By Ellie Neckers, Youth Program Specialist and Lamoille Union Class of 2025

On Friday, November 8th, a group of fifth and sixth-grade youth from five Lamoille North Supervisory Union elementary schools gathered at Lamoille Union High School to discuss what it truly means to be a leader within their schools; the day was planned and facilitated by the district’s Equity Design Team (EDT). The day’s goal was to build meaningful connections and foster community between the schools while creating the toolkits of each school’s leaders. This day comes after months of planning with the district and UP for Learning. The team convened under the umbrella of one of UP’s newest programs, Personal Power and Community Connections or P2C2.

The day started with a brief introduction and opening circle, where participants actively engaged by answering whether they could have anything for breakfast and what their dream would be. This interactive circle resulted in many fun laughs and everyone feeling a little bit hungry before moving into a quick team bonding game in which the youth played Pictionary, all related back to Leadership. These activities are crucial in developing new teams as they build trust among the people in attendance. It breaks down that awkward barrier and allows for more meaningful conversation, keeping everyone engaged and involved.

The youth then engaged in a unique lesson known as the Circle of Courage, a culturally sensitive activity derived initially from Indigenous peoples. This activity, which UP would like to recognize for its respect for Indigenous knowledge, allows students to effectively frame their purpose for being there. It unlocks conversations surrounding why it is our time to socialize, how we best support belonging in our school community, and who in our staff fosters a kind experience for us to learn in. The conversations that followed the Circle of Courage were incredibly positive and allowed us to move on with our day in a better tone.

The rest of the day was filled with laughter and joy as students spent time analyzing different leadership styles, enjoying a delicious lunch provided by their district’s incredible cafeteria workers, and participating in a massive game of secret dancers. Students had the opportunity to make friends, explore different ways of thinking, and have an enjoyable day at the high school. The positive feedback from the students, such as Dylan (age 11) who said, “I made friends from a different school, which was totally fun!” and Calvin (age 10) who shared, “I had a really good time, I learned about what other schools do and different styles of how to be a leader,” showing the importance of the P2C2 retreats.

The next step for the LNSU P2C2 team is to lead smaller retreats at each elementary school; each school now has a group of dedicated learners and staff to help support UP with the facilitation. These individual retreats will focus solely on the school’s needs and wants guided by UP’s P2C2 curriculum and the YPAR (Youth Participatory Action Research) process. Then, throughout the year, the teams will come together for two more retreats as a large district-wide leaders group to support each other and keep growing their understanding of what it means to be a leader in their schools. The ongoing support of UP staff and leaders from the Middle and High Schools Equity Design Team will be another impactful part of these students’ journeys, allowing them to eventually bring their expertise to the EDT.

Photo: Ellie Neckers in green sweatshirt facilitating the retreat.