Moving Mountains ~ VREC STRATEGIC DESIGN ~ July 2026

Strategic Design 2026-2029:

Organizational Operations & Capacity

  1. Review & Refine Board Practices
  2. Expand Development Activities
  3. Adjust Staffing & Contracted Services
  4. Enhance Communication & Telling our Story

Professional Learning/Workforce Development

  1. Provide Wide Range of Professional Development Opportunities
  2. Facilitate Convenings & Communities of Practice
  3. Support the Development of Teacher & Administrator Pipelines
  4. Provide Teacher Innovation Grants

Youth Programs

  1. Coordinate Mini-Grant Opportunities
  2. Foster Youth Voice & Leadership
  3. Expand Expeditionary Field Studies
  4. Promote Post-Secondary Aspirations

Advocacy

  1. Promote Community Support, Policy & Investments in Rural Schools
  2. Support Capacity Building for SU/SDs & Schools
  3. Advance Community Schools Initiatives
  4. Recognize Rural Educators & Leaders and Celebrate our Success

*Annual Work Plan will provide additional specificity

ORGANIZATIONAL OPERATIONS & CAPACITY
2026-2027 Action Steps 2027-2028 Action Steps 2028-2029 Action Steps
Goal #1Board Practices

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • Review board composition and meeting conventions annually
  • Adjust bylaws and membership as needed with potential redistricting
  • Solicit student input via focus groups & board liaisons

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • Review board composition and meeting conventions annually
  • Adjust bylaws and membership as needed with potential redistricting
  • Solicit student input via focus groups & board liaisons

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • Conduct board self-evaluation & revise strategic plan
  • Adjust bylaws and membership as needed with potential redistricting
  • Solicit student input via focus groups & board liaisons
Goal #2Expand Development Activities

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • Expand annual appeal, sponsors & individual donors.
  • Increase board involvement
  • Add two major foundations

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • Sustain annual appeal, sponsor & individual donors cultivation
  • Increase board involvement
  • Ongoing foundation cultivation

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • Sustain annual appeal, sponsor & individual donors cultivation
  • Increase board involvement
  • Ongoing foundation cultivation
Goal #3Staffing & Contracted Services

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • Establish part-time admin assistant position and adjust as necessary
  • Provide contract services, stipends or interns based on need & availability of resources

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • Develop succession plan for admin, staff & contracted services
  • Provide contract services, stipends or interns based on needs & availability of resources

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • Monitor succession plan for admin, staff & contracted services
  • Provide contract services, stipends or interns based on needs & availability of resources
Goal #4Communication & Telling our Story

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • Continue to refine Echo Newsletter & increase circulation
  • Implement 2+ video stories
  • Explore leadership podcast
  • Explore student digital media
  • Expand social media presence
  • Director/Board OpEds & amplify voice of local schools

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • Continue to refine Echo Newsletter & increase circulation
  • Continue 2+ video stories
  • Implement podcast series
  • Pilot student digital media
  • Continue social media presence
  • Director/Board OpEds & amplify voice of local schools

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • Continue to refine Echo Newsletter & sustain wide circulation
  • Continue 2+ video stories
  • Continue podcast series
  • Implement student digital media
  • Continue social media presence
  • Director/Board OpEds & amplify voice of local schools
YOUTH PROGRAMS
2026-2027 Action Steps 2027-2028 Action Steps 2028-2029 Action Steps
Goal #1Mini-Grants

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • 12 to 15 Student-led Mini-Grants annually & continue to refine process & increase amount
  • Provide 8 to 10 Service Learning & Inclusive Schools Grants & increase amounts
  • Pursue funding for Outdoor Education mini-grants

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • 12 to 15 Student-led Mini-Grants annually & continue to refine process
  • Provide 8 to 10 Service Learning & Inclusive Schools Grants
  • Establish Outdoor Education mini-grants

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • 12 to 15 Student-led Mini-Grants annually & continue to refine process
  • Provide 8 to 10 Service Learning & Inclusive Schools Grants & review amounts
  • Continue Outdoor Education mini-grants
Goal #2Youth Voice & Leadership

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • Explore leadership program for secondary students
  • Continue 8th Grade Transition Days program with Northwoods

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • Implement leadership program for secondary students
  • Continue 8th Grade Transition Days program with Northwoods

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • Continue leadership program for secondary students
  • Continue 8th Grade Transition Days program with Northwoods
Goal #3Expeditionary Field Studies

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • Continue/Adjust middle school EFS trips
  • Explore high school EFS trips

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • Continue/Adjust middle school EFS trips
  • Implement high school EFS trips

