Over 200 youth and adults engaged as educational change agents throughout Vermont gathered on April 8th at Lake Morey Inn and Resort for a summit titled “POWER2: Youth and Adults Shaping Vermont Education Together.”
Students presented alongside adults in small “sharing sessions” throughout the morning, exploring twelve themes about education in Vermont with youth and adult partnership at the center of driving that transformation (see the bottom of this post for links to resources around each of those themes).
Our guiding questions for the summit that helped to inform, inspire and move participants to authentic dialogue for action included:
- What does it look and sound like when young people partner with adults as they shape their educational experience?
- How can we learn from other schools engaged in similar work to elevate student voice?
- What are our next steps to address the youth-adult relationship in our school, ensuring that both power and responsibility in learning and education are shared?
Sharing Session Presentation Descriptions
Resources from Youth-Adult Presentation Teams:
Personalized Learning: What Will That Mean?
Northfield Middle High School:
Jerry Cassels ([email protected])
Personalized Learning Plans Make the News
Mount Abraham Union Middle/High School:
Caroline Camara ([email protected] ) and Josie Jordan ([email protected]), Personalized Learning
Any Time, Any Place Learning
Winooski Middle/High School:
Will Andrews ([email protected])
Winooski iLab and Presentation
Twinfield Union School:
Debra Stoleroff ([email protected])
Renaissance Program
Communicating Change: The Story of Shaping Our Future Together
Shaping Our Futures Together and UP for Learning website
Colchester High School:
Rachel Wood ([email protected])
Twinfield Union School:
Debra Stoleroff ([email protected])
The Power of Advisories
Hartford High School:
Audra Bucklin ([email protected])
Link to the Prezi
Advisor Role & Responsibilities paired with Advisory Assignment Feedback
Student Role & Responsibilities paired with Advisory Exemption Form
South Burlington High School:
John Painter ([email protected])
South Burlington Advisory Presentation
Otter Valley Union High School:
Chas Hall ([email protected])
Otter Valley Advisory Presentation
Being Change Agents Now: How to Get Involved
Youth and Adults Transforming Schools Together
Getting to ‘Y’: Youth Bring Meaning to their YRBS
Blue Mountain Union School:
Anne Bergeron ([email protected])
Student Created YATST Video
Blue Mountain YATST PresentationBlue Mountain YATST Presentation
Green Mountain Union High School:
Ally Oswald ([email protected])
Mt. Abraham Union Middle & High School:
Sharon Koller ([email protected])
Mt. Abraham YRBS Presentation
Summary Handout
Retreat Agenda example
Retreat Invite example
Visible Learning: Students as Partners in School Improvement
Leland and Gray Union Middle and High School:
Ruth Ann Dunn ([email protected])
Collaborative Peer Review at Leland and Gray
Burlington High School:
Dov Stucker ([email protected])
School Innovation Seminar 2014-2015 website
To Suspend or Restore? That is the Question
South Burlington High School:
Lisa Bedinger ([email protected])
South Burlington Community Justice Center website
Greater Barre Community Justice Center
(in partnership with Spaulding High School):
Lori Baker ([email protected])
Greater Barre Community Justice Center website
The Community Restorative Justice Center, Inc.
(in partnership with Oxbow High School):
Susan Cherry ([email protected])
The Community Restorative Justice Center, Inc. website
Summit Presentation
End of Year Studies
Burlington High School:
Gretchen Muller ([email protected]) and Colby Skoglund ([email protected])
YES Program Burlington High School
Rutland High School:
Carolyn Ravenna ([email protected])
YES Plan Rutland High School
Twinfield Union School:
Charlie Wanzer ([email protected])
Proficiency Based Learning: Shifting to ‘Yet’
Big Picture School, South Burlington High School:
Christine Lundie ([email protected])
Students as Partners in Community Initiatives
Partnership for Change website
Flynn Theater (in partnership with Winooski Middle/High School)
Lida Winfield ( [email protected])
ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center
Noella Krakowski ([email protected])
ECHO Teen Leadership Program
Education for Sustainability
Barre Technical Center:
Amanda Garland ([email protected])
presentation powerpoint
Montpelier High School:
Tom Sabo ([email protected])
presentation powerpoint
Woodstock Union High School:
Kat Robbins ([email protected])
presentation powerpoint
Our Partners:
Bay and Paul Foundations
Big Picture Learning
Partnership for Change
The School Project Foundation
Shelburne Farms
UP for Learning
Other Organizations:
Threshold Collaborative
Threshold Collaborative is dedicated to using the power of stories to ignite and sustain social change. We work with individuals, organizations, schools and communities to tell the powerful story of your work, your aspirations and your community. Our partnerships build alliances and broaden participation so that more people can become active agents of change. Our school based curriculum is a powerful way to build student voice and support community change. The web site for that project is www.apictureisworth.org
Vermont School Board Association
Vermont School Board Association Student Voice Guide
For more information: