Past Events
From Incarceration to Education
Free Her VT, Vermont Student Anti-racism Network, and the Education Justice Coalition organized this event. We marched from the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility to Orchard School to demonstrate our commitment to moving resources. Then, we gathered at the school for a shared meal and community panel to hear from students, educators, and community members on this topic. 
Brick by Brick: Building Stronger Equity Foundations in Our Schools
Susan Yao, founder of the Village School, and Julia Lau, Hartford School District’s Equity Coordinator, shared the story of one school district that has been building that foundation and perspective about how we sustain this work in schools given these uncertain times. 
Our Children are Not a Threat: Keeping Children Safe in the Age of Threat Assessments
As of July 1, 2025, all schools were required to have a trained Behavioral Threat Assessment Team. There are limits on when a Behavioral Threat Assessment can be used. We spent time learning the facts about threat assessments, how they can put children (especially those with marginalized identities) at risk, and what can be done if a child is undergoing a threat assessment.
Exploring Social Justice Union Organizing
We discussed the ways social justice union organizing can help us protect our communities from right-wing attacks. We explored some key concepts such as bargaining for the common good and looked to past teacher union struggles and wins for inspiration. We ended the evening by applying what we learn to the Vermont context and the current political moment. 
Supporting Black Students and Educators in this Political Moment
Two Black educators and three Black students engaged in a fishbowl conversation answering questions like: 1) What challenges do you see students of color and educators of color facing in the current political moment? and 2) What policy and systems are currently working well to support Black students and educators in your school district? 
Applying Inclusive and Equitable Teaching Practices
We hosted a class supporting educators to shift their practices to build on and move towards the updated Inclusive Education Quality Standards. The class was a facilitated, hybrid learning opportunity to dig into the teaching practices introduced in this toolkit. As part of the project, we offered a free book, BIPOC stipends, optional graduate credit, and an in-person celebration of learning.
Know Your Rights: Back to School Edition
We heard from the ACLU about their Back to School Toolkit. This toolkit covers: Immigrants’ Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights, Free Speech & DEI Programming, and Student Privacy. There was an opportunity for Q&A as well as some small group discussions thinking about how we can apply what we learned.
Teach Nakba Film Series Info Session
We invited youth, educators, and community members to join us in organizing and showing a film about the Nakba in their school community. Most youth are not taught about the Nakba in schools and this is an opportunity to teach the Nakba. We encouraged folks to show movies from May 15th (the anniversary of the Nakba) through May 30th. 
Supporting Immigrant Students and Families
This training functioned as both a "train-the-trainers" event as well as a general Know Your Rights overview for school workers and community advocates. Participants learned about the key legal foundations that guarantee education to all students, regardless of immigration status, the legal foundation and best practices that schools and educators should use while interacting with ICE, and how to ensure that students, staff, and community members all understand the rights of immigrants without legal status in the United States.