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • Continue/Expand middle school EFS trips
  • Continue high school EFS trips
Goal #4Post-Secondary Aspirations & Career Exploration

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • Continue A.I.M. Campus visits
  • Continue Fall Summit
  • Explore A.I.M. activities at HS level
  • Pilot Innovation Camp with embedded professional development

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • Continue A.I.M. Campus visits
  • Continue Fall Summit
  • Explore A.I.M. activities at HS level
  • Implement Innovation Camp in additional locations

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • Continue A.I.M. Campus visits
  • Continue Fall Summit
  • Explore A.I.M. activities at HS level
  • Consider additional Innovation Camp
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING & WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
2026-2027 Action Steps 2027-2028 Action Steps 2028-2029 Action Steps
Goal #1Provide Wide Range of Professional Learning Opportunities

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • Promote holistic, student-centered learning design focused place-based and project-based learning
  • Identify annual needs & interests
  • Develop region-wide PD Day

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • Promote holistic, student-centered learning design focused place-based and project-based learning
  • Identify annual needs & interests
  • Host region-wide PD Day

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • Promote holistic, student-centered learning design focused place-based and project-based learning
  • Identify annual needs & interests
  • Host region-wide PD Day
Goal #2Partner to Facilitate Convenings & Communities of Practice

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • Host annual Rural Schools Place-Based Learning Seminar
  • Host Community Speaker
  • Coordinate 2 to 3 Professional Network or CoPra Meetings annually
  • Host outdoor education conference
  • Host summer teacher retreat

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • Host annual Rural Schools Place-Based Learning Seminar
  • Host Community Speaker
  • Coordinate 2 to 3 Professional Network or CoPra Meetings annually
  • Host outdoor education conference
  • Host summer teacher retreat

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • Host annual Rural Schools Place-Based Learning Seminar
  • Host Community Speaker
  • Coordinate 2 to 3 Professional Network or CoPra Meetings annually
  • Host outdoor education conference
  • Host summer teacher retreat
Goal #3Support the Development of Teacher Pipelines to Licensure

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • Partner to promote multiple pathways with focus on residencies
  • Explore regional mentoring & instructional coaching capacity
  • Refine NEK Next Gen. Teachers Summer Institute & recognition

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • Partner to promote multiple pathways with focus on residencies
  • Pilot regional mentoring & instructional coaching
  • Continue NEK Next Gen. Teachers Summer Institute & recognition

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • Partner to promote multiple pathways with focus on residencies
  • Pilot regional mentoring & Instructional coaching
  • Continue NEK Next Gen. Teachers Summer Institute & recognition
Goal #4Teacher Innovation Grants

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • Continue Teacher Innovation grants

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • Continue Teacher Innovation grants

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • Continue Teacher Innovation grants
ADVOCACY
2026-2027 Action Steps 2027-2028 Action Steps 2028-2029 Action Steps
Goal #1Promote Community Support, Policy, & Investments in Rural Schools

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • Engage local school boards, Educational Leaders, Community Partners in message focusing
  • Advocate for funding: Community Schools, Workforce Dev., etc.
  • Collaborate with UVM & VT-NREA on research to advance best practices

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • Engage local school boards, Educational Leaders, Community Partners in message focusing
  • Advocate for funding: Community Schools, Workforce Dev., etc.
  • Collaborate with UVM & VT-NREA on research to advance best practices

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • Engage local school boards, Educational Leaders, Community Partners in message focusing
  • Advocate for funding: Community Schools, Workforce Dev., etc.
  • Collaborate with UVM & VT-NREA on research to advance best practices
Goal #2Support Capacity Building for SU/SDS & Schools

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • Cultivate community partners
  • Promote collaborative leadership practices at all levels

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • Cultivate community partners
  • Promote collaborative leadership practices at all levels

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • Cultivate community partners
  • Promote collaborative leadership practices at all levels
Goal #3Advance Community Schools Initiatives

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • Provide training & support on Family & Community Engagement
  • Provide resources & assistance to schools, SU/SDs & CESAs
  • Partner in hosting convenings to share practices

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • Provide training & support on Family & Community Engagement
  • Provide resources & assistance to schools, SU/SDs & CESAs
  • Partner in hosting convenings to share practices

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • Provide training & support on Family & Community Engagement
  • Provide resources & assistance to schools, SU/SDs & CESAs
  • Partner in hosting convenings to share practices
Goal #4Recognize Rural Educators & Leaders & Celebrate our Success

2026-2027 Action Steps

  • Establish areas, criteria, #, how, timeline…

2027-2028 Action Steps

  • Recognitions take place annually
  • Celebrate Ten Years of VREC

2028-2029 Action Steps

  • Recognitions take place annually