Vermont Community Foundation 'Spark!' Grant Supports Access to Music Instruments and Radio Station for High School Students
Big Heavy World recently received a $3,000 grant from the Vermont Community Foundation’s Spark! Connecting Community grant program. The grant will support Big Heavy World’s ‘Band House’ after school drop-in program for high school students. Band House provides a full backline of musical instruments for learning, practice and jamming with peers from diverse local schools, and an opportunity for students to become a DJ on 105.9FM The Radiator, a community radio station operated by Big Heavy World.
James Lockridge, Executive Director of Big Heavy World, said, “Vermont’s ‘can-do, do-it-yourself’ culture is made stronger by resources like Band House that allow young people to explore their interests and passions in an environment they can make their own. We send emphatic ‘Thanks!’ to the Vermont Community Foundation and its funders for their support and respect for Vermont’s newest artists.”
The Spark! Connecting Community grant program puts building and nurturing community front and center. The Community Foundation aims to support the work happening throughout Vermont’s 251 towns that build social capital. These grants — where a small amount can make a big difference — are intended to light the spark that keeps Vermonters healthy and happy.
Big Heavy World is a volunteer-staffed nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the music of Vermont. It operates a radio station, music archive, web site, and special projects that give music lovers a platform for serving their scene and celebrating Vermont’s arts and culture. It was founded in 1996 and more information can be found at bigheavyworld.com.
The Vermont Community Foundation inspires giving and brings people and resources together to make a difference in Vermont. A family of hundreds of funds and foundations, the VCF provides the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise that makes it easy for the people who care about Vermont to find and fund the causes they love.
The heart of the Community Foundation’s work is closing the opportunity gap — the divide that leaves too many Vermonters struggling to get ahead, no matter how hard they work. The VCF is aligning its time, energy, and discretionary resources on efforts that provide access to early care and learning, pathways to college and career training, support for youth and families, and community and economic vitality. The Community Foundation envisions Vermont at its best — where everyone has the opportunity to build a bright, secure future. Visit vermontcf.org or call (802) 388-3355 for more information.
Photo: Young musicians from the Green Mountain Quartet perform on 'Rocket Shop,' a weekly local music radio hour hosted by the volunteer crew of Big Heavy World. Photo by James Lockridge.
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