaw-dropping illusions.
Saturday, November 29, 7 p.m., at Paramount Theatre in Rutland. $45-65. Info, 775-0903, paramountvt.org.
The student musicians of the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association travel to the Queen City from across the state for the annual ORCHESTRAPALOOZA holiday concert. This year’s features senior soloist Jonathan Kafumbe playing the golden tones of Johann Nepomuk Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto. All three of the VYOA’s performing ensembles share the stage for a rendition of“Sleigh Ride.”
Sunday, December 7, 4 p.m., at Flynn Main Stage in Burlington. $21-24. Info, 863-5966, flynnvt.org.
DECEMBER 12, 20 & 21
Sweet Treats
There are a few ways to watch a performance of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Christmastime classic this season. Here are two that stand out: In the Grand Kyiv Ballet’s THE NUTCRACKER, Ukraine’s most prestigious ballet dancers bring Clara and her prince to life in a show organized by KCP Presents.
Friday, December 12, 7 p.m., at Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph. $39-69. Info, 728-9878, chandler-arts.org.
The young dancers of Vermont Ballet Theater and surrounding communities o er their version in VERMONT’S OWN NUTCRACKER
Saturday, December 20, 2 & 7 p.m., and Sunday, December 21, 1 & 6:30 p.m., at the Flynn in Burlington. $22.20-52. Info, 863-5966, flynnvt.org.
JANUARY 22-24
Nice Ice
Professional carvers cut into blocks of ice to create elegant sculptures throughout the village during the annual STOWE WINTER CARNIVAL. Spectators watch as experts try to outdo each other in the annual competition.
Thursday, January 22, through Saturday, January 24, in Stowe. Free. Info, 467-8693, gostowe.com.
FEBRUARY 7
Cold for a Cause
In the 31st PENGUIN PLUNGE, kids and adults go for a quick dip in the frigid waters of Lake Champlain to support Special Olympics. Participants commit to raising $250 each for this wildly popular annual fundraiser, which supports more than 2,900 Vermont athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Saturday, February 7, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Burlington waterfront. Free for spectators. Info, 863-5222, specialolympicsvermont.org.
Find more family fun each week in the Seven Days calendar or online at sevendaysvt.com/familyfun.
Grade CHANGER
Grade CHANGER
Grade CHANGER
In Case You Missed It
News Vermont families can use from Seven Days
BY SASHA GOLDSTEIN & ALISON NOVAK
Education reporter Alison Novak covers childcare and K-12 education for our parent publication, Seven Days. A former elementary school teacher and Kids VT editor — and current mom of two teens — Novak draws from firsthand experience to cover her beat. Here are a few of her stories from the fall: K
VERMONT TEACHER TURNS SCHOOL PROJECT INTO SUCCESSFUL MATH APP
October 21: MathFactLab, founded by former Essex Westford elementary school teacher Mike Kenny, now has more than 1 million users all over the world.
A 2018 LAW COULD IMPROVE VERMONT’S AILING SPECIAL-ED SYSTEM
October 15: Special-education experts and administrators largely agree that a 2018 law set sound policy. But its implementation has been uneven, and some worry that bigger reform efforts will get in its way.
WORKSHOP TEACHES DADS HOW TO STYLE THEIR DAUGHTERS’ LOCKS
October 15: Parting, ponytails and French braids were just some of the subjects covered in the class sponsored by local nonprofit Dad Guild.
STATE SUSPENDS LICENSE OF RUTLAND CHILDCARE CENTER
October 13: An October 10 licensing report shows that two visits to the program turned up 13 violations, including mistreatment of children.
NEW UVM PROGRAM FOSTERS CONNECTIONS BETWEEN SENIORS AND STUDENTS
August 18: Vermont Youth Leaders in Aging, a new program being launched by UVM Larner College of Medicine’s Center on Aging, will place high schoolers in senior communities.
ALISONNOVAK
UVM STUDENTS CREATE AN ONLINE DONATION PLATFORM FOR NONPROFITS
BY SASHA GOLDSTEIN
Three entrepreneurial University of Vermont students have created an online platform that is changing charitable giving.
GiftDrive allows nonprofits to set up a drive for a particular event or ongoing necessities. The orgs pick out items, which a donor can select and buy with just a few clicks. The goods are then delivered directly to the organization.
“It’s an Amazon wish list mixed with a GoFundMe — but built for nonprofits,” said Logan Vaughan, the fledgling company’s cofounder and CEO.
SCAN TO READ ALISON’S EDUCATION STORIES ON YOUR PHONE.
rather than cash alone, can help save time and hassle for both donors and the organizations.
Gohacki, a computer science major who graduated in May, wrote 1,000 lines of code for the website as the trio spent hundreds of hours over the summer building the platform.
“It’s been pretty amazing what our team has been able to accomplish,” Vaughan said.
WILMER CHAVARRIA IS LEADING — AND ADVOCATING FOR — WINOOSKI STUDENTS
September 24: The superintendent of schools shares similarities with his diverse student body. He’s using his platform to stand up for them.
its annual Thanksgiving drive. Some donations were purchased from big-box stores or online retailers, but there are also opportunities to buy local. COTS, for instance, ran a winter boot drive that linked to Danform Shoes in Shelburne.
