ECAP Educator Leaders Gather to Connect, Collaborate, and Co-Create

On January 31, ECAP Educator Leaders from across the Upper Valley came together for a day filled with ideas, reflection, and shared inspiration. These gatherings are always about more than just an agenda — they’re a chance for teachers to step away from the daily rush, connect with colleagues who share their passion, and consider how to deepen their work around stewardship of place.

What We Talked About

The heart of the day was simple: How can we support each other and our students in building a more vibrant future for our communities?

Through group conversations, creative brainstorming, and reflection, educators surfaced some key themes:

✨ The Power of Place – There’s something special about grounding stewardship projects right here in the Upper Valley, using the forests, rivers, farms, and towns students know best as both the classroom and the inspiration. Teachers agreed that local learning sticks, and students feel more empowered when they see that their actions make a difference right where they live.

✨ Action Starts Small – Whether it’s building a compost system, ”sprucing” up a forest path, or asking big questions about how local policies shape land use, small, hands-on projects are a powerful entry point for students. They get their hands dirty, work together, and see real impact — which builds confidence and curiosity to take on bigger challenges down the road.

✨ Telling Our Story – As much as teachers are doing amazing work, they’re also balancing crowded schedules, tight resources, and the constant juggle of classroom life. That’s why it’s so important to share stories about what’s already happening, so that no one feels they have to start from scratch. Simple, joyful stories about local projects can spark new ideas and show what’s possible — for educators and students alike.

Leslie Connolly, a kindergarten teacher at Bernice A. Ray School in Hanover, NH, shared her excitement for returning as an ECAP leader. “I’m excited to continue working with my colleagues to deepen our students’ connection to the environment, especially as we enhance our composting program. ECAP has given me the tools and the community to help my students engage in meaningful climate action.”

Educators also shared feedback on the Right Here! Guide, a local resource designed to help teachers quickly find lesson ideas, local partners, and project inspiration.

Some key requests and suggestions from the group:

✔️ Make it easy to find examples from local schools — Teachers like to see what other local teachers are doing.

✔️ Offer both print and digital versions — Some folks like to have a physical copy for quick reference, while others want easy digital search tools (including AI assistance to speed things up!).

✔️ Connect the work to civic engagement and systems change — Teachers want to help students see the bigger picture, especially how local policies connect to the environmental challenges they’re learning about.

✔️ Highlight multi-solving — Show how climate and stewardship projects can address multiple challenges at once — like improving food security, building community health, and reducing waste all in one composting project, for example.

Looking Ahead to the ECAP Symposium

Educators left energized, with new ideas to try and new connections to lean on. And with the May 8 ECAP Symposium at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science coming up, there’s a lot to look forward to.

At the symposium, we’ll not only celebrate student projects and educator leadership, but also highlight the power of partnerships — between schools, families, community organizations, and the natural world itself. It’s a chance to showcase what’s possible when we work together to care for the places we call home.

Stay Tuned

Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing more stories from our Educator Leaders, diving deeper into the creative, place-based projects they’re leading with their students. Each project is different, but they all reflect the same core belief: when we help students connect with their local ecosystems and communities, we’re not just teaching science — we’re helping grow a generation of informed and caring citizens.