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Curriculum Grants of up to
$1,500 available to VRP Schools!
VRP members! Your site is entitled to apply for a mini grant for the current school year. Grants may be up to $1,500. All teachers who document and publish their project on VRP's web site will receive a personal check for $250 upon publication. We have $5,000 in stipends available. more
Our Curriculum Library contains teacher created examples from the classroom and community, along with many Vermont History units. more
Reflections contributed by VRP students, educators, and community members. more
VRP's Web site is made possible in large part through the generous support of the Bay and Paul Foundations.
VRP Resource Partner Rural School and Community Trust www.ruraltrust.edu
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VRP Website development
support provided by
Community Works Institute (CWI)
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Student Leadership
We promote respect, responsibility, teamwork and cooperation between youth, teachers, and the community. We encourage growth in participatory leadership skills and civic involvement. We work to enhance student voice and leadership in decision-making and civic engagement to promote and support school change towards the development of equitable, democratic community schools.
Our Strategies •Create Skill Building Institutes to Build Student Leadership Capacity in Local Change Efforts
•Encourage Cross School Sharing of Leadership Experiences
•Develop Long Term Institutional Commitment to Building Student Voice.
Youth and Adults Transforming Schools Together (YATST)
VRP is a working partner with YATST. Our shared goal is to increase student engagement learning and voice in decision making by creating a partnership between students, faculty and the community to increase relevance, relationships, rigor and shared responsibility in Vermont schools. We believe these components are the building blocks of student engagement.
YATST schools conduct ACTION research to first establish a baseline for the presence of these qualities in their schools. They bring this data out to “stakeholders” (students, faculty, school boards, community members) and lead discussions about their findings to better understand causes and explore possible actions. They then commit to a change effort and carefully track the impact of their efforts.contact YATST
What does YATST look like in action? One example....
VRP member Peoples Academy's YATST survey revealed that one in three students disagreed “somewhat” or “strongly” that, “Teachers check in regularly to see if I am learning and adjust instruction based on what they hear." In marked contrast, 97% of teachers “agreed” or strongly agreed” that they “regularly check in with students to see if they are learning and adjust instruction based on what I hear." The team was struck by this discrepancy, and concerned by the widespread student perception that they have so little voice in classroom curriculum and instructional choices. They brought this concern to faculty and together decided to institute a mid-semester student feedback survey and classroom discussion process. In this way, at least once a semester, every student at PA has the opportunity to share how the class is working for him or her, witness the teacher's response to feedback, and set personal learning goals.
YATST Video Introduction (click to enlarge)
LIGHTS, CAMERA...LEADERSHIP! High School Curriculum
Students become a production team charged with creating a video of an important issue in their community, capturing this issue from past, present and future perspectives. The topic
is studied through student-led focus groups and research using primary and secondary sources.
This curriculum is linked to Vermont's Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities and was piloted in the 2002-2003 school year in three Vermont high schools. Download Curriculum Guide (PDF) For more information about the curriculum email: hnbeattie@gmail.com
Youth and Adults Transforming Schools Together (YATST)