Vermont Research News: Refugees, college cost and attendance, indigenous dispossession, unpretentious pluckiness

Vermont school meal programs succeed

A research study analyzing the impacts of universal school meals on child development found positive correlations between the students academics, social behavior, family–school relationships, and school finances. School meals reduce poverty and improve student well-being. The Vermont programs fight hunger and obesity and reimburse schools, childcare centers and after school programs who provide the meals. Read more here about Vermont’s programs.

Why do about half of Vermonters go to college?

In a study that examined why Vermont has some of the highest high school graduation rates (about 87%) and some of the lowest rates of continuing onto college (abut 52%) the researcher examined a number of factors to understand what had the greatest impact on the college enrollment patterns of Vermont high school graduates. Parental expectations, access to college information, GPA, gender, academic preparation, student location and parental educational attainment were found to have the strongest correlations to students continuing on to four year colleges.

Thetford Academy and Indigenous Dispossession

A new historical essay challenges the public and scholarly focus on colleges and universities as well as Indian residential schools as the most obvious and important agents of colonialism and Indigenous dispossession. Maurice Crandall, the Yavapai-Apache associate professor of Indigenous Studies at Dartmouth, investigates the history of Thetford Academy, a rural Vermont preparatory school. Crandall focuses on Thetford’s establishment on indigenous lands, its expansionist-minded curriculum, relationship to colonialism, and the actions of several of its famous alumni, including Justin Morrill, “father” of the federal land-grant university system.

Student loan debt

As the state of Vermont works to attract new residents while offering monetary incentives, The Federal Reserve recently found that the largest barrier for young professionals staying in and moving to rural areas is the burden of student debt. A report by students at Dartmouth College proposed a series of policy remedies to the Vermont State Legislature. At the time of the report, average student loan debt topped $23,000 and more than $30,000 in Vermont.

University of Vermont Student Research Conference

The UVM Student Research Conference (SRC) is an annual event at UVM where students showcase their research, creative, and scholarly activity, create new connections, and foster a community of curiosity and learning. The 2022 SRC is scheduled for Thursday, April 21, 2022 and will be a hybrid event (in-person and virtual participation). Learn more here!

"Wait, Unpretentious Pluckiness" - the Story of Benjamin Wait

General Benjamin Wait participated as a Ranger in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionary War; a colonist, Wait was actively involved with the Green Mountain Boys and contributed to the founding of the town of Waitsfield, Vermont. A new book by C. Leon Knore, titled “Wait, Unpretentious Pluckiness,” explores Wait’s life and influence. He was instrumental in delaying the British General John Burgoyne as he marched from Canada to his defeat at Saratoga, the turning point of the Revolutionary War.

April Sip N'Slurry - April 22
Family Art Saturday at BCA - April 23
Virtual Visiting Artist - Michelle Serge - April 27
Vermont Art Resources Association Reception - April 29