2021 Awards

GRANT RECIPIENTS

After careful evaluation and recommendation from the Advisory Board, the Board of Trustees awarded $843,237 to three Island non-profits and provided last-dollar funding for a school Covid surveillance testing program. Adult & Continuing Education Martha’s Vineyard (ACE MV) received a $281,087 grant, Foundation for Underway Experiential Learning (FUEL) received a $100,000 grant, Island Autism Group (IAG) received a $250,000 grant and the Martha’s Vineyard Public School (MVPS) system received a $212,150 grant. Synopses and images below outline the award-winning proposals. 

*Click on each organization’s name or photo to read annual updates about their growth.

Adult & Continuing Education Martha’s Vineyard (ACE MV)

Career Pathways Advancement
Award: $281,087

Mission:  To enhance the Island as an economically viable and culturally rich place to live and work by helping young adults prepare for a life of meaningful work on or off the Island; by supporting our Island workforce with programs and courses to enable them to build skills, gain credentials, and thrive; and by providing adults of all ages with opportunities for life-long learning.Funds from MVYouth will support a partnership between ACE MV and Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS) designed to build capacity for Vineyard youth ages 16-25 to develop essential career skills, and to equip school and community guidance counselors with career pathway resources. Grant funding will be disbursed over a three-year period to launch the initiative.

The planned program has three major goals: 1) hire a qualified Career Development Specialist; 2) design a website and phone app specifically for use by 16-25 year old youth to engage in local and regional career pathway planning; and 3) engage an expert trainer to deliver high-impact, alternative-thinking training sessions for all MVRHS guidance staff and the Career Development Specialist each year of the three-year grant period.

 Fiscal responsibility for continued program operations will be gradually transferred back to ACE MV, MVRHS and the school district to sustain after the three-year funding period ends. MVYouth’s support in years two and three will be contingent on ACE MV making financial contributions and securing planned contributions from the school district and MVRHS, as outlined in their proposed budget, as well as providing evidence of the project’s successful operation and adequate achievements in an annual report.

Foundation for Underway Experiential Learning (FUEL)

Shenandoah, Voyage into the Future
Award: $100,000

Mission:  To help youth thrive through high-adventure learning aboard our voyaging sailing ship.

In September, Captain Bob Douglas announced that he would donate Shenandoah to FUEL, an Island non-profit led by co-founders, Ian Ridgeway and Casey Blum. As the new stewards of Shenandoah and its programming, FUEL intends to offer enhanced tall ship learning opportunities for Island youth and pilot new programming for young adults.

For the past 25 years, the tall ship, Shenandoah, has been operated by The Black Dog Tall Ships (BDTS), providing educational experiences for local youth and Island visitors. Over 5,000 Vineyard youth have sailed aboard Shenandoah on week-long cruises with their fifth-grade classes. These Sailing Schools trips are a rite of passage for Island youth, revered by both students and parents for the unique and transformative experience they offer and the opportunity to access our ocean backyard.

FUEL’s capital campaign has three parts, totaling $1M. MVYouth’s grant completes phase 1, which includes capital improvements to Shenandoah. FUEL is actively fundraising for phase 2, which includes administration and ownership expenses, and phase 3, which includes program development expenses and a scholarship endowment. Including the MVYouth award, FUEL has raised over $625,000 to date.

Island Autism Group (IAG)

Island Autism Center
Award: $250,000

Mission:  We strive for the lifelong independence, confidence, and happiness of autistic individuals and their families on Martha’s Vineyard, through housing, life skills, enrichment, job training, and therapies.

Led by Kate DeVane, IAG has been serving autistic children and their families, as well as providing services and resources to the local school systems on Martha’s Vineyard since 2008. IAG has partnered with the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank (MVLB) and Island Housing Trust (IHT) to establish an Island Autism Center and residential neighborhood. In mid-November, IAG and MVLB together purchased a 17.5 acre parcel on upper Lambert’s Cove Road in West Tisbury. IAG now owns 7.5 acres, and MVLB owns 10.0 acres. IHT will serve as the developer of both the campus headquarters (to be known as the Hub House) and the subsequent residential component.

 The Center will help fulfill the group’s mission to provide services and support for school-age children and young adults with autism, will include a small, mission-driven farming operation and eventually provide a needed residential setting for young adults with autism who are ready to move out of their family homes. IAG has identified approximately 200 year-round residents, including 56 school-aged children diagnosed on the autism spectrum and family members impacted by autism.

The Island Autism Center capital campaign has three phases. MVYouth’s funding will complete phase 1, which has a budget of $1.2M and includes the construction of the Hub House and farm stand. IAG is actively fundraising for phase 2, which includes the construction of a barn and half of the residential zone, and phase 3, which includes the second half of the residential construction.