Vermont Youth Conservation Corp,
Vermont Future Program

The VYCC Vermont Future's program targets high school students who don't fit neatly into traditional academics and gives them another way to learn. This innovative "work-based" approach uses a rigorous curriculum that provides students with real life learning experiences and connects them to their communities. Projects can range from building new trails in a state park to building a greenhouse for a farmer. Students are required to set up a work site, research the particular project, follow directions, write about it, and after the project is finished, present his or her accomplishments to families, teachers, fellow students, and community members.

The program has produced amazing results. In its first year, the rate of student unexcused absences dropped dramatically. Students who had been failing completed their required credits and ended up graduating. The Foundation's financial support helped launch the program, giving it momentum toward becoming a self-sustaining program within schools throughout Vermont.