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KIDS VT BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

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EDITOR’S NOTE

School Spirit FUN FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS COPUBLISHER/EDITOR

Cathy Resmer

GREAT FOR BIRTHDAY PARTIES & EVENTS!

cathy@sevendaysvt.com COPUBLISHER

Colby Roberts

colby@sevendaysvt.com

OPEN DAILY THRU LABOR DAY WEEKENDS IN FALL CALL FOR HOURS 802-793-7229

CONSULTING EDITORS

Margot Harrison Alison Novak Melissa Pasanen ART DIRECTOR

Rev. Diane Sullivan ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Robyn Birgisson Kaitlin Montgomery Logan Pintka Colby Roberts

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PROOFREADER

Angela Simpson John James CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Don Eggert DESIGNER

Jeff Baron CIRCULATION MANAGER

Matt Weiner BUSINESS MANAGER

Marcy Stabile CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Georgia Kunkel Astrid Hedbor Lague Cecilia Luce Jasper McGibney Alison Novak Karmen F. Wilbur PHOTOGRAPHER

Andy Brumbaugh ILLUSTRATORS

Diana Bolton James Kochalka P.O. BOX 1164 • BURLINGTON, VT 05401 802-985-5482 • SEVENDAYSVT.COM/KIDSVT

Published 4x per year. Circulation: 43,000 at 800 locations throughout northern and central Vermont. © 2026 Da Capo Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial content in Kids VT is for general informational purposes. Parents must use their own discretion for following the advice in any editorial piece. Acceptance of advertising does not constitute service/product endorsement. Da Capo Publishing shall not be held liable to any advertiser for any loss that results from the incorrect publication of its advertisement. If a mistake is ours, and the advertising purpose has been rendered valueless, Da Capo Publishing may cancel the charges for the advertisement, or a portion thereof as deemed reasonable by the publisher. Da Capo Publishing reserves the right to refuse any advertising, including inserts, at the discretion of the publishers.

OLIVIA FLEMING

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Kids VT editor Cathy Resmer at the Seven Days office on July 7 with a group of young people taking the Good Citizen Challenge. They were completing activity No. 20, Talk With a Journalist.

ack-to-school season is hitting me a little differently this year. Both of my kids, ages 18 and 20, are about to move into college dorms for the first time. I got misty-eyed the other day when I saw my Florida cousins post first-day-of-school pictures on social media, remembering when my kids were that age. Still, fall always makes me feel hopeful. For students, it’s a time to meet new teachers, start new classes and make new goals for the academic year ahead. Parents are also along for the ride. No matter how old your kids are, you still want to know what classes they’re taking, the clubs and sports they’re participating in, and who their friends are. This year you might also want to ask about your school district’s policy on the use of artificial intelligence. Don’t be shocked if there isn’t one: The state doesn’t require it, though the Agency of Education has given extensive guidance to help educators and administrators think through the many opportunities and challenges AI creates. Read about how some schools are approaching the rapidly changing technology in “Machine Learning” (page 16). The author of the piece, Karmen F. Wilbur, graduated in the spring from Champlain Valley Union High School, where she cofounded the school’s print newspaper, the Hawk’s Nest. She starts at the University of Vermont this fall. Karmen is one of several student contributors to

this issue. This is the second year that high school and college student-journalists have contributed to Kids VT’s Back to School Issue. South Burlington High School senior Jasper McGibney returns to our pages with a story about the Civics Bee — a competition that tests middle schoolers’ creativity and knowledge of American government. Chittenden resident Sterling Rich, 12, won Vermont’s Civics Bee in June and is headed to the national competition in October. Applications for next year’s Civics Bee open on Labor Day, September 7. That’s the same day Kids VT’s summer Good Citizen Challenge comes to a close. Nearly 200 students have submitted entries so far. We’ve collected some of them on page 12, with help from Olivia Fleming and Norah Khan, our two Middlebury College summer interns. They’ve processed roughly 1,400 activity submissions since the Challenge launched in May. The Good Citizen kids will give you hope for this country as we head into a contentious election season. You can find all the activities and submit work at goodcitizenvt.com. Good luck to those of you sending kiddos back to school — I hope they’re as excited as the passengers in cartoonist James Kochalka’s colorful school bus illustration on the cover. We’ll return with a new issue in November!

