Kanchan started coming to King Street Center in elementary school after her family moved across the street. A few years later when Kanchan first met her mentor, Lini, she wasn't entirely sure what having a mentor meant. She figured it was probably just "a person to hang out with."

Seven years later, their relationship has become much more than that.

Over the past five years, King Street Center has grown in ways that reflect the hopes, ideas, and needs of our young people and families. Together, we have created new opportunities, deepened our relationships, and strengthened a place where kids know they belong and have people who believe in them.

King Street’s Executive Director, Shabnam Nolan, has accepted an invitation from Governor Scott to serve as Deputy Secretary of Vermont’s Agency of Human Services. Her last day as King Street’s Executive Director will be Friday, October 16th.

We have some exciting news: King Street Center has been selected as a featured nonprofit in the Target Circle™ Community Giving Program!

Now through December 31, Target Circle members can cast votes for King Street Center to help direct a portion of Target’s charitable giving to our work supporting young people and families in our community.

This past week, four young people sat in front of a room filled with community members and did something that, in many ways, captured exactly what King Street Center's Academic & Career Exploration (ACE) program is all about.

They told their stories.

The public safety conversation can’t begin only when someone is in crisis. It has to begin with children.

Our Executive Director shares why prevention, opportunity, and investing in children are among the strongest foundations of a safer community.

School may be out, but opportunity is just getting started.

This summer, 170 children and teens will walk through the doors of King Street Center looking for more than a place to spend their day. They'll find caring adults, literacy support, career exploration, outdoor adventures, healthy meals, and a community that believes in their potential.

Our 2026 Summer Newsletter shares some of the exciting moments already unfolding!

What happens when young people are given the opportunity to explore their interests, imagine new possibilities, and discover their own potential?

In this conversation, 9th grade participants Kanchan, Maryan, and Batula share what they've learned during their first year in King Street Center's Academic & Career Exploration program.

On April 30, King Street Center will be featured at Hula’s Story Sessions, an event series highlighting organizations driving innovation and impact across Vermont. This conversation will explore how King Street has evolved from a neighborhood afterschool program into a holistic youth development and family empowerment ecosystem, shaped directly by the needs and voices of our community.

Meet the panel you’ll hear from »

Here is a quick peek into a Day in the Life of Uriel, a 3rd grader here at King Street Center!

For Uriel, the day begins at Edmunds Elementary, where students and staff gather together and line up for our brisk walk down to King Street. It’s a chance to shake off the school day, connect with friends, and transition into the afternoon ahead.

At this moment, we know many in our community are feeling uncertainty and fear. We want to be clear about who we are and how we are showing up.

At King Street Center, our responsibility is to be both steady and prepared — grounded in care, clarity, and connection. Our guiding priority remains the safety, dignity, and well-being of the youth and families we serve.

Meet Ben and Kyle, who were matched through King Street Center’s mentoring program in 2001. What began as weekly meet-ups over a few formative years has grown into a connection that has endured for more than two decades—showing up in both the big milestones and the quiet, everyday moments in between.

As we celebrate National Mentoring Month this January, we’re honoring the power of long-term relationships and the lasting impact one caring adult can have in a young person’s life.

A King Street Center story is now part of Vermont’s story. We are overjoyed to share that longtime youth Maryan has been appointed to represent Chittenden County on the Vermont State Youth Council. She is the newest King Street youth to be selected for this statewide leadership role.

Each year, King Street Center’s High Five Awards remind us what community truly means. It’s one of our favorite traditions — a chance to pause, gather together, and celebrate the people who make King Street shine. Read the stories of our 2025 winners!