Cultivate Announces Inaugural Round of Roots & Blossoms Fund Awardees
We are thrilled to announce the inaugural cohort of Roots & Blossoms Fund awardees. Launched in 2024, the Roots & Blossoms Fund is dedicated to supporting non-profits that provide Vermont youth with access and education to arts and cultural programming. With this inaugural round of awardees, Cultivate reinforces its commitment to using business as a force for good.
The inaugural funding cycle received nearly three dozen applications from organizations across thirteen of Vermont’s fourteen counties – an overwhelming and inspiring response that underscores the critical need for youth arts funding in the state.
The 2025 Roots & Blossoms Fund awardees are:
The Arts Bus – A vibrant, mobile art studio that empowers Vermont youth to find joy and authentic self-expression through the arts. Based in Randolph, The Arts Bus provides hands-on art experiences that meet children at their developmental level and geographic location by traveling year-round to afterschool programs, summer camps, schools, libraries, and community events. The Roots & Blossoms Fund will support their award-winning Ever After Kids Program, which will help provide classes & kits in afterschool programs and summer camps.
The Chelsea Funnery – A Shakespeare-focused summer theatre program that provides youth in Chelsea and surrounding towns with accessible, high-quality theatre education. Students explore Shakespeare and other theatre skills in a supportive, community-focused environment. The Roots & Blossoms Fund grant will directly support the scholarship fund, providing access for students with need for financial support.
Green Mountain Performing Arts – A studio in Waterbury that offers multidisciplinary dance classes for all ages and abilities, with a focus on equal access and instilling a lifelong love of dance and performance. The Roots & Blossoms Fund grant will support the dance shoe and dancewear scholarship fund.
Morristown Centennial Library – Based in the heart of Morrisville, the library fosters literacy, lifelong learning, and public access to information in a welcoming environment, while enhancing access to the arts for children from infancy through their teen years. Through programs like Storytime, Crafternoon, Tween Scene, and other hands-on creative events, the library nurtures arts exploration & literacy in a safe, inclusive space. The Roots & Blossoms Fund grant will be used to fund the purchasing of arts and craft materials to be used for years to come.
Sundog Poetry – A literary arts organization dedicated to fostering a love of poetry among Vermont poets of all ages. As the host of the annual Youth Poetry Summit and the Vermont Youth Poet Laureate program, Sundog provides young writers across Vermont with opportunities to develop their craft, engage in a national literary community, and share their stories across cultural and geographical divides. The Roots & Blossoms Fund grant will award a cash prize to the next Vermont Youth Poet Laureate in recognition of their exceptional work.
The Teen Center – A vibrant cultural center in Middlebury dedicated to supporting adolescent development and well-being by providing space, programming, and resources that empower all teens to reach their full potential. Serving a diverse group of youth – including LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, low-income, and neurodivergent teens – the center fosters community by combatting isolation. The Roots & Blossoms Fund grant will fund transportation and ticket costs for arts excursions, providing teens with access to concerts, museums, and performances outside the Middlebury area.
Vermont Youth Orchestra Association – A musical community that fosters artistic growth, lifelong friendships, and a commitment to musical excellence for students across Vermont. The Roots & Blossoms Fund grant will contribute to VYOA’s new partnership with Hazen Union School in Hardwick, providing in-school lessons for students who lack access to private instruction.
Grants awarded to each of these Vermont-based nonprofits will support their efforts to engage young people in creative expression, cultural exploration, and arts education, particularly in underserved and rural communities.
"We are thrilled to celebrate the first-ever Roots & Blossoms awardees," said Alexandra Tursi, CEO and founder of Cultivate. "The response to our inaugural grant cycle has been inspiring, and we are honored to support these incredible organizations that are making a real impact in the lives of Vermont youth. This first round of funding is just the beginning of what we envision as a lasting investment in the creative future of our state."
The Roots & Blossoms Fund prioritizes four key areas of support:
Access to Arts: Expanding opportunities for youth in underserved communities to experience and engage with artistic disciplines.
Arts Education & Literacy: Supporting educational curricula designed to enhance youth literacy, or art paired with reading and literacy programs.
Cultural Community Building: Opportunities for youth to explore the cultural experiences of historically marginalized populations, focusing on community building & education – with or without an art component.
Creative Expression: Empowering youth as creators by fostering their talents and self-expression, and providing resources for the art-making process.
The success of this first funding cycle highlights the growing demand for arts access and youth cultural programming in Vermont. As Cultivate looks ahead, the agency remains dedicated to strengthening this initiative and expanding its impact in future years.
For more information about the Roots & Blossoms Fund and future grant opportunities, visit cultivatepr.co/roots-blossoms or contact Anna Browdy, Cultivate’s social impact strategist, at anna@cultivatepr.co.