growth, Rutland City Public Schools ensures that its educators and students alike have the tools and support they need to succeed. This dual focus on collaboration and care strengthens the district’s ability to meet challenges while fostering a thriving educational community. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: A TWO-WAY STREET One of the district’s most distinctive features is its deep integration with the community. “Community partners are very essential to the work that we do in our school district,” McKeen emphasizes. This partnership began with extensive community involvement in developing their Portrait of a Graduate and strategic plan, ensuring alignment between education and community needs.“We feel it’s really important that we are staying connected to our community partners to ensure that our students have the skills necessary to be successful postsecondary, no matter what their plans are,” McKeen adds. Monthly assemblies celebrate character traits, featuring community speakers who discuss practical applications of these values and recognize students who exemplify them. A standout initiative is the PLACE program— Promoting Learning by Activating Community Engagement—which allows students to collaborate with local partners in fields of interest. This program began through the support of the Rowland Foundation. “Students work on skills like creating resumes and interviewing,” explains McKeen. After completing a 60-hour placement, students work with their community partner on a service project to give back. The district also offers a career experiences class, enabling students to participate in two-week internships that help them explore potential career paths. “Employers in our region tell us, and we’ve identified it in our Portrait of a Graduate, that students need skills like communication, critical thinking, empathy, and interpersonal skills,” McKeen We specialize in custom mechanical systems design, installation and service that we back with our guaranteed Preventative Maintenance Agreements. We take a holistic approach to designing, installing and servicing mechanical systems to reduce costs, boost long-term efficiency and maximize equipment longevity. We are the only company in Vermont that offers this exceptional level of service, support and peace of mind to our customers COLLABORATIVE DESIGNS THAT GUARANTEE EFFICIENCY AND RELIABILITY. 430 Commerce Street, Suite 220 Williston, Vermont 05495 (802) 862-6199 View our Project Portfolio Contact us lofarrell@masvt.com 6 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 01
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