Expanding Partnerships: Teachers as Learners, Students as Teachers

Eleven youth-adult teams from Vermont's "Youth and Adults Transforming Schools Together" initiative (YATST) are excited to once again "Be the Buzz" at this third annual conference. The theme this year is "Expanding Partnerships: Teachers as Learners, Students as Teachers. Why? Strong youth-adult partnerships ignite learning and are essential to motivate those who are disengaged. Educational and brain researchers (J. Hattie, C. Jernstedt, D. Sousa) and transformation advocates (T. Wagner, P. Senge, Sir Ken Robinson) repeatedly reference the power of this relationship to transform education.

If this is to become a cultural norm in our schools, we must work together on three steps: 1)Identify ways we have already been nurturing this partnership, 2) Name barriers to partnership from both youth and adult perspectives, and 3) Create methods and a plan to systematically shift our school cultures to embrace partnership.

Participants will actively engage in answering the essential questions that frame the day. We will capitalize on the shared wisdom, desire and commitment of both youth and adults to assure that every student is active and valued in the learning process. There will be time for each school to craft a definitive plan to implement upon their return home.

Participants will leave informed and inspired. They will also leave with a "Tool Kit" of activities, videos, dialogue options and readings to open the door to school-wide transformation in their own communities.