MENTOR Vermont announces recipients of the 2025-2026 Vermont Mentoring Grants

Vermont Business Magazine MENTOR Vermont is excited to announce the recipients of the 2025-2026 Vermont Mentoring Grants, the only mentoring-specific funding available to youth mentoring programs throughout the state. This year, MENTOR Vermont awarded 18 grants, totaling $615,000, which will support more than 1,800 youth mentoring matches in communities across Vermont.

MENTOR Vermont recognizes that young people are natural dreamers, but not all youth are given the same access and opportunities to achieve those dreams. A caring and committed mentor can help a young person ignite their curiosities, solidify their passions, and leverage their talents.

“MENTOR Vermont has been there from the beginning and has been instrumental in helping us launch, sustain, and grow this program. We would not be where we are today without their support,” said Kathy Mai, Mad River Mentoring Program Coordinator.

More than ever, youth need supportive, committed mentors in their life who see, hear, and champion them. By increasing the quality and quantity of safe and effective mentoring relationships in places where young people live, learn, connect, and play, the Vermont Mentoring Grants help address the inequities plaguing Vermont youth.

Through the generous contributions of the Vermont Department for Children and Families, MENTOR Vermont provides annual funding to mentoring agencies, investing in the creation and support of quality, long-term, youth mentoring programs.

At a time when research shows that loneliness and isolation are trending upwards, we know that relationships are powerful tools for significant change. They bring us together, help us to navigate our divides, and create a common purpose. Mentoring unites us.

Through the 2025-2026 Vermont Mentoring Grants, MENTOR Vermont has awarded 18 grants to agencies, schools and districts/supervisory unions, and independent non-profits throughout the state.

Including:

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Vermont

Cabot Mentoring

The Collaborative

Connecting Youth Mentoring/Champlain Valley School District

The DREAM Program

Empower Up!/Mountain Views Supervisory Union

Everybody Wins! Vermont

Grand Isle County Mentoring

King Street Center’s Mentoring Programs

Lincoln Mentors/Lincoln School District

Mad River Mentoring

The Mentor Connector

The Mentoring Project of the Upper Valley

MAUSD Mentoring/Mt. Abraham Unified School District

Spectrum Mentoring/Spectrum Youth and Family Services

Twinfield Together Mentoring Program

Windsor County Mentors

Youth First Mentoring

 

About MENTOR Vermont: MENTOR Vermont drives equity through quality mentoring, so every young person in Vermont has the supportive relationships they need to grow and thrive. To achieve this vision, MENTOR Vermont provides funding, resources, and support to the youth mentoring field in Vermont to strengthen the quality and broaden the reach of mentoring relationships throughout the state. In addition to managing the Vermont Mentoring Grants, the organization provides technical support to mentoring program staff, maintains an online program directory and referral system for volunteers, manages a quality-based program management database, raises public awareness of mentoring, works with programs to ensure they are meeting best practices, and leads statewide mentoring initiatives. MENTOR Vermont is the state affiliate of MENTOR. For more information about mentoring programs and initiatives in Vermont, visit www.mentorvt.org

Burlington, VT—MENTOR Vermont www.mentorvt.org

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