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SEPTEMBER 26, 2026 through JANUARY 18, 2027 Step into the pages of your favorite books by Eric Carle and experience them as artist, reader and character. This play-and-learn exhibit features activities inspired by five of Eric Carle’s classic books: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Very Quiet Cricket, The Very Lonely Firefly, The Very Clumsy Click Beetle and The Very Busy Spider. Locally sponsored by Northfield Savings Bank Very Eric Carle: A Very Hungry, Quiet, Lonely, Clumsy, Busy Exhibit was co-organized by Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh and The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art. TM & © 2026 Penguin Random House LLC. All Rights Reserved

KIDS VT BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

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BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

What We Did This Summer

A child-centered alternative education, dedicated to the philosophy and teachings of Maria Montessori.

Students are having fun and helping out in the Good Citizen Challenge

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INQUIRE TODAY VERMONTCOMMONS.ORG

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How are Vermont educators approaching AI? Cautiously.

Scoops in Spanish A teen talks with her boss about making people feel like they matter

Welcome 5 Editor’s Note Columns Short Stuff 9 11 Save the Dates 14 Mealtime Just for Kids 21 Coloring Contest 22 Coloring Contest Winners

Cover Image

James Kochalka @kochalka on Instagram BROUGHT TO YOU BY SOME TEACHERS TRY AI

7 FALL FAMILY EVENTS

BACK TO SCHOOL 2026 | FREE RECIPE FOR SANDWICH COOKIES

VT CIVICS BEE

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NoW Enrolling! NOW NOW ENROLLING NOW ENROLLING NOWENROLLING ENROLLING iNfaNts, 3-5&&year olds INFANTS! PRESCHOOL INFANTS! PRESCHOOL NOW ENROLLING PRESCHOOL & INFANTS! PRESCHOOL & INFANTS! NOW ENROLLING starsaccredited accredited 44stars && INFANTS! PRESCHOOL PRESCHOOL INFANTS! NOW ENROLLING NOW ENROLLING 2stars convenient locations: Essex (4 Morse Dr) 4 accredited Two convenient locations: Essex (4 Morse Dr) r) & South h &&(25 INFANTS! PRESCHOOL & South Burlington Joy Dr) NOW ENROLLING Burlington (25 Joy Dr) PRESCHOOL INFANTS! NOW ENROLLING Two convenient locations: Essex (4 Morse Dr) r) & South h We accept subsidy Act 166 4 stars accredited We welcome subsidy &&and INFANTS! PRESCHOOL Burlington (25 Joy Dr) NOW ENROLLING PRESCHOOL INFANTS! NOW ENROLLING Extracurriculars: Zumba,Tennis, Tennis,Soccer, Soccer, Swim We welcome subsidy Extracurriculars: Zumba, 4 stars accredited Two convenient locations: Essex (4 Morse & INFANTS! PRESCHOOL NOW ENROLLING Swim Lessons, Music and more! Lessons, Music andDr) more! PRESCHOOL & INFANTS! Dr)r) & Southh Burlington (25 Joy NOW ENROLLING Extracurriculars: Zumba, Tennis, Soccer, 4 stars accredited &&Vermont INFANTS! PRESCHOOL 30+ years serving Vermont children Two convenient locations: Essex (4 Morse Dr) r) Swim & South h We welcome subsidy 30+ years ofof serving Children PRESCHOOL INFANTS! Lessons, Music and more! 4 stars accredited stars accredited 44 stars accredited 4 stars accredited

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Now enrolling Infants, Toddlers, Preschool, & Pre-K From infants to preschoolers, we’ve built a community families trust — where your child child feels feels safe, safe, curious, curious, and and cared cared for, and where our early education programs help get them ready for their future.