“It is amazing. It is simple. It is flawless,” said Ginger Morton, president of the Williston Community Food Shelf. “They are responsive if you have any questions or needs. I can’t say enough good things about [the platform].”
Vaughan, who is a junior at UVM, along with cofounders Miro Gohacki and Corinne Atwell, were in an entrepreneurship class last year that tasked them with identifying problems in an industry and then finding a solution.
The trio gravitated toward nonprofits and learned that in-kind donations,
The site launched in September, and, as of this week, 18 Vermont nonprofits, from Bennington to East Fairfield, had launched a drive. It’s free for the organizations, and Vaughan said a 50-cent surcharge on each order covers the cost of running the website. Good Samaritan Haven in Barre has gotten 52 contributions for its Winter Survival Gear Drive, while the Colchester Community Food Shelf has received 373 items for
Word is getting out about GiftDrive, and Vaughan envisions scaling it up at some point. But for now, he’s just happy to hear the positive feedback from users and his teacher, who gave the team an A+ on the project.
“It was definitely my favorite class of college so far,” he said.
Learn more — and donate — at giftdrive.org. K
From left: Corinne Atwell, Logan Vaughan and Miro Gohacki
Alison Novak
Dani Diallo and Drew Bahrenburg
MEALTIME BY ASTRID HEDBOR LAGUE
Bûche de Noël
Celebrate the holidays with this fun and festive cake
The end-of-the-year holidays are the perfect time to pull out all the stops and make that really special recipe, and we’ve got one for you: the Yule log — also known as a bûche de Noël.
This Christmastime treat has its roots in an ancient tradition of burning a large log or tree trunk for several days around the winter solstice to ensure a bountiful harvest in the coming year. A pastry version of the Yule log was introduced in the 19th century, though its exact origin is unknown. The cake gained popularity in the mid-1940s and early ’50s and has remained a holiday tradition ever since, particularly in France and Québec.
At its core, the bûche de Noël is a sponge cake, rolled up around a mousse or whipped cream filling, coated in frosting or ganache, and decorated to look like a log. Be forewarned: This is a time-consuming project with many steps, though most of the
INGREDIENTS
• Cooking spray
• Cocoa powder for dusting
• 6 large eggs at room temperature (separated)
• 3/4 cup (170 g) sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (100 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (56 g) cocoa powder
• 3 1/2 tablespoons (26 g) cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
INGREDIENTS
• 500 grams (18 ounces) dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 8 ounces heavy cream
• About 1/4 cup powdered, freeze-dried cherries (from a 1.2-ounce package, pulverized in a food processor or blender)
time required is in waiting for things to cool completely.
One step that can’t wait: It is absolutely critical to roll the cake in a tea towel to form the spiral as soon as you take it out of the oven. Cooling in this spiral shape allows the cake to reroll into the same shape with fewer cracks after filling. Though cracks in the
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a half-sheet pan (18 by 13 inches) with parchment paper, lightly sprayed with cooking spray and dusted with a little cocoa powder.
3. Beat the egg yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed until light and about doubled in volume.
4. Add 1/2 cup of sugar and the vanilla and beat at medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
5. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt into a separate bowl.
6. Sprinkle the flour mixture into the egg yolk and sugar mixture. Add
DIRECTIONS
1. Put the roughly chopped chocolate in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
2. Heat the cream in a small pan on the stovetop until very hot but not boiling.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, making sure all the chocolate is covered.
the oil and mix until just combined. Transfer this mixture to a separate bowl.
7. Clean the mixing bowl completely. (I like to wipe down the surface with a tiny bit of lemon juice or vinegar, as any residual oil will cause the egg whites to not whip up properly.)
8. Add the egg whites to the clean bowl and whip with a whisk attachment until soft and fluffy peaks form.
9. With the mixer running, slowly sprinkle in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
10. Fold the stiff egg whites gently into the cocoa-flour mixture until they are completely incorporated, being careful not to deflate the egg whites too much.
11. Spread the batter evenly onto the prepared sheet pan.
12. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
13. While the cake is baking, sprinkle a clean tea towel with cocoa powder.
14. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately invert it onto the tea towel.
15. Leaving the parchment paper on the cake and starting from the short side, immediately roll the cake tightly but gently using the tea towel.
16. Allow the cake to cool completely, seam side down and wrapped in the tea towel for at least 1 hour.
4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 5 minutes.
5. Remove the plastic wrap and beat until the chocolate is smooth and entirely melted. If any chunks remain, heat it slightly over a double boiler, stirring with a rubber spatula until all the chocolate is melted.
6. Cool the mixture to room temperature.
7. Switch the electric mixer to the whisk attachment and whip the chocolate mixture until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
8. Keep at room temperature until
ready to use.
PHOTOS:
Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting Cake
BÛCHE DE NOËL
Recipe makes a 12-13-inch cake roll
cake are not ideal, don’t despair if you get any — the frosting hides any small faults.
