Holly Morehouse, co-founder and executive director of Vermont Afterschool, Inc, used the $15,000 Con Hogan cash award she received last year to continue her research on youth programs in Finland that will inform her work here in Vermont. Finnish students have among the highest test scores in the world while having one the shortest school days.
Morehouse had visited Helsinki briefly last summer as part of a national learning exchange. The award she received last fall gave her the opportunity to take a deeper dive with a three-week return trip to Finland this spring. She visited multiple cities this time and talked with youth, community leaders, government officials, and others about the country’s commitment to education, especially educational activities outside of the school day that promote youth development.
“This award is so special and for the message it sends,” she said. “The outcome of the award both for the organization and for me continues to snowball.”
Watch an interview with Holly about her trip to Finland at www.vermontcf.org/conhoganaward
Nominations are still open for the 2018 award. As in the past, the award will go to an individual selected by a committee representing a broad range of interests and experience including health and human services, the arts, government service, early care and education, agriculture, and civic duty. The individual will have demonstrated the following characteristics: a track record of making a difference, focus on data-driven results, community connection, generosity, and enthusiasm. The awardee must be an individual who is a Vermont resident and has not previously received the award.
In addition to Morehouse in 2017, previous award recipients include Michael Monte (2016), and Ellen Kahler (2015).
Nominations were accepted through the Vermont Community Foundation’s website until 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 26, 2018. The award will be presented at a public ceremony on October 3, 2018 in Montpelier. For more information visit www.vermontcf.org/conhoganaward.
The Vermont Community Foundation inspires giving and brings people and resources together to make a difference in Vermont. A family of hundreds of funds and foundations, we provide the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise that make it easy for the people who care about Vermont to find and fund the causes they love.
The heart of the Community Foundation’s work is closing the opportunity gap—the divide that leaves too many Vermonters struggling to get ahead, no matter how hard they work. We are aligning our time, energy, and discretionary resources on efforts that provide access to early care and learning, pathways to college and career training, support for youth and families, and community and economic vitality. We envision Vermont at its best—where everyone has the opportunity to build a bright, secure future.
Visit www.vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information.