VITAL COMMUNITIES
VT Mini Grants
VTrans is offering $500 grants to municipalities and K-12 schools to assist in building a statewide outreach and advocacy network for the Go! Vermont Program.
Bike, Walk & Roll to School
Bike, Walk & Roll to School Day is fun for students, gets them outside and moving, plus it helps build good habits! And, it reduces vehicle exhaust and traffic around the school.
Check out our Bike, Walk & Roll to School Day toolkit (BELOW) to help you get started organizing this event at your school.
Bike, Walk & Roll to School Day Toolkit
Event Planning Timeline & Guide
Communication Templates
Sample Bike Route Map for Chaperones
Bike & Walk Safety Guide for Students
Smart Commute for Schools
Smart Commute helps Upper Valley schools improve the way students and staff travel to school. Our goal is to increase the number of students and staff who take the bus, walk, bike, or carpool to school and:
- Promote sustainability within the school
- Lower environmental impacts and conserve resources
- Build good transportation and exercise habits
- Save money
- Minimize traffic in town and around the school
What is Smart Commute?
Smart Commute creates a tailored commuting program designed to meet the goals and interests of your school community. Starting with a short, online survey, we establish baseline data on commuting habits and then develop a sustainable commuting plan and work with you to implement it.
Project Deliverables
- Sustainable Commuting Plan including:
- Free strategies like internal promotions, walk-and-bike to school days, Way to Go! commuter challenge
- Low-cost strategies like bike racks and bike repair kits at school
- More ambitious, long-term options like infrastructure improvements
- Tools to connect carpoolers
- Annual surveys to track savings
- Ways to engage students and parents
Is it Affordable?
Vital Communities offers Smart Commute at no cost thanks to the support of the U.S. Department of Energy, The High Meadows Fund, Canaday Family Foundation, Vermont Agency of Transportation, and our many member organizations and individual donors.
Contact us by email or call Bethany at 802.291.9100 x111 to get your school involved.
Participating Schools
Lebanon School District
Frances C. Richmond Middle School
Marion Cross Elementary School
Hartford Memorial Middle School
Ottauquechee School
Resources
- VERMONT SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL
- Learn how to enroll as a partner school and browse their downloadable toolkits, curriculum materials, and web-based seminars on the Program Resources page
- NEW HAMPSHIRE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL
- Learn how to enroll as a partner school and apply for startup grants
- BIKE SKILLS AND LOANER PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS
- Local Motion is a Vermont-based nonprofit that promotes people-powered transportation and recreation
- DISCOUNT BIKE HELMETS FOR SCHOOLS
- Schools are eligible to purchase discounted bike helmets from Safe Kids Vermont. Contact Krissy Keating at 802.847.2291 or by email
- WALK AND BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY
- National Center on Safe Routes to School’s page on how to organize bike and walk to school days
- HOW TO ORGANIZE A BIKE-WALK EVENT
- This resource from Massachusetts Safe Routes to School includes a walkability and bikeability checklist and other resources
- GO! VERMONT
- Vermont’s website to connect commuters with carpools, vanpools, transit information, and bike and walk information
- FEDERAL SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL
- NATIONAL CENTER ON SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL
- SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP
Success Stories
Attention, Vermont Schools: It’s WAY TO GO! Time
This year's statewide Way to Go! School Challenge is September 25 - October 6. It’s a great way for schools to battle carbon pollution head-on!
[...]
More Bus Service for the Bradford Area and I-91
Exciting new bus service improvements from our partner, Stagecoach Transportation Services!
Expanded RIVER ROUTE (Wells River-Newbury-Bradford-Fa [...]
Gear Up for Everyday Bicycling
Do you want to bike more? Ready to take the next step, but not quite sure where to start? Vital Communities can help! In just one short hour, parti [...]
Hartford Middle Schoolers Bike and Walk
Around 150 students participated in Hartford Memorial Middle School’s first Bike & Walk to School Day on May 6. Organized by Vital Communities, [...]
Lebanon School District
In 2013, Smart Commute recognized the Lebanon School District as the small workplace of the year for its Safe Routes to School program, the use of bio [...]
