• Courtesy
• New Vermont "I Voted" stickers designed for the Good Citizen Challenge, from top left: Lyle Johnson, Willa Saunders, Grace Gillman

Some years I can't wait for the crisp air, darkening sky and changing leaves of autumn. As Riley Bernatchy writes in the poem at the end of this issue, "Fall paints the landscape beautifully."

Indeed. But I'm not ready yet. I need a few more weeks, maybe some cider doughnuts from Shelburne Orchards, a drive down I-89 when the leaves are changing, to get me in the spirit.

Putting together this issue of Kids VT did help. Thinking about harvest festivals and a new season of shows at the Flynn gave me something to look forward to.

But I couldn't help filling some of these pages with a look back at summer and the work kids all over the state did for the 2024 Good Citizen Challenge, our nonpartisan youth civics project.

What a summer this was, in terms of political news! The fateful presidential debate, the assassination attempt on former president Trump, President Biden dropping out of the race, Vice President Harris dropping in, the vice presidential picks. Honestly, I found all of it bearable because several times a day I got notifications that kids were doing activities in the Challenge. It was my own private news feed of positivity, and I loved it — 850 entries and climbing!

I'll never have enough pictures of kids reading their local newspapers or learning about memorials in their towns or setting up lemonade stands to benefit flood relief — and the amazingly creative "I Voted" sticker designs, such as the ones on this page! Seriously, keep them coming. The deadline is September 2. And take a few moments to read through the responses we got from participants. Maybe they'll inspire you to volunteer or vote or participate in a fundraiser.

You may not be able to influence thousands of voters in a swing state, but you'll make connections with the people who live nearby. They're the ones you can work with to raise money for a new playground or to get a speed bump installed in front of your house to slow traffic. At the end of the day, those things will likely have a bigger impact on your day-to-day life than the outrageous congressperson who said something offensive.

Lastly, I want to thank our underwriters for the Good Citizen Challenge — the Evslin family, the Pomerleau Family Foundation and the Vermont Community Foundation — and all of our partners. We couldn't have put this all together without their support. Writing a thank-you note is one of the activities in the Challenge, and all of these folks deserve a big one.

So, are you ready to start a new school year yet? Good luck to all of you parents out there buying school supplies, packing lunches and gearing up for the chaos ahead. We see you! You got this!

Is it time for cider doughnuts yet?