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!

Build your team of 8–12 youth and 2–3 educators who will learn about the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

Throughout the year, you'll meet fellow teams; see examples of project-based and service learning; connect with community partners and assess your place; and plan and implement a community action project to advance the global goals.

Adopted by the UN in 2015, the SDGs 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.

Cultivating Pathways is free for Vermont schools.

  • Holly Brough

    Learn about the Sustainable Development Goals.

  • Andrea Estey

    Plan and implement a community action project that advances the global goals in your place.

What to Expect

  • October 8, 2026: Attend an in-person kickoff summit with your students and other Cultivating Pathways teams at Shelburne Farms
  • January and April/May 2027: Join virtual sessions to support your work
  • May 2027: Share and celebrate with an advocacy and education event at the Vermont State House

Questions? Email Jen Cirillo at jcirillo@shelburnefarms.org or Katie Ingraham at katie@upforlearning.org

2018
Recognized by United Nations University as an Innovative Project in Education for Sustainable Development

Partners