With the click of a button, $30,000 in funding to support arts programming this year is gone.

On Friday, May 2, 2025, just shy of 8 p.m., the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont (GIV) received an email identical to many across the state and country: the National Endowment for the Arts had rescinded its offer to fund us. After a decade of steady funding, the $30,000 to support this summer’s Governor’s Institute on the Arts was gone with the click of a button as federal priorities changed.

The funding may be gone, but the 190 accepted high school students from every corner of Vermont are very much still here! They tell us that they crave connection with peers and inspiration from professional artists. Their recommenders tell us that arts opportunities in their home communities are limited. And their parents and guardians tell us that without significant financial aid, they cannot afford this transformational experience for their children.

The Governor's Institutes on the Arts (GIA) is a two-week immersive learning experience for Vermont high schoolers. It helps them form a community with peers and professional artists, shows them career opportunities, and introduces them to college life. Students tell us it changes their lives and helps them find belonging and confidence, which are critical to good mental health and the desire to contribute to our communities.

“This has been the most social and educational experience I have had in such a long time. It is a perfect balance of learning, freedom, rules, and sophistication. Overall, this has been the best and most interesting two weeks of my life.” – Arts Institute Alum

GIV is committed to a sliding-scale tuition model based on a family’s income, to ensure that any young person with motivation and passion can access our summer Institutes. Students may pay as little as $20 to attend a two-week Institute on the Vermont State University Castleton campus.

Did you know that more than 75% of our student body receives financial assistance to attend?

Can you help a student attend GIA by making a $10 monthly donation?

GIV will provide $350,000 in tuition assistance this summer for GIA students.

Can you help a student in need get to GIA by funding their tuition with a $3,000 tax-deductible gift?

Your donation, no matter how big or small, will help GIV fill this unexpected funding gap.

Every dollar raised will be put to immediate use, directly supporting students.

It is easier than ever to make your one-time or recurring gift with a credit card, PayPal, Venmo, or ACH. The coffee, snacks, or clothing you might buy with $10, $40, or $100 could instead provide the summer opportunity of a lifetime for hundreds of young Vermonters in need! Thank you!

Learn more about GIV.

$30K for GIA!

Help us raise $30,000 to close the funding gap for the Governor's Institute on the Arts (GIA).