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KIDS VT BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

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8/13/26 2:55 PM

COURTESY PHOTOS

Leadership and staff from GlobalFoundries and ECHO

ECHO to Go Instructor Syd Telek leading a summer screen-printing camp

Generating STEAM

The Vermont Agency of Education will help Generator Makerspace expand its youth programming this fall. Over the past 12 years, the nonprofit makerspace in Burlington’s South End has become a hub for creativity and collaboration. The grant, which totals $750,000 over the course of five years, will support programming for kids in grades 4 through 12, according to Veronica Newton, director of programs and partnerships. Generator is home to six technical “shops” — for woodworking, metalworking, electronics, jewelry making, sewing and rapid prototyping. The grant will help expand access to them through afterschool programs, camps and community workshops. Generator already operates on a sliding-scale fee structure; Newton said the grant will further subsidize costs for lower-income participants. The makerspace also plans to hire a part-time youth instructor with the money, she said. Generator’s youth programs focus on STEAM rather than just STEM: science, technology, engineering, arts and math. Newton explained that with support from the Agency of Ed, the makerspace will continue to tailor interdisciplinary options to student interests — offering Dungeons & Dragons-themed programming, for example.

A new partnership between ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain and GlobalFoundries will expand science, technology and engineering initiatives for students across Vermont. GlobalFoundries, a global tech firm with a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Essex Junction, is one of the state’s largest employers. ECHO, based in Burlington, already provides science education to more than 15,000 students and educators in Vermont each year. Together they’ll bring engaging STEM exhibits to students in rural areas, too. Part of the goal is to connect with youths by hosting mobile STEM festivals and making classroom visits to elementary

and middle school students. But this five-year collaboration will also improve ECHO’s ability to offer professional development for teachers. For example, the STEM Teacher Institute, a yearlong course, includes workshops and graduate-level classes for educators. In a press release, ECHO executive director Ted Lawson wrote, “GF’s investment connects the dots between the wonder we cultivate on the Burlington waterfront and the high-tech careers being built just down the road.”

Learn more at echovermont.org. C.L.

Listen and Learn Painting miniatures at a Dungeons & Dragons camp

Allowing kids to work through challenges in subjects they’re interested in makes it more likely they’ll keep at it in the future, Newton said. Through hands-on learning opportunities, Generator gives kids skills and knowledge that can be applied to academics and beyond — to entrepreneurship, for example. “You’re gonna mess up, and you’re gonna get angry, and you’re gonna problem solve,” Newton said. “And then at the end, [you] have successful products.”

Learn more at generatorvt.com. CECILIA LUCE Seven Days intern Cecilia Luce is a Northwestern University student of journalism and environmental sciences and has reported for the Daily Northwestern.

If you’re interested in early childhood education in Vermont, here’s a podcast you might enjoy. “Carpools, Commutes and Child Care” is hosted by Erin Roche, Vermont director of First Children’s Finance, a nonprofit that provides technical assistance and support to childcare programs. Roche talks with an eclectic group of guests who explore “topics in between the personal and the professional,” as she says in the intro to every show. Roche’s own desire to keep herself inspired spurred her to get behind the mic. Her target audience is “busy people who are interested in authentic conversation without an agenda,” she said. The biweekly program kicked off this spring with a conversation with

Aly Richards, former CEO of Let’s Grow Kids and former Democratic candidate for governor. Other guests have included Vermont Department for Children and Families deputy commissioner Janet McLaughlin; Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation executive director Erika HoffmanKiess; and Kassim Ibrahim, a Champlain College student originally from Somalia who speaks about navigating care for a young child. Episodes run between 20 and 30 minutes — the perfect length for listening to on a car ride home. Find “Carpools, Commutes and Child Care” on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. ALISON NOVAK

KIDS VT BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

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KIDS VT BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

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Save the Dates

Play Fair

For the 180th year, the CALEDONIA COUNTY FAIR marks the end of the growing season and stays true to its agricultural roots with cattle judging, ox and horse pulls, a tractor parade, and milking and sheepdog demos. More modern family fun includes carnival rides on the colorful midway, a sea lion splash show, live music and a demolition derby — all free with admission.

