Empowering youth & adults to reimagine & transform education together
UP FOR LEARNING 2025-26
ANNUAL REPORT At UP for Learning, we believe meaningful change begins when young people and adults share power, voice, and responsibility. Young people don’t just have ideas about how their schools could be better—they have the insight, creativity, and determination to help make that vision a reality. Through our programming, youthadult teams identify shared goals, use data and lived experience to understand what matters most, and take action to transform their schools and communities. As we prepared this FY26 Annual Report, the UP team took a closer look at the impact of the teams we supported. We explored a central question: What does impact look like when youth and adults work together to reimagine education? Across five states and more than 230 schools, our teams are creating change by: • Shaping school, district, and state policies and practices (Page 4) • Using data to turn student-identified needs into tangible solutions (Page 5) • Building lasting structures for youth voice and shared decision-making (Page 6) • Strengthening connected, relationship-centered school cultures (Page 7)
• Connecting young people across schools and communities through peer mentoring and leadership pathways (Page 8) Together, we are creating opportunities for youth to lead, innovate, and contribute meaningfully—as global citizens, community changemakers, and essential members of the workforce. As UP continues to grow, we remain committed to working with schools regardless of financial capacity, while thoughtfully expanding our reach and strengthening the sustainability of our work. Because transformation doesn’t happen all at once. It starts small—with one conversation, one partnership, one young person empowered to make a difference—and grows into a wave of lasting, collective change. Thank you for standing with us in this work to transform education and create a future where every voice matters. UP for Learning Annual Report 2025–26 • 1
Partnership creates ownership. Ownership sparks motivation. Motivation drives learning.
UP By the Numbers Number of youth-adult teams:
86
79,000+ total youth in
school communities impacted by UP teams
1,256 adults trained,
including 5 professional learning virtual series
760 teams since 2008
4 of 9 voting members on
Number of youth leaders:
7 Youth Program Specialists
2199
26% increase over 2025! 10,638 leaders since 2008
242
Number of schools:
NH CO
(July 2025–June 2026)
UP’s Board of Directors are youth (high school/post secondary college students) who worked
1583 hours
730+ hours of compensated
time for UP’s youth Co-Facilitators
5 monthly virtual Racial Justice Dialogue events led by youth leaders
8 prevention organizations
supporting Getting to ‘Y’ teams
10 school districts embedding UP in its practices and policies (K-12)
285+ retreats co-facilitated with youth!
YOUTH ARE BUILDING SKILLS TO LEAD CHANGE
Expanding Beyond Vermont MA DE
92 schools 40% of UP schools
35 teams 32% of UP teams
362 adults 31% of UP adults
841 youth 38% of UP youth
2 • UP for Learning Annual Report 2025–26
Through UP’s youth-adult partnerships, young people develop practical skills for advocacy, communication, and collaboration. FY26 pre- and post-survey results show increases in the number of youth who report: Knowing how to use data to advocate for change: +10 percentage points
F eeling comfortable speaking in front of groups: +10 percentage points
H aving conversations with adults about how to make their school better: +6 percentage points Change reflects the difference between pre- and postsurvey responses.
2025-2026 FINANCIALS INCOME
3%
Equity/Antiracism
Government Grants
24%
Public Support and Private Grants
Youth and Adults Transforming Schools Together
EXPENSES
Staffing
68%
18%
Cultivating Pathways to Sustainability Restorative Practices
9% 30%
10%
Program Breakdown 12% 12%
Program Income
58%
Operations
32%
DONATE TODAY
to support our work!*
Personal Power and Community Connections
Student Voice
24% Getting to ‘Y’
“I have been working as a Youth Intern for UP for Learning for 2 years, and every time I facilitate a retreat, a teacher in-service, conference, workshop, etc. I always leave having learned something new. ”
—Drew Theoni, 12th Grader
* Reading a paper copy? Look for a donation envelope tucked in these pages, or go to upforlearning.org and click “donate.” UP for Learning Annual Report 2025–26 • 3
AMPLIFYING YOUTH VOICE, TRANSFORMING SYSTEMS UP facilitates processes that bring community members together to define shared goals, examine data, and take action. In these three examples, youth from across schools used student data to co-design and advocate for policy and practice changes at the school, district, and state levels. Young people presented their findings and recommendations to school boards, legislators, state agencies, community organizations, and statewide audiences. In Vermont, UP engaged more than 1,500 students in shaping the new statewide graduation requirements. Youth gathered and analyzed perspectives from students across the state and developed recommendations presented to the Vermont State Board of Education and Agency of Education leadership. While students held diverse views about the proposed requirements, their responses revealed a remarkably consistent set of values: Students care about what they learn and how they are assessed, but they care even more about creating the conditions that make school meaningful, supportive, and engaging.
