A year-long program for youth, adults, and schools
Offered in partnership with UP for Learning
Empower youth to make real change in their schools and communities with Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability.
Over the course of a year, youth-adult teams develop and implement community action projects to address the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Adopted by the UN in 2015, the Sustainable Development Goals offer a blueprint for building a socially, economically, and ecologically just society. The goals address global challenges including poverty, inequality, climate change, and peace and justice. Cultivating Pathways pairs the goals of Vermont’s personalized learning initiative, Act 77, with the SDGs.
How to Register
The program kicks off October 15 at Shelburne Farms and continues throughout the school year. Cultivating Pathways is offered free of charge for Vermont students and educators.
What to Expect
Form a team with your students and fellow educators (8–12 youth and 2–3 educators). You'll receive continued support throughout the year as you explore the Sustainable Development Goals; connect with and assess your place; and plan and implement a project to advance the global goals.
- October 15, 2025: Attend an in-person kickoff with your students and other Cultivating Pathways teams
- Throughout the year: Join virtual drop-in sessions to support your work
- May 2026: Share and celebrate with an advocacy and education event at the Vermont State House
Georgia, Vermont Middle School's Cultivating Pathways Project: A Day of Service
Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability started as a collaboration among Shelburne Farms, Vermont educators Kate Toland and Lindsey Halman, the Rubenstein School of the University of Vermont, the Greater Burlington Sustainability Education Network, and Vermont Learning for the Future. Now, Cultivating Pathways has grown to include other community partners, hundreds of youth, and their teachers.
CPS was recognized by United Nations University as an exemplary project in education for sustainable development (2018). Read about this and other projects in, RCE Contributions to a More Sustainable World: Celebrating Five Years of Innovative Projects on Education for Sustainable Development (2015–2019). (Cultivating Pathways starts on p. 12.)
