Vermont-Italy teacher education exchange. Courtesy photos.
Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Italian Cultural Association (VICA) and the Italian Consulate General of Italy in Boston announced today an exchange program for educators in Vermont and Italy centered around food systems education and farm-to-school professional learning. The purpose of the exchange is to share agricultural knowledge and leverage shared values of local food production and sustainability.
The program’s first exchange participants are four teachers from Montpelier High School, Sam Bromley, Colleen Purcell, Brigitte Savard, and Tom Sabo. Each is an active member of the Northeast Farm to School Institute. They are in Northern Italy this week being hosted by the Istituto d'Istruzione Superiore "Marco Polo," in Colico, Italy, where they will learn about the agriculturally rich region, the dairy supply chain, and the Institute’s innovative food education programming.
The Vermont educators will visit various local producers and community partners that support food education as well as key industries in the region including dairy, grains, and hospitality. The trip will conclude with an expo bringing together local government officials, various local producers, and school presentations.
Bromley, a science teacher, is focused on infusing food systems and the culinary arts across the curriculum and increasing student engagement through food. He is the recipient of a prestigious 2022 Rowland Fellowship which will support educators’ travel to Italy for this transformational learning experience.
“Educators look to each other to learn. We need to also learn outside of our own borders to address our biggest challenges, like, how are we going to feed a growing population sustainably?” said Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools Director of Professional Learning Jen Cirillo. A member of VICA, Cirillo is also a co-coordinator of the exchange program along with VICA member Emma Boutcher. The partnership between VICA and Shelburne Farms has made this exchange possible.
The collaboration between the Consulate General of Italy in Boston, the Vermont Italian Cultural Association and Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools, hopes to continue the program by welcoming educators from Italy to Vermont in 2025.
VICA president Lisa DeNatale said, “I can’t think of a better way to deliver on VICA’s mission to promote and preserve Italian culture in Vermont. Respect for the land and its bounties and riches are inherent values that connect us. I am delighted to launch this program with the Italian Consulate in Boston and our Vermont partner, Shelburne Farms Institute for Sustainable Schools.”
To read more about the exchange program, visit the VICA website.
Source: 4.16.2024. Burlington, Vt. – The Vermont Italian Cultural Association (VICA)