MEET OLIVIA & HUE
Olivia Byamungu and Hue Vo, seniors at Winooski High School and Burlington Technical Center, facilitate the Winooski School District’s Antiracism Steering Committee (ARSC) and joined UP as Youth Program Specialists in 2026. Their leadership exemplifies the power of youth-adult partnership. From planning meeting dinners and facilitating agendas to exploring Ethnic Studies curriculum, ARSC members bring knowledge, action, and passion to creating a more equitable and joyful school community.
Olivia
Hue
Olivia started working with UP in 7th grade. “I wanted to help my school be a better community for all students and fix the racial injustices that were happening at the time. I am passionate about advocating for change. I also believe and think it’s really important to give youth voices a space to grow and those passions carry over into what I do everyday.” Hue started working with UP in 2023, and is passionate about “helping minority students achieve their full potential through creating a safe space for them to voice their opinions and educating others about the importance of social justice.”
4 • UP for Learning Annual Report 2025–26
Three Central Vermont school districts partnered with UP to explore a shared question: “What does future-facing education in Vermont look like?” Youth synthesized perspectives from their communities into shared recommendations and a blueprint for action. They presented their recommendations to the Montpelier City Council, Vermont Agency of Education leadership, and the Vermont Superintendents and Principals Associations, and testified before the House and Senate Education Committees. Their message was clear: Vermont’s education decisions should be shaped by the voices of the young people they are intended to serve—and should prepare students not only for a rapidly changing workforce, but also for meaningful participation and leadership in their communities. UP’s work in Massachusetts culminated in the Massachusetts VOICE Summit, where hundreds of youth and adults came together with state policymakers to share and
celebrate youth-led change. Coplanned by UP and youth and adult partners from across the state, the Summit showcased work from 61 districts participating in the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) Student Voice and Wellness grant program— including UP’s partnerships with schools in Springfield, Methuen, and North Adams. Together, these teams demonstrated the power of young people collecting, analyzing, and acting on their own data to drive meaningful, lasting change.
Scan the code to read more stories from UP’s year!
UP for Learning Annual Report 2025–26 • 5
CREATING LASTING STRUCTURES FOR YOUTH VOICE Schools are creating lasting structures for youth voice— including Student Voice Advisories, Student Advisory Councils, youth councils, and youth–adult leadership teams—that embed student perspectives in ongoing decisionmaking. In Delaware, Student Voice Advisories (SVAs) have become essential spaces for young people to share lived experiences, co-create solutions, and strengthen belonging. In Brandywine School District (Wilmington, DE), every elementary,
MEET EVA
Eva Eggleston served as copresident of the Student Voice Advisory (SVA) at Mt. Pleasant High School in Brandywine School District. She continued her journey with UP as a Youth Intern during her first year at the University of Vermont and now serves as a Youth Program Specialist. As an SVA co-president, Eva focused on fundraising for the student-created “Zen Den” and strengthening youth-adult partnerships. Her leadership reflects a commitment to creating meaningful opportunities for young people to shape their schools and communities. “I am passionate about advocating for youth voices, not only within schools but in the community; and I enjoy collaborating on projects that bring joy and invoke change.”
6 • UP for Learning Annual Report 2025–26
middle and high school has established an SVA. Longitudinal data from 2022–2025 shows significant gains in student agency and engagement: • 8 5% believe they can make meaningful change— an increase of 31 percentage points. • 57% feel their ideas are heard and respected— more than double the 26% reported in 2022. Over the past four years, UP has also expanded youth voice partnerships across Delaware, including with Red Clay Consolidated School District and the Woodbridge School District Board of Education. Together, these efforts are helping young people see themselves— and be recognized—as essential contributors to collective problem-solving and more inclusive school communities. Another example of embedding student voice in district practices and policies comes from Vermont’s Lamoille South Supervisory Union (LSSU). For six years, UP has partnered with youth, educators, families, and community members to gather diverse perspectives and co-create LSSU’s Portrait of a Graduate. The work has since expanded from developing the Portrait to integrating it across the district. In 2025–2026, school-based Student Voice Advisories (SVAs) took the lead in helping their school communities understand the Portrait’s core tenets and explore what it means to put them into practice in classrooms and throughout the school community.
