Connecting the Dots: Reflections from the April 24th Community of Practice Gathering

On April 24, 2025, fourteen passionate place-based educators gathered at the Lake Sunapee Protective Association (LSPA) for a day of connection and reflection. This Community of Practice gathering brought together a vibrant network of environmental and science education leaders, all working toward the shared goal of deepening students' relationships with, and stewardship of, the places they live and learn.

This group is part of the Upper Valley Teaching Place Collaborative's Community of Practice (CoP)—a network of professional development providers from organizations that support place-based education in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont. Members of the CoP support one another, learn together, collaborate on shared projects, provide leadership for the UVTPC, and serve as subject matter experts. All of this is made possible by the Wellborn Ecology Fund from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.

Any organization that supports place-based education in the Upper Valley is welcome and encouraged to join—whether you're working directly with students, partnering with schools, offering educator training, or building community connections through environmental, cultural, or historical learning.

Organizations represented at the April gathering included:

• Lake Sunapee Protective Association (LSPA)

• Montshire Museum of Science

• Billings Farm & Museum

• Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park

• Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS)

• Vermont Center for Ecostudies

• Four Winds Nature Institute

• White River Partnership

• Woodstock Union High School

• Education for Climate Resilience

• Upper Valley Teaching Place Collaborative (UVTPC)

• New Hampshire Environmental Educators (NHEE)

• Vermont Education and Environment Network (VEEN)

  
  

As the host site, Lake Sunapee Protective Association showcased their vital work to protect and monitor the health of their watershed. One of the most joyful moments of the day came during a visit down to the harbor, where we collected benthic (bottom-dwelling), macro (visible without a microscope) invertebrates (creatures without backbones). With the sun shining and blue skies overhead, fourteen adults squatted over buckets, squealing with delight every time a tiny critter wriggled into view.

No boots were muddied and no feet were wet—but the excitement was palpable. Splash. Plop. Nets dipped gently into the water, stirring the silt as we searched for what life might be hiding beneath the surface. To our surprise, we found far more than expected for such an early spring day. It was a beautiful reminder of the power of curiosity and the value of activities that fully capture our attention.

What are the activities or lessons you find yourself returning to, year after year, group after group—because they never fail to spark wonder?

Indoors, Jennie Friedman from Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park led us in an “unpacking the map” activity to visualize our regional reach. As pins went up and patterns emerged, we saw that densely populated areas had strong coverage, while rural regions—especially in New Hampshire—had noticeable gaps.

The conversation quickly turned to why those gaps exist. Is it lack of access, funding, geography, or just the absence of a historical connection? Some organizations, like LSPA, have dedicated funding to serve targeted areas. Others, like VINS, Montshire Museum of Science, and Billings Farm & Museum, serve a wide radius, including schools traveling over 1.5 hours to participate.

We also discussed models of engagement:

• LSPA connects with about 80% of students by visiting schools directly.

• Billings Farm & Museum hosts most of its groups on-site.

• VINS uses a hybrid approach, including ambassador teams that visit libraries and community spaces.

• Some groups work with homeschool families, while others focus on formal partnerships with schools.

  
  

These varying approaches are a strength—but also present an opportunity. What if we intentionally aligned our efforts across organizations? Could we design shared curricula that build from one experience to the next? Imagine youth visiting multiple sites throughout the year, each reinforcing and deepening a central theme.

We also surfaced equity-related questions:

• How do schools pay for these experiences?

• Are there scholarships for buses and admission?

• Can we make those resources more visible and easier to access?

  
  

Finally, we talked about the depth of our partnerships. Are we simply offering one-time field trips—or co-developing curricula and building lasting relationships with educators and schools?

Next steps include:

• Expanding and refining the outreach map to better understand who is being served—and who isn’t.

• Displaying the map at the November 13, 2025 UVTPC conference to gather more data and insights.

• Investigating school funding capacity to improve access and equity.

• Exploring long-term collaborations and curriculum alignment across organizations.

  
  

Maps can show us where we’ve been and where we might go next. But it’s the shared

moments—of laughter, discovery, and tiny wiggling critters—that remind us what this work is truly about. Together, through the UVTPC’s Community of Practice, we are building a connected, resilient network of educators and learners rooted deeply in place.

Interested in joining the CoP? We’d love to have you. If your organization serves learners in the Upper Valley and believes in the power of place-based education, there’s a seat at the table for you. Contact us at info@uvtpc.com.