Fall fun for the whole family

Wednesday, August 26, 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Thursday, August 27, through Saturday, August 29, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; and Sunday, August 30, 7 a.m.-7 p.m., at the Caledonia County Fairgrounds in Lyndonville. $15-25. Info, 802-535-9015, calendoniacountyfair.com.

BY ANGELA SIMPSON

OCTOBER 14

SEPTEMBER 12

Creature Feature

Your Own Sweet Time

The best celebrations feature sweet treats, but Rutland’s WHOOPIE PIE FEST gives them a party all their own. Sample cream-filled confections from bakers around New England while you take in street entertainers, live music, square dancing and food truck fare. Expect more than standard chocolate versions: A pumpkin-and-maple cream cheese gem won last year’s people’s choice award.

Chris and Martin Kratt, the brothers behind the über-popular “Wild Kratts” animated series on PBS, bring their interactive WILD KRATTS LIVE 2.0 stage show to the Flynn in Burlington. The two adventurers don “power suits” to embark on an inspiring quest, face a comic villain and highlight the special abilities of numerous creatures from the animal world.

Saturday, September 12, noon-4 p.m., at various locations in downtown Rutland. Free; sample tickets, $1. Info, 802-773-1800, rutlandwhoopiepiefest.com.

Wednesday, October 14, 3:30 & 6:30 p.m., at the Flynn Main Stage in Burlington. $38.71-199.52. Info, 802-863-5966, flynnvt.org. SEPTEMBER 26

Fall in Good Fun

Get a dose of quintessential small-town charm at the BRISTOL HARVEST FESTIVAL, a picture-perfect paean to autumn in Vermont. More than 60 local artisans and crafters fill the town green, soundtracked by live music from the bandstand. Kids line up for pony rides and work off some energy on an ADA-compliant playground, while all ages slow their roll with old-timey horseand-wagon rides.

Find more family fun each week in the Seven Days calendar or online at sevendaysvt.com/familyfun.

Saturday, September 26, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., at the Bristol Town Green. Free. Info, 802-388-7951, addisoncounty.com. SEPTEMBER 26 & 27

Little House of the Fairy

Architectural alchemy transforms bark, twigs, stones and moss into a magical mini village for the FAIRY HOUSE FESTIVAL at the Nature Museum in Grafton. Wend your way down a whimsical woodland path to find dozens of the ultimate tiny homes, then have a go at building your own. Grown-ups, prepare to be as enchanted as your children. Saturday, September 26, and Sunday, September 27, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Nature Museum in Grafton. $5-20; free for kids under 3. Info, 802-843-2111, nature-museum.org.

OCTOBER 3

Puppy Love

The mostly rescued canine celebrities of PUPPY PALS LIVE bow-wowed on “America’s Got Talent”; now they bring their laugh-out-loud antics to the Barre Opera House. Sit and stay to watch these talented pooches — all beloved house pets when they’re not performing — run through their spectacular stunts. You might just get to join them onstage and become part of the act! Saturday, October 3, 3 p.m., at the Barre Opera House $26-38. Info, 802-476-8188, barreoperahouse.org.

COURTESY PHOTOS

COURTESY OF CHRIS OCKEN

AUGUST 26-30

OCTOBER 31

Ghost Town

SPOOKY SATURDAY in St. Albans is the ultimate destination for

kids who just can’t wait until dark to put on their Halloween costumes. Ghouls and goblins hone their trick-or-treating techniques at downtown shops, watch witches dance and monsters mash in Taylor Park, decorate pumpkins, and strut their stuff in a costume contest. Don’t forget to capture this year’s look at the photo booth.