Vital Communities Program News
Fresh Food Sources: An Update
For an increasing number of families, the cost of putting food on the table is becoming more and more of a burden. If you or someone you know could use a hand, know there are ...more
Theater + Pandemic: Four Upper Valley Theaters' Stories
Remember when performances looked like this? (That's Opera North performing at Blow-Me-Down Farm in summer 2019.) Needless to say, times have changed. How do you do your work when its usual nature involves bringing people into ...more
Newly Increased Rebates for Home Weatherization
Newly Increased Rebates for Home Weatherization Now's the best time to think about weatherizing your home as both New Hampshire and Vermont state weatherization programs have announced a temporary increase to weatherization rebates. NH Saves rebates ...more
Questing During Stay at Home Orders
Getting outdoors is good for your mental, physical, and spiritual health, especially during this time of added stress due to COVID-19. We are closely following our state government recommendations in Vermont and New Hampshire regarding ...more
Pick Your Own is OPEN ♥
Yes...Local as Usual, Safer than Ever. Pick Your Own strawberry farms opened this past weekend. Get out there and pick the delish! There is nothing like ripe berries. So good. Each berry that comes into season ...more
Berries: Delicious, versatile and in season now!
The Upper Valley berry season typically ranges from late June to early October. In our short, but fruitful season, we can enjoy raspberries and strawberries (although neither are technically real berries), then move into summer ...more
Welcome 31 New Upper Valley Change-makers
Vital Communities celebrated the graduation of the Leadership Upper Valley Class of 2020 on Wednesday, June 10. This event marked the program’s 14th graduating class, as 31 local leaders completed the 10-month program with a ...more
Quest to Refresh Challenge!
Do you need to press the reset/refresh button? Have you spent too much time behind a screen these days? We have a solution! Take our challenge – Quest to Refresh! Complete five or more Quests ...more
Family Project: Write a Quest for your House!
Over these past few weeks I have experienced waves of anxiety and sadness, and at the same time such gratitude. I can’t imagine going through this crisis in any other part of the world. The ...more
TLC 4WARD Crowdfunding for Businesses
Do you own an Upper Valley business that is suffering due to the effects of the pandemic and could use a little help from your friends? TLC 4WARD Upper Valley is here for you. The Local ...more
A Letter To Our Upper Valley Schools
I hope this note finds you all healthy and adjusting to the routines of remote learning and teaching. I know my family and I are starting to feel a rhythm in our days and finding ourselves to be ...more
Donation Platform for UV Businesses
Do you own an Upper Valley business that is impacted by Covid-19 and could use a little help from your friends? TLC/4WARD is here to help. Vital Communities launched The Local Crowd (TLC) Upper Valley in ...more
Give to the Businesses You Love!
Wendell Berry once said that by choosing to support a local business in your community, you're essentially telling that business owner, "I want you to exist. I acknowledge that you and I are neighbors and ...more
Five Inspiring Stories
On March 18, Vital Communities held a webinar featuring five inspiring stories from energy committees across the Upper Valley. Stories included: Electric charging stations in Bethel An Upper Valley eBike lending library Energy saving window ...more
13th Annual Roundtable - September 15
You're Invited! The 13th Annual Upper Valley Energy Committee Roundtable will be held Tuesday, September 15, 5-8 pm in West Lebanon! This annual gathering of local energy volunteers is open to all, whether you serve on an ...more
Efficient Heating in Vermont
Check out this newly produced, six-minute YouTube video on Efficient Heating in Vermont, created by Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission. The video describes the types and benefits of home heating options and describes the current rebates ...more
Stand in Your Circle of Strength and Lead
Ed. Note: On May 30, Vital Communities honored 12 community leaders who’ve added immeasurably to the vitality of the Upper Valley at its annual Heroes & Leaders Celebration. The following are the event’s keynote remarks ...more
Heroes & Leaders: Creating a Vital Upper Valley
Every spring, Leadership Upper Valley, a program of Vital Communities, hosts the annual Heroes & Leaders Celebration to recognize individuals who make significant contributions to the Upper Valley. In 2019, we are pleased to honor ...more