MEET JILLIAN
Jillian Barnes has been part of the LSSU team since middle school, when she first began exploring leadership opportunities as a UP Youth Intern. She has continued to grow as a leader and now serves as a Youth Program Specialist. “I love working with youth and adults to make a meaningful impact in schools throughout VT and amplifying youth voices in their schools and communities.”
BUILDING SCHOOLS AS COMMUNITIES OF CARE AND BELONGING UP teams strengthened school cultures by creating new supports and practices focused on relationships, wellness, safety, identity, and connection. Teams built capacity in restorative practices and circle-keeping, advocated for peer mediation and justice panels, and integrated restorative approaches into everyday interactions among students and staff. From the Green Mountains to the Rocky Mountains, UP partnered with our first Coloradobased team at Mapleton Early Career Prep (MEC) in Thornton, Colorado. MEC is committed to creating a learning environment co-created by youth and educators, with support from mentors and the broader community. Through a dedicated class, UP worked with youth to identify strengths, challenges, and desired outcomes, and to build their capacity to train adults. Together, youth and adults developed a vision for weaving restorative practices throughout all aspects of the school. At Vergennes Union High School in Vermont, a youthadult team worked together to implement restorative practices and strengthen relationships across their school community, creating meaningful change that students experienced both individually and collectively.
Ninth grader Liza shared: “I want to make sure the school is a place that everyone wants to come to. Being a part of this work made me start coming to school more because I felt like I was helping create a better environment for everyone.” Another student reflected: “We’re seeing the teachers take our feedback and actually use it in their classes.”
MEET MYRAH
Myrah Valmyr joined UP as an intern supporting the Vermont Restorative Approaches Collaborative (VTRAC). As a founding member and leader of VTRAC, UP works with Myrah on communications and outreach to community members and potential collaborators. A senior at Middlebury College studying Biology and Global Health, Myrah connected with UP through Middlebury’s Conflict Transformation Center, where she volunteered. “VTRAC makes growth in an academic setting through mindful, holistic approaches possible, better shaping how students, faculty, and administrators interact with each other and show up for themselves. The nature of this work calls for constant attention and support, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to do my part.”
UP for Learning Annual Report 2025–26 • 7
IMPACT IN ACTION: POWER 2 SUMMIT Among the many youth-created structures designed to support young people in supporting one another—from peer mediation programs and high school-tomiddle-school mentoring to youth-led retreats—UP celebrated the return of the Power² Summit! On May 5, 2026, 175 youth and adults from UP teams across Vermont came together for the first inperson Power² Summit since 2020. The Summit built on a legacy of elevating student voice, amplifying the power of youth–adult partnership, and imagining the future of education together. Guided by the theme Collective Action, Collective Impact, Collective Joy, Repeat, participants explored what becomes possible when we come together, and our collective power is multiplied. A youth-led planning committee helped shape the day, organizing a panel discussion, collaborative art project, opportunities to connect and share, and the main feature: workshops led by eight UP teams who are
Core Values and Beliefs
Our fundamental value is to SEEK EQUITY & JUSTICE. We believe that educational equity is a human right. All young people have the right to a meaningful and engaging education. In order to pursue this aim, we are guided by these principles and values...
successfully driving change in their schools and communities. UP often hears from young people who recognize the importance of connection and community in leadership. As one youth shared, “Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do when you’re by yourself for an extended period of time.” Power² was created to help address that need—to build a community across Vermont where young people can connect, learn from one another, and find support as they step into leadership and changemaking. Join us April 13, 2027, for the next Power² Summit!
SHARE RESPONSIBILITY
Learning and change must be transparent and must be driven by adults and youth as equal partners.
START FROM STRENGTHS
Youth and adults have the wisdom and capacity to orchestrate change. Beginning with what’s working provides hope and energizes a community to embrace change.
SEEK EQUITY & JUSTICE CREATE OPEN DIALOGUE
Deep conversation is central to changing school cultures. When systems are designed for youth to be engaged as full partners with equal value, the work of school transformation can occur by creating a shared vision for education and the learning process.
