About us

Building stronger futures for children and families.

Winston Prouty has spent years building a vibrant campus community where families, educators, businesses, nonprofits, and neighbors come together. The campus will continue to be a place for trails, gatherings, businesses, community activities, and shared spaces—alongside new homes.

Winston prouty sign

Our Organization

Founded in 1969, the Winston Prouty Center for Child and Family Development is the early childhood system regional hub in Windham County, Vermont.

Through its Early Learning Center and community-based services, Winston Prouty assists nearly 2,300 families each year.

The organization purchased the Austine Drive campus in 2016 and has since grown it into a vibrant community of businesses, nonprofits, services, gathering spaces, and natural areas.

The Village represents a natural next chapter in that work.

By creating affordable homes alongside the services, relationships, and natural spaces already found on campus, Winston Prouty can help create the conditions families need not only to get by, but to thrive.

Our Campus

The Winston Prouty campus is located in Brattleboro, Vermont, a few miles from the Massachusetts and New Hampshire borders.

The centrally located campus is within walking distance of schools, the hospital, grocery stores, and other amenities.

It also includes forested trails open to the public, outdoor fields, conference rooms, event spaces, and an indoor gymnasium available for community use.

a sign with multiple pointing arrows point to various businesses throughout the village

The Village

A, srchetectural rendering of buildings, people walking, biking and kids playing in a neighborhood with tree lined streets
As communities across Vermont grapple with a deepening housing shortage, The Village at Winston Prouty is advancing a workforce housing initiative that also serves as a model for impact investing and integrated capital—bringing together public funding, private investment, and community-driven financing to create lasting change.
 
To achieve the mission of making The Village at Winston Prouty a thriving, inclusive, and resilient campus community, Winston Prouty will target rents at workforce levels, generally defined as 80-120% of Average Median Income, also known as ‘the missing middle.’ We envision The Village as home to a mix of middle-income workforce households, empty nesters and early retirees, and young adults just starting out.
 
By combining public investment, philanthropy, private capital, and mission-driven financing, The Village at Winston Prouty is positioning itself as both a housing solution and a replicable model for how communities can tackle complex challenges through innovative funding strategies.
The first step toward The Village

Phase 1

Phase 1 is a proposed 28-unit multifamily housing project on the lower portion of the Winston Prouty campus near Maple Street. The project has been permitted and is ready to move toward construction.

The next step is securing the funding needed to make it a reality. The first phase will help establish the foundation for the larger Village envisioned in the campus master plan.

Tan color represents new potential structures; dark pink indicates existing buildings on campus.
Diagram of proposed and existing housing of Phase one
A generated image of the phase one 30 unit housing complex
Phase one 30 unit housing complex concept
Features
  • Studio to three bedroom units
  • Rents targeted at workforce levels
  • ADA accessible at ground level
  • Energy efficient construction
  • EV charging and covered bike parking
A connected neighborhood within a living campus.

The Master Plan

The master plan envisions up to 300 homes integrated into the existing Winston Prouty campus. Housing will include a variety of building types and sizes.

Throughout the plan:

  • New homes are integrated into the existing campus.
  • Green space remains an essential part of the landscape.
  • Walking and biking connections link homes with the campus and surrounding neighborhood.
  • Existing trails remain accessible to the public.
  • Housing is introduced in phases over time.

The result will be a neighborhood that feels connected to the campus rather than separate from it.

Architectural blueprint of phase one
Site plan as approved by the Brattleboro Development Review Board 3/19/25.

Help us take the next step.

Making The Village a reality will take many kinds of investment and partnership. 

Support The Project
  • Donors who believe in creating a lasting community asset
  • Local investors interested in making a direct impact through patient capital
  • Low-interest financing programs for workforce housing
  • Community members who can offer connections, ideas, expertise, and resources

Our leaders

The people helping bring the Village to life
Emily wears a terra cotta colored sleeveless shirt and stands against a green field and mountains in the background

Emily Webb
Campus Director & Owner’s Rep

Sarah wears a grey shirt under an open denim shirt against a green background

Sarah DiNicola 
Assistant Director

chloe wears a blue shirt and black cardigan stanging against a red flowering tree

Chloe Learey
Executive Director

Cor wears a purple and white paisley button down shirt against a green background

Cor Trowbridge
Funding Speicalist

Project Team

Developer:
The Winston Prouty Center

Owners Rep
Sue Cobb, Red Bird Consulting

Site Planning:
Mark Westa Site Design and Development PLLC

Construction Consultant:
Dupuis Construction LLC

Architect:
Bruce Ronayne Hamilton Architects

Engineer:
Hodgman Engineering & Permitting PLLC

FAQ

How will The Village affect traffic?

We know traffic is an important concern for neighbors, particularly along Maple Street, Fairview Street, and Guilford Street Extension.

We are approaching this carefully and are working in several ways to understand and address potential impacts.

A traffic study was completed based on the initial master plan of 342 units. Because development will happen in phases rather than all at once, the study will be revisited as individual phases are planned.

Our conceptual design also includes roadway changes intended to slow traffic and improve safety.

We are working with the Town of Brattleboro to coordinate with existing traffic-calming efforts and will discuss the project with the Town’s Traffic Safety and Control Committee.

We are also exploring ways to reduce vehicle trips through pedestrian and bicycle connections, access to public transportation, and opportunities for ride sharing and car sharing.

One proposed change is a new three-way intersection near the end of the current Austine Drive driveway at Maple Street.

We are also studying other approaches to traffic calming, including changes to neighborhood roads that can encourage slower speeds and improve safety.

These plans will continue to evolve as we work with transportation professionals, the Town of Brattleboro, and the surrounding community.

Yes.

The trail system on campus is currently open to the public from dawn until dusk, and we intend to keep it that way.

The campus is vibrant because of its variety of uses, and the Village is being planned with that community asset in mind.

New housing will be integrated into the campus while preserving valued green space and public trails.

Additional parking capacity is included in the conceptual design.

At the same time, The Village is being designed for a future where residents have options beyond driving. Walking and biking connections, public transportation, and opportunities for shared transportation can help reduce the need for individual vehicle trips.

Winston Prouty currently pays just under $55,000 per year in property taxes.

The tax structure for the campus as development moves forward will be determined by the Town of Brattleboro. Any future development will go through the same applicable procedures and approvals required of other developments.

Phase 1 is planned as the first step in bringing The Village to life.

The first phase is a proposed 30-unit multifamily housing project near Maple Street. The project has been permitted and is ready to move forward once funding is secured.

Future phases will be developed over time as funding, planning, and community needs allow.

Yes.

The Village is being shaped through an ongoing process of listening, collaboration, planning, and learning.

When Winston Prouty purchased the campus in 2016, we took a leap of faith. Since then, it has become a vibrant and supportive community—and we have not built it alone.

Our values of Inclusion, Learning, Collaboration, and Persistence continue to guide our work.

We know that a project of this scale will bring questions, ideas, and concerns. We may not be able to make everyone happy, but we are committed to listening to constructive input and moving forward thoughtfully.

It takes a village to build a village.

three people stand next to each other smiling at the camera
A couple standing on a soccer field smiles at the camera wearing stripes and plaid
sun drifting through trees
white flowers with orange middles
One kid is carrying another on their back. Both are making silly faces at the camera and standing against a backdrop of twinkle lights
Two friends sit on a bench and laugh together as the sun sets behind some trees in the distance

It takes a village to build a village

Together, we can create a place where families have the stability to thrive, children have room to grow, and neighbors have a place to belong.

Join Us