Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont Lottery announced the winners of the 2025 Educate Innovate Award. The Enosburgh-Richford Unified Union School District and the Rutland Town School will each receive $15,000 to enhance educational technology programs that increase student engagement and proficiency.
“The Educate Innovate Award bring educators, students, and communities together to turn curiosity into action,” said Department of Liquor and Lottery Commissioner Wendy Knight. “When we invest in innovation, we invest in Vermont’s future.” Funded through a partnership between the Vermont Lottery, a division of the Department of Liquor and Lottery, and the Agency of Education, the program received a record 15 proposals in 2025, a 36% increase over 2024. The awarded funds are used to purchase technology and software that support students in their development of data collection and evaluation, problem-solving, and team collaboration skills.
“The Educate Innovate Award empowers Vermont students to build the skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow,” said Vermont Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders. “By investing in technology that supports real-world problem-solving and collaborations, we’re preparing students not just for academic success, but for meaningful lives and careers in a rapidly changing world.”
The Enosburgh-Richford Unified Union School District serves four schools: Richford Elementary School, Richford Junior-Senior High School, Enosburg Elementary School, and Enosburg Falls Middle and High School. Their purchase of 3D printers, a 3D scanner, a computer numerical control (CNC) router, and computers for 3D modeling will equip an advanced robotics lab and support a highly competitive FIRST Robotics team.
Uniting the communities of Enosburg Falls and Richford, the FIRST Robotics team offers students the opportunity to hone problem-solving skills while applying mathematics, computer science, and art and design skills to real-world scenarios. Beyond their own community, participation in FIRST Robotics, a global nonprofit organization designed to inspire young people toward careers in STEM, offers the chance for students in Enosburg Falls and Richford to compete and collaborate with students across the globe.
The Rutland Town School serves 360 students in pre-kindergarten to eighth grade and will use their awarded funds to purchase sensor equipment and software for use across multiple grade levels of science classes. Students will explore real-world issues and develop solutions with the data collected from the sensors, both skills included in the International Standards for Technology Education (ISTE).
Beginning in sixth grade with labs designed to explore acceleration, velocity, magnetic field, and position, students will use data to construct and interpret graphical displays and provide evidence to support their hypotheses.
Seventh grade students will measure temperature differences across environments and analyze the impact of heat-absorbing materials on local climates, working in teams to collect data and assess correlation with environmental factors.
Finally, eighth grade students will use sensors to explore photosynthesis and develop a deeper understanding of how plants contribute to Earth’s energy cycles.
Integral to the success of these programs is the presence of engaged and committed teachers. The Agency of Education and Vermont Lottery commend every teacher across the state, especially those who submitted such thorough, thoughtful proposals. Applications for the 2026 Award will open in mid-spring on the Agency of Education website.
10.17.2025. Montpelier, Vt.—Vermont Agency of Education and Vermont Lottery
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