EMPLOY DATA TO DRIVE CHANGE
Research is a vitally important way to build credibility between youth and adults. When a community works together to make meaning of their own data, they are strengthened by what they learn and emboldened to take action.
Empowering youth and adults to reimagine & transform education together
8 • UP for Learning Annual Report 2025–26
upforlearning.org • (802) 552-8140 • info@upforlearning.org
@upforlearning_vt
/UPforLearning
THANK YOU TO UP FOR LEARNING’S
Corporate Donations
Individual Supporters 2025-2026
Collaborators
SUPPORTERS & COLLABORATORS Tom Alderman Kay Augustine Helen Beattie Ted and Anne Castle Liz Curry and Brian Pine Amy Demarest Arlene Durando Val Gardner Judy Geer and Richard Dreissigacker Lauren Geller Aila Halman Marc Halman Kandy Hutman Marikate Kelley Joseph Kiefer Georgianne Klipa Sharon Koller Charles LaClair Kayla Loving Patricia Maloney Greta McHaney-Trice Ron Miller Martha Rich Gina Ringgenberg Bill Schubart Kathryn Scott Karen Scott Joshua Slan Leslie and Allan Slan John Ungerleider Lida Winfield MONTHLY DONORS Maisie Franke Evelyn Monje Eli Pine Folami Prescott-Adams David Scherr IN MEMORY OF YOLA CARLOUGH The Boucher - DeNatale Fund Gunnel Clarke
Katherine Coppock Mike Danello Kristin Deshaies Peter Dillon Celeste Lutrario Christy Patt DONATIONS WERE MADE TO THE BEN WILLIAMS SCHOLARSHIP FUND: In honor of: Jesse Brooks, Meredith Scott and Susannah White
Foundations
United Way of Addison County
The Wisdom Connection Middlebury College Conflict Transformation Collaborative
Government Agencies
Delaware Dept. of Education MA Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Vermont Prevention Lead Organizations: The Collaborative, Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, Rutland Regional Medical Center, United Way of Northwest Vermont
Economic Equity and Accessibility
We are committed to ensuring affordable access to our programs, and prioritizing our work with our most economically challenged and underserved schools. UP for Learning is committed to ensuring all schools have access to UP’s work regardless of their ability to pay. Thanks to our philanthropic supporters we were able to realize our vision of greater educational equity.
Community National Bank Lawson’s Finest Liquids Social Impact Program Mascoma Savings Bank Northfield Savings Bank
Communities for Alcohol and Drug-Free Youth (CADY) Education Justice Coalition of Vermont First State Educate Granite United Way Hartford Community Coalition HOBY Vermont HTI Catalysts/Listening 4 Justice Jon Kidde, Green Omega, L3C Lamoille Restorative Center MA Service Alliance Mentor VT Shelburne Farms Starling Collaborative The Alliance For Community Transformations (ACT) University of Vermont University of New Mexico Vermont Council on Rural Development Vermont Principals Association Vermont Restorative Approaches Collaborative Vermont Rural Education Collaborative Vermont Secretary of State Vermont Student Anti-racism Network Vermont Student Assistance Corporation Vermont Superintendents Association
In-Kind Donors Bridgeside Books • Cabot Creamery Costco • Hunger Mountain Co-op Main Street Landing • The Skinny Pancake
Th ank you
d board from the UP staff an
. E.. UR FUT he or t Nf ISIO RV OU
ent tud ry s eve for ity equ nal atio duc is e
$100,000+
Builds UP for Learning’s capacity to create equity and justice through innovation and collaboration.
$75,000
Underwrites UP’s work with one school district, creating real change and a culture shift across all schools within the system.
$50,000
Promotes UP’s work in one school over several years, increasing the likelihood that the entire school will develop a practice of student-centered learning.
$25,000
Signature Sponsor of the Youth Internship Program (YIP).
$10,000
Communicates the capacity of youth and their accomplishments as innovators and leaders through the development of new resources and materials, social media, and program-specific videos.
$5,000
Supports projects undertaken by the Youth Internship Program for one year.
.
$1,000
Gives a youth leader the opportunity to take part in the Youth Internship Program, sharing their experience on state, regional, and national platforms.
$500
Allows UP Faculty to travel to one national conference to increase awareness of UP and its impacts.
$250, $100, $50, $25
Every gift helps to support UP for Learning’s important programs and the growing number of youth facilitators working to make change in their community.