I made a chocolate cake filled with a cherry-almond whipped cream and coated with whipped chocolate ganache. You can play with flavors and make it your own. After spreading the ganache over the cake, you can make it look more like a log by running a fork over the surface to make barklike markings. It can be garnished in many ways to represent a real log — I used meringue mushrooms, sugared cranberries and sprigs of sugared rosemary, as well as marzipan acorns (made with marzipan, with the tops colored with brown food coloring, then dusted in sugar).
The decorations can be made ahead of time, which helps a lot with the timing of the cake assembly. Decorating the bûche de Noël is a fun activity for the whole family — though not as much fun as eating it! K
Cherry-Almond Whipped Cream Filling
INGREDIENTS
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
• About 1/4 cup powdered, freeze-dried cherries (from a 1.2-ounce package, pulverized in a food processor or a blender)
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
DIRECTIONS
1. Whip together the heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar, powdered freeze-dried cherries and almond extract in the bowl of an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Store the filling in the refrigerator until it is time to assemble the cake.
Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary
INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup more for dusting
• Sprigs of rosemary
• Fresh cranberries
DIRECTIONS
1. Make a simple syrup by heating the water and 1/2 cup of sugar in a small pan on the stove until the sugar is entirely dissolved. Remove from heat.
2. Dip the rosemary sprigs in the simple syrup and use tongs to place them on a cooling rack.
3. Put the cranberries in the remaining simple syrup and soak for about 15 minutes.
4. Remove the cranberries from the syrup with a slotted spoon and place on a cooling rack.
5. Let the cranberries and rosemary sit on the cooling rack for at least 30 minutes, then dip in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar to coat entirely, so they look frosty.
Meringue Mushrooms
INGREDIENTS
• 1 large egg white
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
2. In a very clean bowl — wiped with a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice if needed to degrease completely — whisk together the egg white, cream of tartar, vanilla, sugar and salt until stiff peaks form.
3. Put the meringue mixture in a piping bag fitted with a small round tip, or snip off the very end of the bag.
4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Pipe small round discs of the meringue mixture (for mushroom caps). Separately, make stems for each cap by piping small cylindrical “gnome hat” shapes. They don’t need to be perfect. You
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons chocolate chips
• Cocoa powder for dusting
don’t want them too long and skinny, but they can be varied.
6. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, then turn the oven off. Leave the meringues in the oven for about 20 minutes to dry out completely.
7. Melt the chocolate chips in a small bowl by microwaving for 20 seconds, stirring, and repeating until the chocolate is smooth and entirely melted.
8. Assemble the mushrooms by gently dipping the tops of the stems in the melted chocolate and pressing very gently into the bottom of the caps. You can use a piping tip to make small holes in the bottom of the caps to help them stick.
9. Dust the finished mushrooms with a small amount of cocoa powder to make them look more natural.
To Assemble the Bûche de Noël
1. Gently unroll the completely cooled cake and remove the parchment paper. Place the cake on a clean counter or large cutting board with the tea towel still under it.
2. Spread the cake evenly with the cherry-almond whipped cream, making a layer that is slightly less thick than the cake. Leave a 1/2-inch margin around the perimeter of the cake.
3. Reroll the cake gently and evenly, using the tea towel to help get it nice and tight.
4. Wrap the rolled cake tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate, seam side down, for at least 30 minutes to allow the filling to set.
5. Put the cake on a serving plate, placing strips of parchment paper under each side of the cake to protect the serving plate from any mess while decorating.
6. Spread the cake evenly with the whipped ganache. Don’t worry about getting it smooth; you want it to look like tree bark. You can either cover the ends of the cake with ganache or leave them exposed.
7. Use a fork to make indentations in the ganache to make it look even more like tree bark.
8. Decorate the cake with the sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs, meringue mushrooms, and marzipan acorns, as desired.
9. When it’s time to serve the cake, heat a serving knife by running it under very hot tap water and then wiping it off to make slicing easier.
10. If you’re not eating the cake right away, cover it in plastic wrap after coating in ganache and put it in the fridge for up to five days before decorating. Covering the ends in ganache can help keep the cake from drying out.
Good Citizens GIVE BACK
Kids across Vermont participated in the 2025 Challenge
BY SAM HARTNETT & CATHY RESMER
Sandra Day O’Connor, the first woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court, was a champion of civics education. She once said, “The practice of democracy is not passed down through the gene pool. It must be taught and learned anew by each generation.”
Given the state of democracy in our divided country — this issue came together during the longest federal government shutdown in history — we at Kids VT and Seven Days feel a responsibility to help act on O’Connor’s words. In 2018, with support from the Vermont Community Foundation, we launched the Good Citizen Challenge. This youth civics project invites kids in grades K-8 to complete activities that teach them about local history, government and current events. Often, participants must take action to improve their communities.
The more they do, the more chances they have to win prizes — including the grand prize, a free trip to Washington, D.C., donated by Milne Travel.
It’s important to know what’s happening in the world and especially in your state.
SUSANNAH RYE
All summer long, we collected entries and drew a weekly winner of a $50 gift card to Phoenix Books on WCAX-TV’s “Channel 3 This Morning.”
