Southern Vermont – In our small towns, even one additional informed, focused, and engaged community member can make a positive difference. But for new volunteers, getting involved with local projects and governing boards can often seem intimidating. Get on Board, a program of BDCC’s Southern Vermont Economy Project, aims to equip participants with practical skills to become more effective and active in local civic life. From big-picture knowledge to finding mentors, participants learn tips and techniques for navigating local government, fostering positive community dialogue, being an effective board member, making sure local government feels welcoming to all, and forming partnerships for action.
Four in-person sessions will take place on September 20, October 4, October 25 and November 8th in towns across Southern Vermont. Classes feature state and regional leaders from a variety of organizations, panelists with deep experience in local government, and scholars of government and community development.
Tuition for the program, which includes breakfast and lunch at each session, is $200. Scholarships and sponsored seats are available and can be requested as part of the application process. Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis now through September 12th. For more information, or if you are interested in sponsoring a participant, please visit www.sovermontzone.com/get-on-board or contact Meg Staloff at BDCC at mstaloff@brattleborodevelopment.com or (802) 257-7731 x 222.
About Southern Vermont Economy Project (SVEP)
Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation’s Southern Vermont Economy Project provides training and technical assistance to increase local capacity, skills, and resources in the Southern Vermont Economic Development Zone (encompassing Bennington and Windham counties, and the town of Weston) in order to advance local projects critical to Southern Vermont achieving regional community, economic, and workforce development goals. SVEP is funded in part through the USDA Rural Community Development Initiative. For more information please visit: https://brattleborodevelopment.com/svep/
About BDCC
Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) is a private, nonprofit economic development organization with the mission of investing in the drivers of the regional economy so that people, businesses, and communities in Southern Vermont can thrive. In addition to its private nonprofit leadership role in regional business acceleration and expansion programs and projects, economic, workforce and community development programming, BDCC also serves as the State of Vermont’s certified Regional Development Corporation (RDC) for the greater Windham County area (including Windham County and the towns of Readsboro, Searsburg, Winhall and Weston). BDCC is one of 12 RDCs throughout Vermont. BDCC’s activity is made possible in part by a grant from the State of Vermont through the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. For more information visit: https://brattleborodevelopment.com/
About Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS)
Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS), a nonprofit 501(c)3, is an affiliate of Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) that grew from a 2008 grassroots effort, initiated by BDCC, to understand and create long-term strategies needed to reverse the economic decline of the Windham Region and plan for the economic impacts from the closure of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. In 2014, after multiple years of regional input, education and data gathering, SeVEDS received federal approval for the Windham Region’s federally recognized S.M.A.R.T. Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS). SeVEDS has subsequently partnered with Bennington’s Regional Economic Development Group to develop the 2019 and 2024 Southern Vermont Zone CEDS. For more information visit: www.seveds.com.
