On August 14 at Lake Morey in Fairlee, VT, UVEI candidates, alumni, partners, and family members gathered for a half-day of learning and conversation. As the morning fog lifted and opened up the view outside the window, our minds were opened to the work that educators are doing on behalf of their students, colleagues, and communities – and to the effects of that work.

Innovations Forum By the Numbers

This event started in the summer of 2017, with a desire to bring together all of our master’s degree candidates for their final action research presentations. While we were at it, we asked, “What if we invited other educators to share their work alongside our degree candidates? What if we tied some of the presentations to a theme? What if we invited alumni to join us? What if our new licensure program cohorts attended? As we experimented with these ideas and more, the Innovations Forum continued and evolved.

Ten years later, we have seen over

• 110 master’s degree candidates present their culminating action research projects 
• 40 partner educators join us as presenters and panelists 
• 600 total attendees 

We’ve heard that this event helps educators transition from the summer to the school year, that it challenges them to make improvements to their practice, and that it reminds them of the inspiration, joy, and hope that can be present in schools. 

Celebrating our MEd Candidates

This year we had 8 educators complete MEd degrees through UVEI. Each MEd degree pathway includes an in-depth exploration of the focus topic (teaching, school leadership, etc.) during which they analyze their own practice, give and accept feedback from faculty and colleagues, and reflect on their work and their learning. It also includes a year-long applied action research project during which candidates immerse themselves in the research into their chosen area, identify a problem of practice, design an intervention to improve things, evaluate its effect, and identify the next steps towards further improvement. When candidates present this work, it marks the culmination of not just their own project but of multiple years of improvement efforts: examining their practice, giving and receiving feedback, acting on that feedback, and reflecting on their learning and their goals – all through a collaborative and research-based lens. Add all of this to their day-to-day work in schools as well as their personal and family obligations, and it has been a time of intensity and growth that is well worth celebrating. Max Jennings (MEd ‘26), a PE teacher in Montpelier, VT, reflected on the impact of this moment and said that “It was so great to be in person with my cohort to connect, share and celebrate each other and all the work we put in to get here. I walked away with more confidence in myself as an educator and a greater appreciation for the work it takes to turn a problem of practice into meaningful change in my classroom.” 

Gratitude for our Partner Educators

In addition to the work presented by MEd candidates, we invited 7 educators (alumni and others) from across both states to present the work they are doing to foster student voice in schools. Fostering Student Voice, our learning theme for the upcoming year, is about helping students develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their communities, and consider how their voice can positively impact others. These 7 educators took time out of their summer to share with all of us how they are doing this in their schools and classrooms through things like discussion protocols, curriculum design, the use of Socratic seminars to guide student-led dialogues, and more. All of these efforts showcase how each educator is taking concrete steps to not just help students find their voice, but to use voice as a way to improve communication and collaboration skills and develop a greater sense of agency.

Looking to the Future

As we enter our next decade of Innovations in Education forums, we look forward to celebrating new MEd cohorts – this year, for example, we have MEd candidates starting their action research who are planning to present their projects next August. We plan to tie the theme of each forum into deliberate work across UVEI throughout the year. We hope to bring in even more alumni, add more partners, and explore new themes that can help educators improve schools in our region and beyond. If you haven’t yet joined us for one of these events, we hope that you will consider attending in the future!