By the deadline on September 2, 183 young people from around Vermont had completed a total of 963 activities in the summer 2025 Challenge. These included
OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
Rose Smith, 9, of Reading, won the 2026 Vermont State Parks vehicle pass. “It is important to support our state parks so they stay open and we can have fun there,” she said.
DESIGNS FOR DEMOCRACY
Activity No. 1 invited Challenge participants to create “Future Voter” stickers. The winning sticker and two runners-up will be produced and distributed by the Secretary of State’s O ce.
A panel of judges — including Seven Days art director and Kids VT coloring contest creator Diane Sullivan — chose the winner: Piper Blanchard, 9, of Randolph. One judge said: “From the complementary colors of the fall foliage trees to the friendly moose to the neatly symmetrical lettering, this sticker stood out. Will the moose be eligible to vote someday?
picking up trash along a trail, visiting a historic site, reading a community newspaper and working with someone from a di erent background. The most popular activities: “Attend a Community Event,” “Go Jump in a Lake or a Public Pool,” and “Borrow Something From the Library.” Those who completed Activity No. 13, “Organize Support for a Cause,” brought in $2,680.81 for causes they care about.
We’ve collected some of the best work here, along with six mini profiles of the “Distinguished Citizens” who completed all 25 activities.
Thank you to the kids and teens who took the Challenge — and to the teachers, librarians and parents who helped — as well as our partners and sponsors. We hope it helps us pass this democracy on to the next generation. K
Unlikely ... but Vermont’s youths certainly will, and this is a sticker they can proudly display in the meantime!”
Said another: “The friendly moose and fall landscape make voting feel positive for young people, and the ballot check mark sends a clear civic message. It’s eye-catching, memorable and inspires pride in becoming a voter.”
Runners-up Vivi Milles, 7, of Richmond, and Elianna Venables Vogel, 13, of Ferrisburgh, will also have their stickers printed and distributed to future voters.
CIVIC STARS
These Good Citizens completed all 25 activities in the 2025 Challenge! They’ll be invited to the Vermont Statehouse this winter to celebrate their achievement while the Vermont legislature is in session.
JOHN J. ZAMPIERI II, 7, SOUTH RYEGATE
Johnny tackled this summer’s Good Citizen Challenge with gusto, inspired by his late grandfather, a member of the Vermont House of Representatives who later served as commissioner of state buildings and general services.
In an interview, Johnny said his favorite activities were No. 4, “Suggest a Memorial,” and No. 13, “Organize Support for a Cause.” His memorial
IN THE BALLPARK
A pair of sisters, Amelia and Eleanor Dabritz, ages 11 and 9, of Burlington, won the Vermont Lake Monsters prize in this year’s Challenge — 25 tickets to see the Monsters next summer at Centennial Field, plus two Lake Monsters baseball caps.
The girls were among the Good Citizen participants who attended a game and submitted it for Activity No. 10, “Attend a Community Event.”
Why should you attend local events? Said Amelia: “You can meet new people or run into friends you weren’t expecting to see.”
depicted a hammer and chisel on a slab of granite to honor stonecutters such as his great-great-grandfather, who came to Vermont from Italy to work as one. For Activity No. 13, Johnny designed an eyeglasses donation box for the Lions Club, a service organization that collects glasses to be recycled. He made the box after seeing one at the local hospital.
“I wear glasses, and giving glasses to people who need them, like kids, is something I think is very important,” he said.
What does being a good citizen mean to Johnny? “Being nice to other people and suggesting new things and helping out in the town,” he said. He also said it’s important to follow the news to be aware of community events and issues and to stay informed “in cases like a flash flood or something important, like new
discoveries.” Most nights, he watches the WCAX-TV evening news.
Johnny made the news himself this summer when he was featured in an article in the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus for attending the Fish With a Warden event at Ricker Pond in Groton.
SUSANNAH RYE, 11, WATERBURY
This was Susannah’s third time participating in the Good Citizen Challenge, the second time she completed all the activities and the first time she won the grand prize — a free trip to Washington, D.C.
But the prize wasn’t her main motivator. She said she completed all 25 activities because “I want to help my community and make the world a better place.”
John J. Zampieri II sitting in his grandfather’s old House seat
Susannah Rye GRAND PRIZE WINNER!
Good Citizens Give Back
While she’s far from having to choose a career path, Susannah said that when she grows up, she might be interested in “something like journalism or something with writing.” Activity No. 23, “Talk to a Journalist,” proved to be an interesting task for her. “I got to interview my mom’s friend Lisa Scagliotti from the Waterbury Roundabout, and we talked for over an hour,” Susannah said. She heard stories from Scagliotti’s journalism career, why it’s important to cover local news and what the reporter life is like.
“It’s important to know what’s happening in the world and especially in your state,” Susannah said, “because if you don’t, then you don’t really know what’s going on around you.”
Susannah also spoke with firefighter Michael Frank when visiting the Waterbury Fire Department for Activity No. 7, and she asked him questions about why he took up his job. He “got inspired to volunteer from 9/11, and that was pretty interesting,” she said.
Activity No. 24, “Take a Quiz: Is This Real?,” also made an impression: “Say you ask AI a question, and then you ask your teacher, and your teacher says one thing, and AI says another … You want to know what’s right and what’s wrong,” Susannah said.
