Welcome to the March 26, 2009 issue of E-News.

In this Issue

	Garden & Party Volunteers Needed!!!
	Students Impress Senate Education Committee
	Airie Lindsay Bequest
	S & C Harvest Foundation Awards Grant to Support Purchase of Tools and Equipment
	Welcome Denise Barnard – Newest Trustee
	Making Progress in the VYCC Workshop

Faces Behind Our Success

Eric Hanson has served on the VYCC Board of Directors since 1990. He served as Board Chair helping to launch the very successful West Monitor Barn Capital campaign. His leadership, advice on the fiscal committee where he currently serves is priceless, and according to President Thomas Hark, “Eric is one of a small handful of community leaders who continually makes a difference year in and year out.” “In addition to being incredibly savvy on fiscal front he is a ton of fun to have on the team,” adds current Board Chair Caroline Wadhams Bennett.

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Garden & Party Volunteers Needed!!!

Come help the VYCC this spring. We presently have two volunteer opportunities available:

* Grab your straw hat! Visit the Monitor Barn property and help get our garden started. This year the garden will be expanded to pilot a new joint effort with Vermont Foodbank to grow food for local food shelves. Eventually, this Ag-Ed program could grow to provide a continuous supply of food for all Chittenden food shelves as well as our own summer programs. The green house will see seedlings germinate in a few short weeks! Contact Erin Seward at 434.5200 for more information.

* Crafty? Social? Creative? Join our Event Team and help the VYCC plan their 4th annual fall celebration. Contact Kristen Kozik at 434.3969 x113 for more information.

Students Impress Senate Education Committee

The Champlain Valley Union High School (CVU) Crew traveled to the State House in Montpelier to meet with Senators and discuss their VYCC experience. They took a formal tour of the State House, ate lunch with Senators and Representatives, and met for over an hour with the five members Senate Education Committee.
The team presented the VYCC School Program and fielded questions about their experiences in high school and with the VYCC. The Senators will use the information provided by the CVU Crew to help guide their decisions as they formulate education policy and allocate state resources.

Airie Lindsay Bequest

The VYCC is pleased to announce that Airie Lindsay, a long time friend and supporter of the VYCC, has generously awarded the VYCC with a $60,000 bequest, which will be used towards supporting the rehabilitation of the recently purchased East Monitor Barn. Once renovated, the East and West Monitor Barns and nearly 400 accompanying acres will return to a single, conserved ownership for productive and sustainable, agricultural, educational and recreational use. These combined facilities will be training headquarters for the VYCC, allowing for continued organizational growth, including the expansion of our year-round and statewide alternative education program.

Estate gifts like that of Airie Lindsay offer significant support and often provide tax breaks for donors. If you are interested in learning more about the VYCC’s planned gift program, please contact Breck Knauft at 802.434.3969 x110.

S & C Harvest Foundation Awards Grant to Support Purchase of Tools and Equipment

Spring is the time of year when the VYCC purchases new equipment to ensure that each crew has the tools and camping gear they need for the upcoming year. This year, the VYCC received a generous $5,000 gift from the Cornwall-based S & C Harvest Foundation to help pay for these important purchases. Because we expect to significantly increase the number of people working on our crews this summer, such a gift allows more work to be done safely and efficiently. The VYCC Operations Department, along with Tool Manager, Katherine Buell, will now set out to purchase 20 pick mattocks, 35 rock bars, up to 10 brand new tents, new carpentry tools…and much, much more.

To help offset our costs, we are also looking for donations of 5-gallon buckets! If you have some, or know where to get some, please contact Katherine Buell at 802.434.3969 x135.

Welcome Denise Barnard – Newest Trustee

Denise, who has served on local school boards for 13 years, as a state representative for four years, and owns the Bridge Street Hair, joined the VYCC Board of Trustees this month. Denise brings an enormous amount of energy and expertise around education issues, organizational management, and communications. We all share Board Chair Caroline Wadhams Bennett’s sentiment when she said, “…having Denise as part of our team will truly make all the difference, and we could not be more pleased.”

Making Progress in the VYCC Workshop

Program Staff and School Crews alike have spent a great deal of time down in the workshop this winter, readying our tools, gear, and signage for the upcoming season. Specifically, the MMU Crew has been a huge help, as they helped design, build, and install a new shelving system for broken tools. They are also currently testing all of our backcountry water filtration systems! This month they start a weatherization project at Recycle North.