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PART VII - EDUCATION.
Education is a primary means to raise skill levels and increase opportunities to high skill jobs. Education is a life long process. The earliest educational experiences, primary and secondary education, post secondary education and other adult training are all equally important for residents to succeed in the workplace and the community. Geographic isolation and sparsely populated communities present special challenges for the delivery of education services and professional development for educators. Telecommunications provide new opportunities for distance learning as well as employment opportunities in the information economy and the application of the information economy to the Northeast Kingdom's traditional industries and occupations.
1. Pre-school Programs.
Success by Six is a community based but state sponsored program active
in many communities and designed to make sure all children are ready to learn
by the time they enter Kindergarten. Head Start is a federal program
that provides early education services for lower income populations. Other early
education initiatives include the Caledonia Rural Early Education Program
and Early Head Start.
2. Libraries.
The Northeast Kingdom has many community based libraries that promote reading
and literacy initiatives for children and families.
3. Primary Schools.
The Kingdom has approximately 40 public schools serving Kindergarten through
eighth grade, and one private school. The Vermont Rural Partnership is
a network of rural schools primarily in the Northeast Kingdom who are defining
ways to develop placed based education and to share resources and knowledge
through the network. The Vermont Rural Partnership is also developing a teen
leadership program, and is exploring the possibility of linking with Lyndon
State College to provide professional development linked to place based eduction.
4. Secondary Schools.
North Country Union High School in Newport is one of the largest high
schools in Vermont with over 1,000 students, in part because the school serves
the largest geographic area of any school in Vermont. St. Johnsbury Academy
(900 students) and Lyndon Institute (646 students) are both private high
schools that serve their local populace. Other smaller union high schools include
Lake Region in Barton, Blue Mountain in Wells River, and Hazen
in Hardwick. Small community high schools include Craftsbury Academy,
Danville High School, Concord High School, and Canaan Memorial
School. Towns without a local high school or not in a union high school
district generally tuition students to neighboring communities. Two School To
Work initiatives have covered the entire region to promote application in instruction,
career exposure and exploration, and community/work-based learning.
5. Technical Education.
Technical Education Centers serving the Northeast Kingdom are the North Country
Career Center in Newport, Applied Technology Center in St. Johnsbury,
and the Lyndon Institute Technology Center.
6. Post Secondary
Lyndon State College and Community College of Vermont are part
of the Vermont State College System. Lyndon State offers bachelor and master's
degree programs in liberal arts. Lyndon State College also supports an Upward
Bound program to help at risk secondary students seriously think about attending
college. Community College of Vermont offers continuing education, associates
and bachelors degrees, with offices in Newport and St. Johnsbury. Sterling
College in Craftsbury is a private school offering associates and bachelor's
degrees in natural resources and outdoor education. St. Johnsbury is home to
a branch of Springfield College, a private college offering degrees in
human services.
7. Interactive Television.
Vermont Interactive Television sites are in Newport, Canaan and St. Johnsbury.
8. Extension.
The University of Vermont Extension System has offices in Newport, St.
Johnsbury Guildhall. UVM Extension provides connections to the University in
the fields of agriculture, community development and applied economics, forestry,
nutrition, and youth development.
9. Education Services for Adults.
Northeast Kingdom Learning Services provides basic literacy skills and
other skills necessary to acquire a General Equivalency Diploma. NEKLS also
has a Drop Out Recovery Program to help individuals re-enter high school. The
VT Department of Social Welfare has a program called Reach Up and the
Department of Employment and Training has a program called Welfare to Work
to help recipients of Temporary Aid to Needy Families achieve the skills to
find employment. Even Start is a program in Hardwick to assist at risk families
with literacy needs.
10. Corrections.
The VT Department of Corrections has a program called ReStart to assist
inmates with attaining skills to find employment. The Department of Corrections
operates a medium security facility in Newport and a minimum security facility
in St. Johnsbury.
11. Collaboration.
The Workforce Investment Board is made up providers of adult education
and skills training and the other business service providers to insure business
and individual training needs are met. The Northeastern Vermont Area Health
Education Center supports collaboration amongst health care providers and
educational institutions for workforce education in the health and allied health
fields in the region.
All individuals in the Northeast Kingdom will be able to acquire the skills and knowledge they need to successfully compete in today's economy and the economy of the future. Schools will provide opportunities for life long learning and be available to the public year round. Distance learning and other technologies will broaden educational opportunities. Education will take place in and outside of schools, and people will be empowered to be teachers and learners. Schools will be available to the public year round. Curriculum in schools will reflect on the community as well as the outside world. Young people will have meaningful ways to interact with their community and feel valued by their community.
1. Isolation.
Geographic isolation limits opportunities for professional development related
to education. The northern part of the region is especially isolated from higher
education opportunities.
2. Skills Training.
The Northeast Kingdom does not have enough employers providing high skilled
jobs. There are also not enough highly skilled employees that would help attract
a great number of high skills employers to the region. Post-secondary, technical
and adult providers all do a good job at what they provide, but there has not
been a concerted effort to coordinate programs of all educational providers
with the needs of all learners and industry sectors. Low family incomes limit
the ability of many adults to forgo work while attending training. A lack of
continuing education opportunities impacts on the ability Northeast Kingdom
employers to provide career ladders.
3. Telecommunications.
Information Technology offers immense opportunities for economic development.
Many residents and businesses in the Northeast Kingdom do not have the training
and access to infrastructure necessary to take full advantage of telecommunications
opportunities. Effective instruction in telecommunications also needs to be
mindful of gender-based learning preferences and differences to ensure women
have the same access to telecommunications opportunities as men. [American Association
of University Women Educational Foundation, "Tech-Savvy: Educating Girls
in the New Computer Age,", 2000.]
4. School/Community Connections.
Schools can be an important resource for the whole community, providing education
for adults and meaningful involvement in the community for youth. Many times,
however, schools are not connected to their communities are strongly as they
could be. Libraries are also underutilized as educational resources.
Isolation
Skills Training
Telecommunications
School/Community Connections