Her mom is proud of Susannah’s work this summer, especially talking to journalists. “One of the skills we really want to build with our kids is comfort advocating for themselves and comfort talking to other adults and not always with us as intermediaries,” she said.
Susannah said she’s excited to visit Washington, D.C., and meet with Vermont’s members of Congress or their staff members, as well as see the Capitol, the Supreme Court and the Planet Word museum.
OLLIE GRANT, 7, BURLINGTON
Ollie is famous — at least, according to his friends. To complete Activity No. 13, he set up a lemonade stand. He raised $25 for the Humane Society of Chittenden County and delivered the proceeds himself. Afterward, the humane society gave him a shout-out on Instagram, and both WCAX-TV and Seven Days shared the news.
Not all activities were so glamorous. Ollie visited the Ethan Allen Homestead to see a Revolutionary War play to complete Activity No. 16, “Visit a Historical Site or Museum.” “I learned about how they ate, washed clothes and fought in the war in the olden days!” Ollie said. Visiting the fire department was another highlight: “[The firefighters] were the same guys
FRONT PORCH PRIZE
Activity No. 14, “Recognize a Good Citizen,” invited Challenge participants to honor someone in their lives who demonstrates the qualities of a Good Citizen. Lilah Foerster of Ferrisburgh highlighted her teacher, Kaci Pierce . Lilah’s nomination said, “Mrs. Pierce is a good teacher and a good citizen too. She’s really nice and she helped me learn.” Lilah’s nomination was chosen by Front Porch Forum as the winner of its Good Citizen prize: a $250 gift card. Said Susannah Kerest, marketing and communications director: “Front Porch Forum was pleased to present Kaci Pierce with a gift card to her favorite local restaurant in recognition of her service.”
that have helped my family a few times. I learned about how they fix someone when they need heart help right away,” Ollie said.
For Activity No. 4, “Suggest a Memorial,” he actually made one — to honor Charles Dickens — with a little help from his grandpa. Ollie designed and built the Charles Dickens Memorial Free Library (and More), painted it with the help of his sister, and stationed it outside his house.
The “and More” hints that the library isn’t limited to books. As his mom explained, Ollie made the box a library and a food pantry after he found out that some of his classmates were losing their SNAP, or food stamp, benefits at the end of October because of the government shutdown.
IVY SCULL, 9, PUTNEY
Ivy first heard about the Good Citizen Challenge from a participating friend and decided to do all 25 activities.
For Activity No. 13, “Organize Support for a Cause,” Ivy supported the Windham County Humane Society by doing a sponsored bike ride with friends. Community and family members donated $110 to support the cause. “The bike ride was my favorite [activity],” Ivy said. “They also sent me a thank-you note in the mail.”
Ivy wrote one of her own for Activity No. 11., “Write a Thank-You Note,” which she addressed to her school principal. “Thank you for making our school a fun place to go to,” the note read.
She learned about her local government and community through the
Challenge. “I learned stuff about our house when we were visiting the [town] clerk,” Ivy said, referring to Activity No. 9, “Visit the Clerk.” “Their books are, like, this thick,” she added, holding her hands several inches apart.
Ivy held a “forest theater” in her community with a Spanish-speaking friend to complete Activity No. 18, “Work Together With Someone From a Different Background.” She used sign language, combined with some Spanish she knows, to put on the show.
Why is it important to work with people from different backgrounds?
According to Ivy, “You can learn what other people are experiencing in different countries or different states and maybe learn some other things from them.”
LORETTA BOATWRIGHT, 9, NEW HAVEN
At first, Loretta wasn’t sure she wanted to do the Challenge. But her mom encouraged her to try, and as soon as she started she was hooked. “Yeah, I had a lot of fun,” she admitted, reflecting on what she’d done over the summer.
Loretta’s favorite activities were No. 5, “Go Jump in a Lake or a Public Pool”; No. 6, “Read a Book”; and No. 18, “Work Together With Someone From a Different Background.” For the last one, she raised money for the nonprofit Open Door Clinic, which provides health care in Addison County for underserved adults. She worked with her friend from Florida, who is of Ecuadorean and Jamaican descent and has lived in many different countries. “We all need to work together to make our world go ’round,” Loretta said.
A few activities in the challenge get kids out into the community, such as attending a community event or supporting
Ollie Grant
Ivy Scull
Loretta Boatwright visiting a memorial to migrant workers in New Haven
a local business. “It’s important to still be with other people, even though there’s the internet,” Loretta said.
To that end, Loretta visited the library, where the librarian told her about an interesting way to share books called an interlibrary loan. “It means you order something from the library, but it comes from a different library. So, you can still get the same book you want,” Loretta said.
For Activity No. 20, “Read the News,” she went the extra mile, sending a letter to the editor of her local paper, the Addison County Independent “Accomplishing the entire challenge ... that took a lot of perseverance,” Loretta’s mom said.
ELLA BROWN, 9, NEWFANE
Ella started the Good Citizen Challenge this summer just for fun but quickly discovered that completing each activity could make a difference in her community — and teach her more about the place
she lives. She was the first to complete all 25 activities this year.
