SPRING 2025 GRANT RECIPIENTS
A Little Spot of Kindness: CRHS’ EDGE Club will read books with 1st grade classes about sharing and kindness, with a mini book for each child and one for the classroom.
Journaling for Life: Levi Coe Library will have workshops designed to benefit memory, combat anxiety and boost creativity and positivity for teens and adults.
Coach Training: The Coginchaug Youth Soccer Club will sponsor parents and CRHS students volunteering to attend diploma-level soccer coach training, to establish a base of skilled coaches for the future.
Towns United through Meals and Mentoring: DMYFS, Durham and Middlefield's senior services and the Giving Garden will bring youth and seniors together for healthy cooking and meals.
Make and Take: Based on a successful program at the Durham Public Library, the CRHS library will have boxes for students to learn crafts while discussing books with CRHS and Durham librarians.
Unified Cooking Club: CRHS will run cooking sessions, including organizing, planning and shopping, for students with disabilities and other teens.
Poets in the Park: Durham poet laureate Leslie Bulion will work with CRHS creative writing students and community poets to stage an event at White’s Farm.
Poetry Workshops: The Durham Public Library, with Leslie Bulion, will run workshops to nurture the poetic muse of participants listening to invited poets’ hints and prompts.
Mindfulness Matters: Yoga with a certified instructor will be offered to students at Memorial/Strong schools. Correct breathing and self-calming will be part of the instruction.
Family Music: Levi Coe Library will offer ukulele instruction to families, designed for fun and engagement. The ukuleles will be available for more classes and circulation.
Durham Arts Council: The Council will be organized by the town, with plans to offer classes and workshops, lectures and exhibits of local artists.
Coginchaug Outdoor Enrichment Center Programs: The Center will hold two programs: a raptor information session by A Place Called Hope and a foraging program by the Connecticut Foraging Club.
Revolutionary War Encampment: Part of Durham’s America 250 celebration, the encampment, including professional reenactments, will be on Main Street in the Historic District.
Multigenerational Art: The Durham Public Library will offer polymer clay classes to teens and their parents/guardians to foster better relationships, while learning and creating art.
Durham Farm History Boards: The Durham Fair Farm Museum and Durham Historical Society will take local farm history boards, now digitized, and reproduce them on waterproof boards for display in the community.
Decodable Library: More phonics-centered books will be available at the elementary school level (K-4).
Otte Property Enhancements: The Durham Conservation Commission will be working on a conservation trail through this town-owned land, including signage.
Prepared and Empowered: Durham and Middlefield Senior Services will run classes for age 55+ residents in life planning and navigating the challenges of senior living.
While the grants were awarded in June, representatives of the 18 grants were invited to an October reception and introduced to those attending. Pictured are the grantees who were at the gathering and talked about their projects: l-r, Andrew Ehler (soccer coach training); Aubrey Keurajian (outdoor enrichment programs on raptors and foraging); Kathy Bottini (CRHS and first graders reading program on sharing and kindness); Allison Glassman (CRHS unified cooking club); Leah Gastler (Durham’s America 250 Revolutionary War reenactment); Claudia White (DMYFS, towns’ senior services and Giving Garden cooking/meal program for seniors and youth); Leslie Bulion (two grants, providing workshops at Durham Library and CRHS for poetry writing, with time spent at White’s Farm).