Vermont Youth Opportunity Initiative

The “Vermont Youth Opportunity Initiative” emerged through the Vermont Proposition effort and was identified by the Future of Vermont Action Team as a transformational opportunity that will make an impact and lay a strong foundation for the implementation work of other Proposition areas ahead. The Proposition highlights the potential for new action, new partnerships, and a new narrative around youth and education in Vermont.

In order to determine critical action steps, the Action Team charged the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) and an Advisory Group of youth and adult leaders to conduct a deep engagement process with people of all ages across the state to collect input and ideas for ensuring youth opportunity and success. The process, facilitated by VCRD throughout the course of 2023, gathered input from youth, community and municipal leaders, educators, business leaders, policy experts, and more through a series of youth-adult and co-facilitated forums in every region of the state, youth-led discussions around the state, stakeholder interviews, and a statewide survey reaching every corner of Vermont. Ultimately, the process gathered input from over 600 Vermonters of all ages, including more than 200 youth.

Vermont Vision for Youth Success Report, June 2024

The “Vermont Vision for Youth Success” report is the culmination of the work and lays out a framework of policy and programming recommendations to achieve a future where our youth are more deeply connected to their communities and where they can aspire to engage, thrive, and lead in a multicultural democracy and marketplace. The report highlights success stories, identifies challenges, and sets forth actionable recommendations across six key areas to enhance the lives of young people in our state including:

  • A High Quality, Flexible, Equitable, and Safe Education System

  • Opportunities for Work and Life Experiences Within and Beyond the Classroom

  • Vibrant, Supportive, and Resilient Communities

  • Spaces and Activities Accessible and Welcoming to Youth and Families

  • Outdoor Connection and Environmental Health

  • Health and Well-being and Access to Support

Key cross-cutting recommendations emphasize the importance of the community schools model, improving transportation options, advancing meaningful youth leadership and voice, and addressing mental health challenges that many youth face today.

Background and Context

The strength of our democracy, the vitality of our economy, and the emotional and physical well-being of our population start with our youth and a shared belief in a positive future. In order to build strong communities and realize our vision for a thriving economy, we must adequately prepare our youth with the tools, support, and connections they need to establish and then realize educational, career, and life goals and expectations; effectively engage in the economy of today and of the future; and seize opportunities here in Vermont and beyond. The Vermont Proposition highlights the potential for new action, new partnerships, and a new narrative around youth and education in Vermont.

In 2023, through the Vermont Youth Opportunity Initiative, the Future of Vermont Action Team embarked on a deep engagement process, coordinated and facilitated by VCRD. The Action Team and VCRD staff built a diverse “Youth Opportunity Advisory Group” to help develop the public engagement process, review findings, and make action recommendations. Members of the Advisory Group (listed below) included representatives of the Action Team, students and youth, parents, education practitioners and policy experts, youth organization leaders, education equity experts and advocates, municipal/community leaders, and business leaders. VCRD, with support and guidance from the Advisory Group, convened, managed, staffed, and facilitated a public process to understand the current landscape of policy and program initiatives, and to gather input and ideas to strengthen, support, and advance opportunities for Vermont youth that best equips them with the skills, resources, and tools needed to meaningfully engage in their communities and the economy. Input was gathered from April-October 2023 through:

  • Regional youth forums in each region of the state, co-facilitated with youth leaders.

  • Community forum discussions in each region of the state. For each forum, VCRD led a deep and inclusive invitation process to community members, youth, municipal leadership, parents, educators, business representatives, career development experts, higher education leaders, those who have been historically marginalized and more to ensure an inclusive and meaningful cross sector conversation.

  • Interviews with stakeholder groups including education equity experts, education providers, policy experts, and groups that represent historically marginalized populations.

  • An online survey to gather additional statewide input from education experts, business leaders, youth, parents, and community leaders over the period for which convenings were held.