Ella started by designing a “Future Voter” sticker, Activity No. 1. Hers featured Vermont’s state flower, the red clover. For Activity No. 6, “Read a Book,” she read Sofia Valdez, Future Prez by Andrea Beaty, about a girl who makes change in her community by turning a trash mountain into a park.
“She’s a Good Citizen because she helped the environment with getting rid of most of the trash” in her town, Ella said. Later in the challenge, she completed another activity by collecting a bag full of trash along Route 30.
She also learned why it’s important to keep up with local news. “There’s lots of important things on the news that you can learn from,” Ella said. She learned about whistling by listening to an episode of Vermont Public’s “But Why” podcast for kids. “My dad is really good at it and should become a professional whistler,” she said. She also read the Commons, her local newspaper, where she learned about Vermont Days, when admission is free at state parks.
For Activity No. 13, “Organize Support for a Cause,” Ella organized a sponsored bike ride for the Monadnock Humane Society, where she got her pet rabbit.
“That one was probably my favorite,” Ella said. She made a flyer and wrote to family and friends, Ella’s mom said. From their donations, she raised $125. “We made ribbons to give out to everyone afterwards,” her mom added. “And then she had to write a letter to the humane society.”
“It opened our ability to figure out what’s available and in our community already,” Ella’s mom said. K
THE WINNING TEAMS
The Malikians of Champlain Elementary School in Burlington, named after teacher Aziza Malik, won the prize for most activities completed as a team. Its members earned the opportunity to give a $500 grant from Vermont Humanities to the nonprofit of their choice. Their pick: New Farms for New Americans, a communitybased gardening and agriculture program for refugees and immigrants. Vermont Humanities director Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup presented the check to farm program coordinator Alisha Laramee after school one day in October.
The team from the Morristown Centennial Library won the prize for the best work — for the third year in a row! Its members chose to donate the grant back to the library.
Ella Brown with the trash she picked up
Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup awarding a grant to New Farms for New Americans on behalf of the Malikians
Kaufman Ilstrup awarding a grant to the Morristown Centennial Library
Lend a Hand
Looking
for ways to support Vermont children this season? Here are 15 places to direct your donations.
BY SAM HARTNETT & CATHY RESMER
The end of the year is traditionally a time when Americans give to charities. Many nonprofit organizations launch fundraising campaigns the week after Thanksgiving on Giving Tuesday, which falls on December 2 this year.
In advance of that, Kids VT compiled a list of 15 organizations working to improve the lives of Vermont children and families. Some have a statewide reach, while others
Good Beginnings of Central Vermont
Location: Montpelier
Serves: Prenatal individuals and postpartum families with babies ages 0-18 months
Founded: 1991
As central Vermont’s hub of information, support and connection for prenatal individuals and postpartum families, Good Beginnings hosts parenting workshops, caregiver meetups and babywearing consultations free of charge. It’s staffed by three dedicated mothers of young children and also runs a drop-in space called the Nest for caregivers and babies. Info: goodbeginningscentralvt.org, 802-595-7953
Ronald McDonald House
Location: Burlington
Serves: Families of hospitalized children
Founded: 1984
Vermont’s only Ronald McDonald house, located a mile from the University of Vermont Medical Center, helps families manage the tremendous stress that accompanies a child’s hospitalization by offering a comfortable place to stay with nourishing meals prepared by volunteer chefs and bakers. The historic brick house features communal lounge areas, playrooms for siblings and even a certified therapy dog named Mike. Info: rmhcvt.org, 802-862-4943
work on the local level. Some support activities for kids; others aid parents and caregivers. They all enrich the lives of young people and families in our largely rural state.
As the giving season approaches, consider supporting the next generation of Vermonters, whether by donating to these groups or to others closer to home. Investing in healthy kids and families can make a difference for generations to come. K
Prevent Child Abuse Vermont
Location: Montpelier, works statewide Serves: Ages 0-18
Founded: 1976
The local chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America and the national Circle of Parents provides a wealth of information and resources, all aimed at creating safer and healthier relationships within families. In addition to publishing the Vermont Parents’ Home Companion & Resource Directory, the organization runs a variety of evidence-based and research-informed programs focused on parent education, child sexual abuse prevention and family support.
Info: pcavt.org, 802-229-5724
Vermont Family Network/ Puppets in Education
Location: Williston, works statewide Serves: Families of children with special needs
Founded: 2008
No family should face the challenge of advocating for a child with special needs alone. The Vermont Family Network connects these families with a free statewide helpline, a database of disability and family support resources, and transition services to prepare for the move from school to adulthood, as well as leadership training and advocacy programs. It also runs Puppets in Education, a unique, interactive presentation in schools that addresses safety, inclusion and understanding differences.
Info: vermontfamilynetwork.org, 802-876-5315
King Street Center
Location: Burlington
Serves: Ages 18 months to 18 years
Founded: 1971
King Street Center, located in Burlington’s downtown King Street neighborhood, is a one-stop shop for youth resources, including early education, afterschool, and middle and high school programs. To many kids, it’s a second home. The center’s holistic model encompasses the whole family, addressing housing stability, food security, health navigation and financial coaching.
