has awarded a $250,000 grant to ̽̽’s (̽̽) Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships to expand its statewide summer internship program and amplify the Institute’s efforts to provide clear, accessible data to feed economic and community development work throughout the Green Mountain State.
“The Ford Foundation’s generous support helps ̽̽ continue to fulfill its land grant mission, strengthening our commitment to contribute to the economic resilience and well-being of rural communities in Vermont and beyond,” said Patricia Prelock, Interim President of ̽̽. “The Leahy Institute’s Summer Internship Program and its Data Services Collaboration are perfect examples of how ̽̽ partnerships can create opportunities for students and make an impact in our state.”
The grant exemplifies the Ford Foundation’s core pursuits of investing in individuals, building institutions, and supporting new ideas.
“Rural communities are the backbone of American society, if they are not prosperous we cannot achieve a country without inequality,” said Ford Foundation president Darren Walker. “With this investment in the Leahy Institute, we hope to empower Vermont’s rural communities with the tools they need for sustainable growth, while also providing ̽̽ students with service-learning experiences that help cultivate the next generation of leaders.”
The Ford Foundation grant will allow the Leahy Institute to add a second cohort to its Statewide Summer Internship Project. The program sends ̽̽ students to rural Vermont communities for eight weeks of employment, community engagement and learning. In its first two years, the project supported high quality internship opportunities for 12 ̽̽ students in central Vermont and in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. In Summer 2025, one cohort will return to the Northeast Kingdom, and the second will work in Vermont’s White River Valley.
“These summer internships boost the capacity of small-town organizations and businesses to complete projects and to scale up,” said Tricia Coates, Director of the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships. “And for students, the internships offer a chance to see firsthand the many opportunities that are available in our rural Vermont communities,”
The Ford Foundation grant will also amplify the Leahy Institute’s efforts to provide organizations throughout the state with clear, accessible data to help them operate more effectively.
The Data Services Collaboration leverages the expertise of ̽̽ partners such as the Center for Rural Studies and the Complex Systems Institute to help address a wide range of rural issues, including community wellbeing, housing development, zoning, wastewater infrastructure, and environmental conservation.
“Our towns and agencies are in constant need of current and quality data for grant applications, disaster recovery, and a whole host of planning activities,” said Leahy Institute partner Chris Campany, Executive Director of the Windham Regional Commission. “̽̽’s willingness to bring its expertise together with community partners to provide this service fills a critical gap for Vermont.”