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
Safe Routes to School During Pandemic
School reopening is the big topic right now: how to do it safely, effectively, and efficiently. New requirements for health checks, physical distancin [...]
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
Climate Partners Summit Resources
Climate Partners Summit Resources On February 25, 2021, over 70 interested partners and citizens joined the Upper Valley Adaptation Workgroup (UVAW) for a virtual Climate Partners Summit, featuring brief presentation from a variety of organizations working ...more
Local Investment Inspiration & Resources
An "investment" always concerns the outlay of some asset today (time, money, effort, etc.) in hopes of a greater payoff in the future than what was originally put in. Where you choose to invest your ...more
Digital Marketing Assistance for New Hampshire Businesses & Farms
Digital Marketing Assistance for New Hampshire Businesses & Farms Could your business benefit from professional consulting services to improve your marketing? With Rural Development funding, Vital Communities' Local First is hosting a free marketing workshop AND providing ...more
Climate Partners Summit February 25
Climate change has the potential to affect everyone on the planet and virtually every aspect of our lives, including here in the Upper Valley. The good news is that many throughout the Upper Valley are working ...more
The 2021 Climate Change Leadership Academy is Recruiting!
Combatting climate change depends not just on major national and global policy, but also on action within our local community. Promoting citizen-driven, community-level action is the goal of the Climate Change Leadership Academy (2CLA), which is ...more
Quest to the Star!
Have you seen the star alight upon Mt. Tom in Woodstock? Wouldn't it be fun to see it up close? You can if you follow the clues of the Mt. Tom Quest. The star traditionally ...more
Neighbors Helping Neighbors Save Energy
This week marks the close of Vital Communities and volunteers’ 2020 Vermont Energy Savings project in seven towns in the Vermont side of the Upper Valley. Vital Communities partnered with Sustainable Woodstock (serving Woodstock, Hartland, ...more
Farm Viability a Priority for NH Nonprofits
Farm Viability a Priority for NH Nonprofits Farm and Food Businesses Eligible for Team of Coaches Tailored to Their Needs Organizations from around New Hampshire are partnering to offer teams of coaches to New Hampshire farms and ...more
Valley Quest Volunteer Monitors Needed
Do you enjoy being outdoors? Do you enjoy bringing others outdoors and making their experience something special? Then you are a good candidate for monitoring one or more of our 160+ Valley Quests throughout the Upper ...more
Localvore Passport Webinar
Learn how Localvore Passport can help your business connect with customers at an informational webinar, Tuesday, January 12 or Wednesday, January 13! (Attend either event. The same information will be presented twice; Zoom link below). Vermont-based Localvore is ...more
Upper Valley Everyone Eats: The Common Good; Not-So-Common Meals
With the close of 2020 came a pause for Upper Valley Everyone Eats (UVEE), the local hub of Vermont’s coronavirus relief program, Vermont Everyone Eats (VEE), which pays Vermont restaurants $10/meal to prepare free meals ...more
That's Snow Excuse!
Don't be deterred by wet, cold or snow. Good times can be had when a-questing you go! Be sure to search our website Valley Quest page selecting for Season and Year Round to see what ...more
Weatherize Webinar, August 17
Weatherize Webinar with NHSaves Monday, August 17 at Noon Did Covid-19 stop your 2020 weatherization plans in their tracks? NOW is the right time to jump back on the weatherize band wagon. Lower energy bills and cozy ...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
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
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
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