Saturday, October 31, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., at Taylor Park in St. Albans. Free. Info, 802-524-1500, ext.263, downtownsaintalbans.com. KIDS VT

BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

What We Did This Summer

Vermont K-8 students are having fun and helping out in the 2026 Good Citizen Challenge BY CATHY RESMER

Find a list of activities, and submit your entries, at goodcitizenvt.com. Tune in to “Channel 3 This Morning” on Thursdays at 6:15 a.m. to see weekly Good Citizen Challenge prize drawings. This Challenge would not be possible without support from the Vermont Community Foundation and the Canaday Family Charitable Trust. Kids from all across the state have entered the Challenge since it launched on May 20. Those who complete all of the activities will be honored as Distinguished Citizens at a special day at the Statehouse during the legislative session in March. All students who complete activities are invited to an end-of-summer celebration at the Statehouse on September 17, where we’ll raffle off the grand prize. There’s still time to complete and submit activities before the Challenge ends on Labor Day, September 7. Here are some of the 2026 highlights so far, by the numbers:

Money raised for local charities through activity No. 13, Organize Support for a Cause: $884.62 THEO MOORE, 8, of Burlington raised $200

for his elementary school’s mural project by running a mini farmers market on his street with his friends. “Next spring, I’m

KIDS VT BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

COURTESY PHOTOS

ince 2018, Seven Days and Kids VT have been organizing the Good Citizen Challenge, a youth civics project for kids in grades K-8. It gives them 25 activities they can do to earn “stars.” The tasks range from simple to complex: Reading a book or visiting a memorial is good for one star; talking with a journalist or taking a three-day break from screens is worth three. Each star earned is an entry in drawings for prizes that include $50 gift cards to Phoenix Books and the grand prize — a free trip for two to Washington, D.C., donated by Milne Travel.

is (73 East Allen Street), about floods in Vermont, how reading can be fun, how to raise money for a nonprofit, and how taking a break from screens isn’t that hard,” he wrote. “Completing the Good Citizen Challenge was fun this summer.”

Number of kids who have designed new “I Voted” stickers for activity No. 22: 79

The Mini Farmers Market crew, from left: Clara Moore, Jude Vivori, Theo Moore and Luke Vivori

Ben Taplin

See some of the entries on this spread. At the end of the Challenge, a group of judges from the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office and Seven Days will select a winning design, which will be available at the polls in the winner’s town on Election Day in November.

Number of entries for activity No. 4, Suggest a Memorial or a Historical Marker, that suggest honoring coins: 1 ELLIS SMITH, 8, of Marshfield proposed a

memorial to “The Penny.” The first one, he noted, was minted in 1787; the last, in 2026. “I am very interested in coin collecting and have many special pennies,” he wrote.

Number of entries for activity No. 4 that recommend honoring superstar musician Noah Kahan: 4 Number of creative takes on activity No. 12, Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make Do or Do Without: 28

Blaise Tinker

going to build my own little garden bed and start growing some food that I want to put in the mini farmers market. ”

Number of Distinguished Citizens as of press time: 5 Winooski brothers BLAISE TINKER, 12, and COLT MOBBS, 6, crossed the Good Citizen finish line first, followed closely by

Hanaleia Hartz

HANALEIA HARTZ, 9, of Burlington. Seven

more participants have completed 20 or more activities so far, and another 10 are at least halfway there! Blaise summed up some of the things he learned through the Challenge in the short essay he completed for activity No. 25. “I have learned through completing the Good Citizen Challenge what the oldest building in Winooski

BENJAMIN TAPLIN, 9, of Brownington explored an old dump site on his family’s land and found some glass bottles. “My mom plans to reuse them as vases for flowers,” he wrote.

Number of participants as of press time: 181 Number of activities they’ve completed: 1,375 and counting! K Middlebury College MiddWorks student interns Olivia Fleming and Norah Khan contributed reporting.

COURTESY

Finalists at the Addison-Rutland regional Civics Bee, from left: Jacob Therrien, Statler Rich, Sterling Rich, Charlie Flynn, Carolyn O’Connor and Sage Parker

Bee Civic-Minded Middle schoolers put their best ideas forward for an annual competition BY JASPER MCGIBNEY

