The passage of Vermont Act 67 (the Community Schools Act) in 2021 sparked the genesis of an innovative partnership to pilot a new educational model for rural schools across the state.
With a mission to create a sustainable ecosystem of Community Schools, the Catamount Community Schools Collaborative (CCSC) is a dynamic research-policy-practice-partnership between the Vermont Agency of Education and the ̽̽’s College of Education and Social Services (CESS).
Along with enhancing the educational missions of school partners, the CCSC reimagines schools as a center of connection for community engagement and support, leveraging the legacy of education philosopher and ̽̽ alumna John Dewey.
“Community Schools are resource hubs that provide a broad range of well-coordinated supports and services for students, families, and the broader community,” explains CCSC Principal Investigator Bernice Garnett. “Our work addresses systemic issues of inequity in educational and health access among diverse Vermont communities.”
Successful implementation of the approach is underway at Cabot School, Hazen Union School, Vergennes Union Elementary School, North Country Supervisory Union, and White River Valley Middle School. For each school community, the impacts have been profound.
“Our students feel seen and supported, and families have access to resources that make a tangible difference in their lives,” says Hazen Union School Principal Jason Di Giulio. “This holistic approach has improved attendance, decreased discipline referrals, and fostered stronger relationships across our school community.”
Hazen Union Teacher Maxfield English (right) works with students to help them earn credentials in bike maintenance through Project Bike Tech. Biking as a key tourist industry locally, and Project Bike Tech helps students to earn a living locally while supporting the local economy.
White River Valley School Principal Pierre Laflamme says it’s now possible to find solutions to problems that previously seemed insurmountable due to lack of resources.
“The Community Schools approach radically changes that deficit mindset, connecting communities to move ideas forward,” says Laflamme. “There is a greater sense of collective ownership here. The school operates more transparently, and parents and community members are ready allies on a host of projects. It has been a joy to see the expanding opportunities for students through leadership opportunities and hands-on, minds-on learning in our Makerspace.”
The approach also yields stronger ties with other schools and their programs within and beyond the school district.
Expansion Across Vermont
Efforts to launch at least three new additional Community School communities will soon be underway, funded by a $1.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education with the support of a congressional direct spending request through Senator Sanders.
Expansion efforts will leverage CCSC resources, partnerships, applied faculty research and service-learning in partnership with the Vermont Agency of Education (VT AOE). CCSC leaders say the vision is a sustainable Community Schools model scalable across the state.
Responding to Local Needs
The five pillars of the Community School model in Vermont include expanded and enriched learning time and opportunities, integrated student supports, active family and community engagement, collaborative leadership and practices, and safe, inclusive and equitable learning environments.
While each Community School is built around the five pillars, the design is responsive the unique needs and resources of the particular community.
“We ask each of our school partners to tell us what their most critical needs are, and then work collaboratively alongside them to develop, implement, and evaluate programs and policies to support those needs within the Community Schools framework,” explains CCSC Co-Investigator Peter Knox.
Commonly identified areas of need include student mental health, educator well-being, food access and security, and school-based health centers providing wrap-around support for community members.
University-Led Collaborations
“We envision the CCSC operating like a hub and spoke,” Garnett says, “connecting our community school partners to relevant university academic programs, centers and infrastructure through applied faculty research, and student internships and placements that are mutually beneficial.”
The CCSC is a member of the National Networks Steering Committee. At the recent UACS national conference, the group presented a workshop co-facilitated by Garnett, Knox, and Colby Kervick of CESS, along with VT AOE partner Johannes Haensch and two CESS SHIE doctoral students involved in applied research and programming.
CCSC leaders and stakeholders at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania.
“A large group of ̽̽ stakeholders attended, including leaders in the CESS Dean’s Office, the Department of Education, the Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships, and VT AOE,” says Garnett. “They learned more about the University Assisted Community School model and ways to leverage ̽̽’s resources to support Vermont’s rural community schools.”
Current ̽̽ academic and research collaborations with the CCSC include the following:
- Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships
- Vermont Child Health Improvement Program
- Community Development and Applied Economics
- Counseling Program
- Department of Education
- Department of Social Work
- Food Systems
- Master of Public Health Program
- Office of Engagement
- Place-based Education Certificate
- Resiliency-Based and Trauma Informed Practices Graduate Certificate
- University of Vermont Cancer Center
Community School Initiatives
Partnering with CCSC, the Catamount Counseling Collaborative for Rural Schools will train and place 52 school counselors, social workers, and clinical mental health counselors in rural Vermont Community Schools. The five-year project will be supported by a $3.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
To improve food security for students, families, and local residents, many community schools are developing partnerships and interacting directly with their local food system.
At the Hardwick Community Lunch, students work with Reeve Basom (right), a community partner from the Center for an Agricultural Economy in Hardwick.
“With support from a Leahy Institute for Rural Partnerships Seed Grant, we have launched several interdisciplinary internships with our rural Community School partners in support of mental health, food access, food security, and social connection,” says Garnett. “We currently have four graduate and undergraduate students supporting work in Cabot School, Newport Town School, and Vergennes Elementary.”
At Newport Town School, an intergenerational meals program brings senior citizens and elementary school students together to share a meal and engage in activities. The program aims to decreasing loneliness and isolation among seniors and inspires intergenerational relationships while improving food access and security, Garnett says. Supporting the program through applied research and direct programmatic support are ̽̽ CESS SHIE doctoral program student Cynthia Herbert and undergraduate Food Systems major Nadiya Becoats.
Other Community School initiatives include the following:
- Cabot School SeniorX program building off work-based and place-based learning that incorporates local industry and in-state economic opportunities (students working with local, family-owned businesses).
- Place-based and outdoor education at White River Valley and Vergennes integrating the native environmental habitat.
- North Country Supervisory Union Restorative Truancy and Mentorships Programs connected to long-term outcomes for students related to attendance, educational/social development, and economic opportunity.
- Hazen Union School wellness initiatives including a student wellness center, wellness workshops, outdoor activities connecting with nature, and various community-building activities.
“This work aligns deeply with my vision of education as holistic, community-centered, place-based and transformative,” says Hazen Community School Coordinator Viava Velzis. “It’s a vision for education that uplifts the whole child, celebrates their individuality, and fosters resilience, imagination, and a sense of belonging—a vision that empowers students and ripples outward to strengthen the entire community.”
Cultivating long-term and mutually beneficial relationships, the CCSC will forge ahead with its work to facilitate technical assistance, applied faculty research, student internships, service-learning and outreach in partnership with Community Schools partners across the state.