Info: kingstreetcenter.org, 802-862-6736
Camp Ta-Kum-Ta
Location: South Hero Serves: Ages 7-17
Founded: 1984
Camp Ta-Kum-Ta provides a safe and loving environment for children with cancer and their families free of charge. Year-round programs provide experiences that create a supportive community built on values of safety, connection and joy.
Info: takumta.org, 802-372-5863
DREAM
Location: Operates programs in the Northeast; Camp DREAM is in Fairfield Serves: School-age children and teens
Founded: 1998
Fostering connections at 41 sites across the Northeast, DREAM aims to close the opportunity gap and help kids achieve their full potential through mentoring services, afterschool and summer enrichment programs, and experiential education at Camp DREAM.
Info: dreamprogram.org, 802-338-8979
A family connected with Vermont Family Network
DREAM program participants
Boys & Girls Club of Burlington
Location: Burlington Serves: Ages 5-18
Founded: 1942
The Burlington chapter of the Boys & Girls Club, located in the city’s Old North End, helps 250 kids every day to develop character and life skills by providing a safe place and supporting academic success throughout the year.
Info: bandgclub.org, 802-864-5263
Come Alive Outside
Location: Rutland Serves: Ages 4-18
Founded: 2014
Come Alive Outside was founded with a simple goal: to help people live healthier lives outside. The organization works with schools, municipalities and community partners, hosting programs that connect people to the outdoors in joyful, meaningful ways — including Rutland Winterfest in February.
Info: comealiveoutside.com, 707-867-5969
The Hub
Location: Bradford
Serves: Teens in grades 7-12
Founded: 2018
A safe, inclusive and empowering space for teens to gather, the Hub offers games, food, Wi-Fi, exercise equipment and organized activities like trivia nights, contests and seasonal activities, all provided free of charge.
Info: bradfordteencenter.org, 802-449-3046
Elevate Youth Services
Location: Barre Serves: Ages 12-24
Founded: 1974
To help young people navigate the challenges of adolescence and the path to adulthood, Elevate provides family counseling, emergency shelter, transitional housing support, a drop-in teen center, substance-use prevention and treatment, and assistance with education and employment. The organization serves more than 14,000 young people each year.
Info: elevateyouthvt.org, 802-229-9151
Kids on the Ball
Location: South Burlington Serves: Ages 6-17
Founded: 2000
Kids on the Ball helps kids discover the power of play and the value of being active. Its coaches teach “tennis” with less emphasis on forehands and backhands and more on fun, engagement, connection and opportunity. During the school year, its free programs take place in schools around the region; in the summer, all the action is on the courts at Roosevelt Park in Burlington’s Old North End.
Info: kidsontheball.com, 802-503-7597
Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF)
Location: Waterbury Serves: Ages 0-12
Founded: 1998
Serving underresourced children across Vermont and New Hampshire, the Children’s Literacy Foundation provides free books and literary experiences to help kids form positive connections with reading and writing. The organization collaborates with more than 50 professional authors, illustrators, graphic novelists, poets and storytellers who give in-person presentations, showing children how everyday ideas can grow into stories they can hold in their hands.
Info: clifonline.org, 802-244-0944
Dad Guild
Location: Burlington Serves: Dads and families with children ages 0-10
Founded: 2019
Northern New England’s largest fatherhood community, Dad Guild connects a network of more than 2,000 dads and masculine-identifying caregivers across Vermont, offering a wide range of activities, from dads-only basketball games to dads and kids outings to events for the whole family. Find its monthly podcast, “Dad Pod,” on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Info: dadguild.org, 802-318-4231
Parent Child Centers
All of Vermont’s 14 counties have access to at least one Parent Child Center, where parents and caregivers can access playgroups and parent education, among other types of support. Centers include the Lamoille Family Center, Milton Family Community Center and Family Center of Washington County, among others.
Find a full list at dcf.vermont.gov/ contacts/partners/pcc.
The Hub’s trip to Six Flags Great Escape
Children picking out new books during a CLiF event at Tunbridge Central School
At Lund, our adoption services support the whole family. As a full-spectrum adoption agency, with 135 years of experience, we guide families through every stage of the adoption journey— before, during, and after an adoption is legally finalized.
KIDS JUST FOR
Coloring Contest!
Three winners will each receive a gift card to a local bookstore. Send Kids VT your work of art by February 25 Be sure to include the info at right with your submission. Winners will be chosen in the following categories: (1) ages 5 and younger, (2) ages 6-8 and (3) ages 9-12. Winners will be named in the next issue of Kids VT. Send your high-resolution scans to art@kidsvt.com or mail a copy to Kids VT, P.O. Box 1164, Burlington, VT 05401.
KIDS JUST FOR
COLORING CONTEST WINNERS
Porky Quinn Currier, 5
SOUTH BURLINGTON
5 & under
We received so many special, spiky hedgehogs that we decided to print a few more of them, not just the winners! Hedgehogs are typically shy critters that live in sheltered areas, but many of these submissions showed them rocking out onstage. Thanks to everyone who shared their artwork. We’re looking forward to seeing what you send us next!
