This program is open to children from other towns, as long as there is space.  Your members may have children or grandchildren who would enjoy some of the programs. 

TOWN Of POULTNEY 

Contact:          Jonas Rosenthal
Phone:            802-342-7251
Email:              jonasrosenthal.vt@gmail.com

Poultney Summer Recreation Selected  to Receive a 2021 Summer Matters for All Grant

The Poultney Recreation Commission was recently selected to receive $ 20,407 in funding from the Summer Matters for All Grant program. According to Governor Phil Scott, the Summer Matters for All Grant Program will award up to $3.85 million to programs in 13 counties with the goal of expanding access to summer enrichment opportunities for K-12 youth this summer.

The purpose of this grant is to support activities and enrichment opportunities for youth and community members. This grant opportunity would increase our local programming for area children and youth including educational programs, summer activity camps both indoor / outdoor, and in the arts and humanities. 

This summer our programs will include: the Hogwarts Academy, Ballet/Jazz Dance; Intro to hand drumming; Music and Art from the Caribbean; Mountain Bike camp; Introduction to martial arts, Nature Camp; Nature Crafts; swim lessons; pony rides; Princess Camp; Imagination Camp; Woodworking, Jewelry making; crazy crafts; candle crafts; sculptie crafts; soccer, basketball, floor hockey, gymnastics dance, cooking, boys and girls baseball, tennis, Jr. Golf and Mini-golf, Kinder Camp, No Strings Marionette, several Library programs and Rodeo outings.

Our programs mostly utilize the local Poultney Elementary and High Schools buildings and grounds with the exception of the swim program which will be offered at Castleton’s Crystal Beach. We have also partnered with other organizations including the Stone Valley Arts Center, the Poultney Library, REclaimED Maker Space & Skills Center, Lake St Catherine State Park, Pond Hill Ranch and the Slate Valley Trails, utilizing its resources for the community and participants.

Programs will begin on June 21 and will extend to August 13. Additional programming may extend past that date but discussions are pending. Most of the children that we serve range in age from 4 – 11. The Commission also hires Jr. Counselors from the Jr. High School and Counselors from the High School to assist our activity leaders with program assignments.

 Sheryl Porrier, co-Recreation Director and a member of the Poultney Recreation Commission for the past 35 years states, that “it is really great to be back after a long and difficult period of isolation and health challenges for children and families. We hope that our line-up of programs we are offering this summer will help improve ways for the community to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. We missed the many smiles of our kids attending past years activities and the parents who send their kids for fun and healthy activities”. Jonas Rosenthal, co-Recreation Director and also a member of the Poultney Recreation Commission who has worked with Sheryl for the past 35 years agrees and states “this grant funding will help us add new programs and extend our summer schedule as we partner with new organizations to expand our reach to help us challenge children to make new friends and learn new skills that will last for a long time.”

Governor Scott has put an emphasis on helping Vermont kids recover from the pandemic and the isolation it caused, including creating opportunities for them to safely reconnect with their peers and their communities. The purpose of the grant program is to increase access to summer enrichment opportunities for K-12 youth statewide during Summer 2021. This was a highly competitive process with 188 proposals submitting $7,427,584 in requests, which far exceeded available funds.

The grants, funded by federal dollars secured by Senator Bernie Sanders and administered by Vermont Afterschool, were awarded to a variety of programs, including summer camps, libraries, municipalities, teen centers, non-profit social services organizations and more, to expand the number of weeks and slots, as well as to increase affordability and accessibility of summer programs. These offerings will supplement school-based programs, as districts in Vermont received separate federal funds to support summer learning and afterschool programs.

“Summer is the perfect opportunity to help kids reconnect and recharge. We are incredibly grateful to our state leaders and policymakers for their commitment to the development of the Summer Matters for All Grant Program,” said Holly Morehouse, Executive Director of Vermont Afterschool. “With this funding, communities and youth-serving organizations across the state will be able to create a great summer for Vermont children and youth that will help them make new memories and emerge from the pandemic strong, resilient, and hopeful.”

For more information about Poultney’s Summer Recreation programs and how to register, visit the link below:

https://www.poultneyrecreation.com/poultney-recreation-2021/

And, please sign-up or bring in your completed registration form to the Poultney Town Office located at 9 Main Street or simply pickup additional registration forms. Extra programs / brochures can also be picked up at the Poultney Town Office.

Questions about these programs can be directed to Sheryl Porrier at 353-7212 or Jonas Rosenthal at 342-7251. 

The Town of Poultney Recreation Commission is a Department of a Municipal government entity and is responsible for planning, implementing and supervising recreation programs. The Commission offers a variety of programs and activities within the community mostly on a seasonal basis. A complete list of the 2021 Summer recreation activities offered can be found at https://www.poultneyrecreation.com/poultney-recreation-2021/