Published June 4, 2024 at 10:00 a.m.| Updated June 4, 2024 at 10:27 a.m.
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- Cathy Resmer ©️ Seven Days
- Good Citizen-aged Graham, 11, at the Vermont Statehouse in 2017
Wow, that happened fast. I'm referring to the onset of summer — I swear it was just stick season, but I thought I saw a firefly in my lush, green yard last night!
I'm also thinking of my son's adolescence; Graham graduates from Winooski High School on June 15. He was still in preschool when Seven Days bought Kids VT in 2010. Now he's six foot one and can bench-press 350 pounds.
Like Graham, Kids VT lifts above its weight: We use our resources to help Vermont parents and their children discover all there is to love about this amazing place we call home.
That often goes beyond pointing out kid-friendly activities, as we do in every issue. In this one we also launch the latest version of our summer Good Citizen Challenge. Created in 2018, the Challenge invites young people in grades K-8 to do 25 activities, such as attending community events or going to museums, and rewards them for participating.
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- Cathy Resmer ©️ Seven Days
- Cathy and Graham shortly after casting their ballots on Town Meeting Day
Every child who completes and submits a Challenge activity will receive a sticker that says "I'm a Good Citizen" and an invitation to a reception at the Vermont Statehouse on September 19. All participants are also included in a drawing for the grand prize: a free trip for two to Washington, D.C., donated by Milne Travel.
There are other prizes, too — free tickets to Vermont Lake Monsters games or a Vermont Green FC match, $50 gift cards to Phoenix Books, a 2025 Vermont State Parks vehicle pass. The Good Citizen participant who designs the best "I Voted" sticker will have their creation mass-produced and available at their town polling places on Election Day in November!
We'll be seeking Good Citizen entries all summer long — online and in person at events, including at two Lake Monsters games. This year we'll also offer incentives for submitting activities as they're completed, rather than waiting until the deadline — Labor Day, September 2.
Another thing to add to your seasonal bucket list: relaxing. This issue begins and ends with summer-themed poems from the Burlington-based Young Writers Project, which connects student writers and helps them publish their work. Doing nothing is something both poets pine for. Don't we all, these days?
Congratulations to the class of 2024. See you at the ballpark!
This Summer I Will...
This summer I will sleep in.
This summer I will enjoy the sunshine.
This summer I will enjoy the rain.
This summer I will listen to the sounds of thunder.
This summer I will listen to the sounds of the wind.
This summer I will sit inside and do nothing.
This summer I will sit outside and still do nothing.
This summer I will watch the fireworks light up the sky.
This summer I will watch the sunset darken the sky.
This summer I will play games with friends.
This summer I will watch movies with family.
This summer I will have fun.
This summer I will relax.
— Connor Abraham, 13, Post Mills
This poem was first published by the Burlington-based Young Writers Project, a free online community where teen writers and visual artists explore, create, connect and get published. Find more information at youngwritersproject.org.
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