Seeds of Change: Upper Valley Schools Leading Climate Action

Across the Upper Valley, a subtle yet powerful shift is underway. In classrooms, gardens, school trails, and student clubs, there’s a growing wave of educators and young people engaging in place-based climate stewardship. This year, thanks to the generous support of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Wellborn Ecology Fund, the Equitable Climate Action Partnership (ECAP) is proud to support that work through a new round of school-based grants.

These grants, awarded to schools whose teachers serve as ECAP Educator Leaders, provide up to $5,000 to help schools strengthen climate literacy and empower students to participate in meaningful solutions. While the projects themselves vary widely, they share a common thread: each one grows from the belief that students learn best when they are connected to their communities and when their learning leads to real change that they care about.

In a time when the challenges of preparing our students for the future can feel overwhelming, these educators are offering pathways forward.

Teachers Leading the Way

At the heart of ECAP are the Educator Leaders themselves.

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• Sandy Bailey – Pre-K educator at Stoneledge Stables and Hampshire Cooperative Nursery School.

• Scott Ellis – Outdoor Program Coordinator at Thetford Academy.

• Tiffany Bates – 3rd Grade Teacher at White River Valley School – South Royalton.

• Alyssa Castellini – Returning Educator Leader from WRV Bethel Campus.

• Jacquelyn Thomason – Pre-K Lead Teacher at Woodstock Elementary.

• Abbie Castriotta – Greenhouse/Garden Manager at Woodstock Union High School.

• Michael Loots – Wellness Teacher at Woodstock Union Middle School.

• Devin Burkhart – 5th Grade Math & Science Teacher at Marion Cross School.

• Lauren Edwards – Kindergarten Teacher at Cornish Elementary.

• Janis Boulbol – CRAFT Program Lead at WUHS.

• Shannon Pogue – English Teacher and new Environmental Club leader at Hanover High School.

• Leslie Connolly – Kindergarten Teacher at The Ray School

• Michelle Landry – Kindergarten Teacher at The Ray School

• Sophie Doiron – Kindergarten Teacher-Sophie at The Ray School

• Angela Hotvet – K-2 Teacher at The Ray School

• Robert Stone – 5th Grade Math and Science Teacher at The Ray School

• Sarah Vashel – 2nd Grade Teacher at The Ray School

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These educators are not just checking a box, adding a lesson here or there. They are helping Upper Valley schools rethink how learning happens by weaving climate understanding into science, history, food systems, transportation, and community life. They are creating opportunities for students to ask important questions and participate in shaping the communities they want to live in. This year’s funded projects reflect that spirit of caring.

At White River Valley Elementary School in South Royalton, students are exploring Vermont history alongside ecology through a year-long investigation connected to the Trout in the Classroom program. Students are examining how land use and settlement patterns have shaped local waterways, asking a question that bridges past and present: How did earlier communities shape the ecosystems we depend on today? Through this lens, students are developing a deeper understanding of watershed health and the choices communities make over time.

At the Bernice A. Ray School in Hanover, students are helping to design what they lovingly call a “Composting Palace.” The goal is elegantly impactful: transform food scraps into rich soil and use that soil to nourish the school garden. Instead of sending organic waste to a landfill, students are working to close the loop, learning firsthand how natural systems recycle nutrients and sustain life.

In Cornish Elementary School, students and families will come together for a community-wide Walk, Roll, and Bike to School Day. In a rural area where transportation options can be limited, the project invites the whole school community to rethink how people move through their landscape. By gathering at a central meeting point and traveling together, students will experience the connection between transportation choices, community interactions, student health, and climate.

Meanwhile, at Marion Cross School in Norwich, teachers are launching a Farm-to-School initiative that links food systems, climate learning, and community partnerships. Students are investigating where their food comes from, how it is grown, and how local agriculture can strengthen both climate resilience and community well-being.

At Woodstock Elementary School, pre-K and 3rd grade students will help design and document a new nature trail that transforms their outdoor classroom into a living laboratory. The teachers say it best themselves

“Central to this initiative is a deep dive into the local ecosystem, where students will investigate native flora and fauna while analyzing the tangible human impacts on our land, specifically regarding soil erosion. By observing how winter sliding and off-trail foot traffic degrade the terrain, students gain a firsthand understanding of geological vulnerability and the necessity of conservation. Learning through nature in this way is essential; it moves education beyond the abstract, allowing students to develop a profound sense of agency and a lifelong bond with the environment.”

Older students are also stepping into leadership roles. At Hanover High School, members of the Environmental Club are expanding their efforts to include native plant restoration, Earth Day initiatives, and mentorship with middle school students interested in environmental health. By connecting across grade levels, students are building a culture of stewardship that extends beyond a single classroom.

At Woodstock Union Middle and High School, students in an immersive semester program are constructing air-pruning garden beds, an innovative system that promotes healthy plant roots and supports experimentation with native and edible plants. These beds will serve both as a food-growing system and as a hands-on research platform where students can test ideas about soil health and plant growth and the effects of a warming climate.

A core goal of ECAP is to help young people move from learning about climate change to participating in solutions. The students get real-life practice as decision-makers, researchers, designers, and community partners. Along the way, they are learning that their actions matter.

This work would not be possible without collaboration. ECAP brings together Upper Valley educators and organizational partners who share a commitment to helping schools become hubs of climate and community resilience.

Looking Ahead

The projects funded this year are only the beginning. Over the coming months, students will document their work, share their stories, and reflect on what they have learned. These stories will help inspire other educators and schools who are wondering how to begin their own climate action journeys.

If there is one lesson that emerges from this year’s grants, it is this: meaningful change often starts small. A garden bed. A compost bin. A trail through the woods. A question about a stream.

From these beginnings, something larger grows.

To learn more about the Equitable Climate Action Partnership and the work happening across the Upper Valley, visit Ed4ClimateResilience.org.

Together, with the creativity of our educators, the energy of our students, and the support of our partners, we are planting the seeds of a more resilient and hopeful future.