The forums, interviews, and survey asked students, parents, providers, community members, and experts to share feedback on:

  1. What are the youth opportunity successes and challenges today?

  2. What are your hopes and visions for the future?

  3. What are your ideas for how to boost youth opportunity and aspiration in Vermont?

Other inputs

To bring these recommendations to life, we hosted several events to engage community members and stakeholders in sharing findings and identifying next steps toward action:

  • Vermont Community Leadership Launch Webinar: VCRD held a Zoom session on June 11th from 10-11:30am for a presentation of the report’s findings and recommendations and a panel discussion with youth and adult leaders. See the presentation here.

  • 2024 Vermont Community Leadership Summit: A track of workshops and panel discussions focused on youth engagement and leadership was featured at August 2024 Summit held at at Vermont State University in Randolph. Registration was free for youth and students. Find out more here.

  • VT Youth Success Symposium: We convened leaders, youth, and other stakeholders to prioritize next steps and build action plans to advance the recommendations in the report. Read the Symposium report.

Principles and Values

The Future of Vermont Action Team, Youth Opportunity Advisory Group, and VCRD were guided by a common set of principles and values throughout this process:

  • Deep listening, empathy and respect for all voices – especially lifting up youth voices and leadership

  • Prioritizing action and momentum

  • Collaboration, connection, and a recognition of the work already happening in this space

  • Democracy and strengthening the fabric of Vermont civil society and community

  • Fairness, justice, and equity

  • An inclusive dialogue that engages the full diversity of Vermonters

  • Opportunities for all of Vermont’s youth to reach each individuals’ fullest potential and aspiration

The Role of the Vermont Council on Rural Development

VCRD framed the process, convened and managed logistics, facilitated meetings, developed the survey, gathered public input and data, led communications and outreach, and developed a consolidated summary report of feedback and ideas.

The Role of the Future of Vermont Action Team

The Future of Vermont Action Team provided guidance, support, and advice to VCRD staff around partner connection and engagement, content and questions to guide the process, and the right structure and make-up of the Advisory Group. Action Team representatives served as liaisons to the Advisory Group.

The Role of the Youth Opportunity Advisory Group

The Youth Opportunity Advisory Group contributed their expertise and reviewed public input to make concrete action recommendations to the Action Team, and support the Action Team in moving ideas and policy recommendations forward. Advisory group members included:

  • John Castle, Executive Director, Vermont Rural Education Collaborative

  • Saraswoti Chhetri, Student, Burlington High School

  • Jess Decarolis, Division Director, Agency of Education

  • Sam Dingba, Case Manager, AALV

  • Emma Doucet, Student, Mt Abraham High School  

  • Scott Farr, Superintendent, River Valley Tech Center

  • Carlen Finn, Senior Policy Associate, Voices for Vermont’s Children

  • Jeff Francis, Executive Director, Superintendents Association

  • Ben Freeman, (former) Network Coordinator, Vermont Learning for the Future

  • Lindsey Halman, Executive Director, Up For Learning

  • Tara Howe, Regional Manager Barre & Morrisville, HireAbility

  • Mea Ree Jan, Student, Winooski High School and Essex Tech

  • Joyce Judy, President, Community College of VT

  • PJ King, (Former) Youth Program Specialist, Up For Learning

  • Breck Knauft, Executive Director, VT Youth Conservation Corps

  • Kayla Loving, Co-Coordinator, Education Justice Coalition

  • Lilian Sophie Meyer, Student, Main Street Middle School Montpelier    

  • Maddie McKinley, Student, Stowe Middle School

  • Nicole Miller, Executive Director, Vermont Afterschool

  • Dean Roy, Student, Stowe Middle School

  • Samantha Stevens, Community Schools Coordinator, North Country SU

  • Rebecca Tatistcheff, Principal, Cabot School

  • Shawn Tester, CEO, Northeastern VT Regional Hospital

VCRD Staff

Lauren Brady, Community and Policy Associate
Jenna Koloski, Community Engagement and Policy Director
Charlie Smith, Interim Executive Director