BURLINGTON
CHILDREN'S
SPACE
Enrich. Empower. Strengthen.
Founded 1984 | Burlington, VT
Community Partnerships
As an agency committed to meeting the needs of children, families and community, BCS has worked hard to support the increase of high quality child care slots in the Burlington area. We strive to educate members of our community about early education issues, the need for high quality child care, and the impact child care has in the community. In support of these commitments, BCS works collaboratively with many area agencies to offer a range of supports children and families need to thrive.
ECHO, the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, is a non-profit organization that provides fun and educational exposure to marine science for children. ECHO’s mission is to inspire and engage families in the joy of scientific discovery, wonder of nature, and care of Lake Champlain. The museum center is located in downtown Burlington where it is accessible to the BCS community -- in recent years, BCS classrooms have taken field trips to ECHO to explore some of their diverse programs and exhibits, and we have hosted Family Nights in their Champ Lane center for children.
Shelburne Farms is an educational nonprofit organization on a mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. Their work seeks to create the space, spark the conversations, and share the stories to inspire educators, students, and learners of all ages to build a better future for everyone. They offer programs specifically designed for educators and students, in the summer as well as during the school year. The farm is in Shelburne, VT, only about 20 minutes from BCS!
Arts, culture and creativity are just as essential to Vermont’s future as roads, bridges and broadband. Our advocacy builds toward a future Vermont where everyone from community members to state leaders recognizes the essential nature of the creative sector and invests in policies and resources that will foster vibrant creative enterprises and strengthen Vermont communities.
The Fletcher Free Library, located on College Street in downtown Burlington, is a wonderful resources for BCS. Classrooms can borrow books and visit the library on field trips, and families are encouraged to check it out during Family Nights! Fletcher Free Library has an educational outreach program called the Early Literacy Outreach Program (ELOP). They created this program in response to the concern of inequity in kindergarten readiness, the desire to reach early learners unable to come to the library, and the struggles of working women in our community. The goal of the program is to address the need for early literacy education in childcare centers.
BCS is also part of the Burlington Area Community Gardens program (BACG), and we have two garden plots at Archibald Garden in the ONE where we grow vegetables for our food program. It's about a 10-minute walk from BCS -- perfect for afternoon outings! The mission of BACG is to provide community garden sites and programs that are accessible, safe and healthy for people of diverse ages, experiences, backgrounds and abilities.