The mission of the Rowland Foundation is to invest in Vermont teachers in order to positively change the culture and climate of schools. While culture and climate are closely related, they are not the same thing. Culture consists of the shared values, expectations, and ways of being in a school community. Climate is the way members of the school community perceive and experience these norms.
The Rowland Foundation has funded fellowships for over 100 Vermont teachers to positively change the culture and climate of schools. Through shared leadership Rowland Fellows have helped over 45 Vermont schools innovate in areas such as equity, accessibility, technology, place-based learning, and student voice. See the Rowland Fellowship grants awarded and schools funded to date.
The Rowland Foundation hosts the largest educational conference in Vermont with over 400 educators, students, administrators, policymakers, and community members participating each year. The Annual Rowland Conference features internationally known keynote speakers and workshops from Vermont educators.
Even as a growing body of educational research demonstrates the positive impacts of teachers of color for all students, Vermont's educator workforce does not reflect the increasing diversity of the overall population. In recognition of this disparity, The Rowland Foundation is pleased to offer a new grant program to support aspiring educators of color as they pursue licensure in Vermont. See our Rowland DEW Scholars here.
Women face unique challenges in educational leadership. The Annual Rowland Women Leadership Retreat is an immersive, experiential gathering of Rowland Fellows who identify as women, intended to provide a space where they can unplug from the demands of work and family and share experiences and strategies to address the unique challenges that women leaders face in the workplace.
During their cohort experience, Rowland Fellows focus on school-specific fellowship work with support from peers working at other schools. In the spirit of collective impact, the Rowland Foundation now supports veteran Rowland Fellows who team up across school districts to share ideas and do work at the regional or statewide level. Recent teams have focused on Digital Wellness and Deeper Learning.
The Power of Public School Teachers [adapted from a letter to Rowland Fellows written by RF Executive Director, Michael Martin, originally sent on September 6, 2024] Political leaders are talking about teachers a lot these days. To be clear, I don’t just mean debates about education policy, but talking
Kat Robbins and Janis Boulbol have worked together to create CRAFT–Community and Climate Resilience Through Agriculture, Forestry, and Technology–at Woodstock Union High School. With the support of the Rowland Foundation, this program has grown into a thriving opportunity for WUHS students. We invite you to take a look at the
I recently agreed to lead a short writing activity with my department at the start of a meeting. Here’s what I asked them to do: Think of a student who you are currently having a hard time with, for whatever reason. Now imagine that in ten years that student comes
Each year the Rowland Foundation awards up to six Rowland Fellowships to Vermont middle grades and secondary school teachers. Since some teachers apply with a partner to share a fellowship, the number of Rowland Fellows selected from qualified applicants for each cohort varies from year to year.
The Rowland Foundation’s mission is to invest in Vermont teachers to positively change the culture & climate of schools. We welcome applications from all Vermont teachers who work directly with students in the middle or secondary grades. Administrators, instructional coaches, coordinators, and program directors are not eligible to apply.