From top: Sticker designs by Ollie Grant, Liza Hagan, Khaisiir Coleman, Brynn Weinberger and Nash Boehm

ow many Supreme Court justices are there? What happens if no candidate wins a majority in the Electoral College, according to the Twelfth Amendment? These are the kinds of questions contestants answer in the Civics Bee, an annual competition for students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Launched in 2022 by the Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the bee aims to improve civic education and literacy in middle schoolers. It has now spread to all 50 states plus Washington, D.C., and American Samoa, just in time for the country’s 250th anniversary. Students compete at the regional, state and national level and vie for substantial cash prizes; the winner of the national bee walks away with a $100,000 contribution to their 529 college savings account. Sterling Rich heard about the Civics Bee in his sixth-grade humanities class at Barstow Memorial School. “I thought it would be a good way to spend my time and see if I could learn something new,” the rising seventh grader said. Not only did he learn some things, but he also bested 19 other competitors to win $1,000 in the Vermont Civics Bee on June 8 at Stowe Middle & High School. Sterling won a trip to Washington, D.C., to represent the state in the National Civics Bee in October. “It’s kind of scary doing this competition,” said Sterling, 12, who lives in Chittenden, “but I’m kind of excited because I’m going to D.C., which seems pretty cool.” In addition to showing their grasp of civics trivia, contestants write an essay on a topic related to improving their communities and answer questions about it during the bee. The experience

tests their knowledge of American government, as well as writing and public speaking skills. Sterling won with an essay on a very Vermonty idea: creating a volunteer system to help community members get their driveways shoveled in the winter. “There’s a lot of people, actually, who need to pay people, like, insane amounts of money to shovel driveways, and some people can’t afford that,” he said.

It really creates citizens of our democracy. DENISE SMITH “The toughest question I probably got was ‘How would you be able to get the funding for this?’” he said of the state bee. Sterling suggested that the town administration and a local general store could donate snow shovels and other supplies. Denise Smith, executive director of the Vermont Council on Rural Development, who emceed the statewide competition and served as a judge for the regional Northeast Kingdom Civics Bee, was impressed with the participants. “Their creativity and their curiosity, and also their engagement, was really something that I took away,” she said. Of the competition, she said, “It really creates citizens of our democracy.” Encouraging civic engagement promotes “strong communities and a strong economy,” said Jeff Wise, senior director of programming of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, which organized the state competition. “The chamber feels it’s really important to do this because it shapes Vermont’s future.”

Next year, he hopes to expand the springtime regional competitions from two — organized by the Northeast Kingdom Chamber and the Addison County Chamber — to three. The 2027 Civics Bee will be Vermont’s third. To participate, students must first apply to the National Civics Bee through the U.S. Chamber’s online portal; applications for the 2027 competition will open September 7 and close February 2. There’s no fee to enter. Interested students write an essay describing a positive change they would make in their communities and how they would make it happen. Judges select some to advance to the regional competitions. Smith emphasized the value of the bee to students, particularly the essay presentation: “They have to present that to a room of people, and I think that’s a really important skill set to have.” Teachers or community members who want to bring the Civics Bee to their community can contact their local chamber. The U.S. Chamber provides resources for teachers who want to incorporate the Civics Bee into their curriculum on its website. For more information, visit civics.uschamberfoundation.org/ ncb-how-it-works. K Jasper McGibney is a senior at South Burlington High School, where he is the editor-in-chief of his school’s newspaper, the Howling Herald. A dedicated student journalist since his sophomore year, he is working to strengthen his school’s journalism program. This is his second story for Kids VT. KIDS VT BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

MEALTIME BY A S T RI D H E D B OR L A GUE

A Surprisingly Sweet Snack

MAKE THE COOKIES: 1.

Peanut butter-carrot sandwich cookies ANDY BRUMBAUGH

4. 5. 6.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Combine peanut butter, sugar and egg in a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon or stand mixer until a smooth dough forms. Scoop tablespoon-size balls and set them about one inch apart on the lined cookie sheets. Using a fork, flatten the balls, making a crosshatch pattern. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.