Rainbow Hedgehog
Elodie Sinitsyk, 7 CHICAGO
6 to 8
These winners receive a gift card from a local bookstore.
First Crunch of Autumn
Oona Raven Russell-McDade, 11 WOODBURY
HONORABLE MENTIONS
PORCU-SPRING
Dahlia Simms, 4, Richmond
BEACH BRO
Logan Halverson, 5, Georgia
THE HAPPY HEDGEHOG
Landon Plante, 8, Fairfax
LITTLE AND BIG SPIKERS
Alexandra Michelin, 8, Burlington
FANTASY HOG
Evie Schulte, 7, Colchester
HARVEST THEME
Loretta Boatwright, 9, New Haven
ROCK N ROLL
Sylvie Adriance, 9, Montgomery
BACK TO SCHOOL WEEKEND
Twyla Devries, 9, Essex
ROCK ON
Nora Pfeil, 10, Richmond
HEDGEHOG IN A MEADOW
Niki Fouriem, 9, Enosburgh
HEDGY AWAKENS FROM SPRING
Olive Rushford, 9, Charlotte
A NEW SHIRT
Althea Russell, 10, Moretown
A HEART OF GOLD
Zoe Hendela, 10, Monkton
THE HARMONIOUS HEDGEHOG
Jackson, 10, Fairfax
A BLUE FLAME
Evelyn Johnston, 12, Montgomery
MORE
HEDGEHOG HIJINKS
SPIKE’S COLORFUL DAY
Crosby McCombie, 7, Milton
HEDGEHOG HELLO’S ON MORNING WALK
Ophelia Laskovski, 10, Roxbury
LET’S PARTY!
Leontine Cote, 8, South Burlington
THE RAINBOW STAGE
Parker Fabiano, 9, Winooski
STAINED GLASS HEDGEHOG
Olive Bennett, 9, Moretown
August Kolaj, 5, Fairlee
YOUTH TALENT SHOW FOR
• Polina Alekhina, 13, Vergennes
• Uliana Alekhina, 9, Vergennes
• Eli Bart, 15, Shelburne
• Adim Benoit, 13, Montpelier
• Kirin Biancosino, 16, Middlebury
• Mira Biancosino, 14, Middlebury
• Jack Blazewicz, 14, Shelburne
• Violet Chamberlin, 12, Jericho
• Lila Crowley, 13, Middlesex
• Frank D’Amore, 14, Shelburne
• Grace Lawler, 10, Jericho
• Henry Leitz, 12, Jericho
• Molly McCarthy, 13, St. Albans
• Paras Biancosino, 14, Middlebury
• Liddy Moynihan, 9, Underhill
• eophilius Parkinson, 7, Burlington
• Amelia Quante, 12, Underhill
• Lily Ryersbach, 16, Starksboro
• omas Schramm, 15, Shelburne
• Malhar Zach Sengupta, 11, South Burlington
• Yvette Shedrick, 11, Waterbury
• Jenna Sweeney, 14, Georgia
• Eva Tarrant, 14, South Burlington
• Julian Trahan, 15, Colchester
• Ella Twiggs, 11, Shelburne
• Jax Washburn, 12, Jericho
I did not know kindness isn’t always loud, not the grand gestures, not the throw-the-coat-over-a-puddle, because sometimes, it is simply someone sitting on the ground just because you did, even though there’s a perfectly good chair and they’re wearing white pants.
Sometimes,
Kindness, Accidentally
someone waiting for your laugh before they keep talking, letting you hum, letting you be, someone asking if you’re okay when you’re crying on the phone in the middle of the street, reminding you you’re not invisible.
it’s the way they swing your hand while walking, no rhythm just something they can’t help, or it’s the way someone grabs your arm mid-laugh, like the joke was too big for one body, like joy needed somewhere else to go,
someone spinning while they’re waiting for the microwave, skipping stairs just to feel a second of flight, swaying in the kitchen with you, arms around your ribs, like there’s music only you can hear.
It’s the breath someone takes at an open window, like the sky said their name, the way they pull their chair closer to yours, not because they can’t hear you, but because they want to,
It’s no big deal, just a hundred tiny things that say, I see you I see you I see you, without making it a thing, and maybe you don’t notice at first maybe you’re still unlearning how to flinch –but something in you starts to relax
and suddenly, you’re laughing with your whole body, spinning in hallways, breathing deeper at windows, pulling your chair closer too.
Maybe that’s the point. Maybe kindness isn’t the starring role –just the reason the story gets to keep going.
“Building a Snowman With My Neighbor” by Kilian Hurd, age 6, Davis Community School
START YOUR KIDS ON THE RIGHT TRACK WITH A STUDENT CHECKING ACCOUNT
Financial literacy is an important part of your child’s education. A Student Checking account, specifically for 13-17 year olds, can assist them in developing responsible habits today to ensure that they make sound financial decisions tomorrow.
No fees or minimums*
Debit card
Parent or guardian is joint on the account
ATM Access
Online & Mobile Banking
Automatically converts into Reward Checking account at age 18
*No monthly service or overdraft fees and no minimum balance requirement. Must be a member of the credit union to open a student checking account.