CANDY THE CARROTS: 1. 2.

hen I was little, my favorite snack was carrots dipped in peanut butter. My mother doesn’t like peanut butter, so these were always a real treat. When I was about 5, I decided to make some peanut buttercarrot cookies. I plopped dollops of peanut butter onto a baking sheet and shoved a carrot in each one. Luckily, my grandmother (with whom we lived) caught me before I got this concoction into the oven and made a horrific mess. She showed me a basic cookie recipe in a cookbook and taught me to start baking — and to experiment with it. Some of my creations were good; others not so much. I stubbornly ate them all. Still, I never got around to making the peanut butter-carrot cookies that had sparked my imagination as a child. So, as an homage to my early baking 14

KIDS VT BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

4. trials, I tried making simple peanut butter cookies with a candied carrot-peanut butter filling. Turns out they’ll make a wonderful back-to-school treat. Candying the carrots dries them out so they don’t seep over everything. It also increases their sweetness. A peanut butter cookie, by its nature, is one of the simplest things to make. My iteration consists of three ingredients — one cup peanut butter, one cup sugar, one egg. Simply mix this together, roll it into balls, press down with a fork to get the traditional pattern and bake. I bet I could have made these cookies at 5, maybe even without my grandmother’s supervision. Ask your kids to help you make them. They’ll feel like they’ve accomplished something in the kitchen, and who knows — it might even ignite a spark. K

MAKES 32 COOKIES OR 18 SANDWICH COOKIES

Preheat the oven to 225° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Add the shredded carrots and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the carrots, then spread them evenly on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, until they feel dry. Sprinkle the carrots with the tablespoon of sugar and cool completely before adding to the filling.

INGREDIENTS For the cookies: • 1 cup smooth peanut butter • 1 cup sugar • 1 egg For the carrot filling: • 1 cup water • 1 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon for coating carrots • 1/2 cup shredded carrots • 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature • • • •

1/2 cup peanut butter 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon salt

MAKE THE FILLING: 1.

2. 3.

4. 5.

In a medium bowl, use a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer to whip together the cream cheese, peanut butter, butter, confectioners’ sugar and salt until smooth. Stir in the cooled candied carrots. To finish the cookies, spread about 1 tablespoon of filling on one cookie, then sandwich it with a second. Repeat until all the cookies are filled. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to a week. Enjoy!

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DIANA BOLTON

Machine Learning How are Vermont educators approaching AI? Cautiously. BY KARMEN F. WILBUR

rad Miller has tried to stay open-minded about artificial intelligence. During the past school year, the humanities teacher at Champlain Valley Union High School began using AI in his lesson planning and found it saved him time. That “allows me to be more balanced and less stressed out,” he said in an interview this spring. Yet Miller said he plans to scale back his AI use for the coming school year because he doesn’t want to depend on it too much. “I find myself going, What should be the group size for this activity? Oh, maybe I’ll just ask Gemini,” he said.

KIDS VT BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

Then, he said, he’ll tell himself, “No, Brad, you’ve been teaching for 14 years. Just rely on your instinct.” Most high school students aren’t supposed to lean on AI to write papers or solve math problems, but some Vermont teachers are using it — even as their school districts are still developing policies for AI use in the classroom. Some teachers employ the rapidly evolving and sometimes unreliable technology to reduce their workload. Others have decided to avoid AI altogether — and steer their students away from it. Some students, meanwhile, said they are wary of their teachers using AI tools to create

lesson plans and worksheets, especially when they are restricted from using AI in school themselves. In January, the Vermont Agency of Education released a detailed 50-page document offering guidance for teachers and administrators on responsible AI use and appropriate implementation of the technology at different grade levels. It includes recommendations for developing district- or school-wide policies but stops short of imposing restrictions. State Sen. Seth Bongartz (D-Bennington), chair of the Senate Committee on Education, is interested in the topic, too. He said in an interview

with Kids VT that legislators have raised many concerns about AI. He said his committee is working with educators to develop the right policies and is likely to address the issue in the next legislative session. Bongartz would like to see “a model policy” from the state ed agency, he wrote. “And then, with that in hand, having the schools figure out how to navigate that difficult terrain. I don’t think that I’m prepared to just have a blanket prohibition.” Katharine Shepherd, dean of University of Vermont’s College of Education and Social Services, advises

teachers to use AI purposefully, with clear expectations, while taking into account data security and ethics. “Schools should be talking amongst the faculty and with their students and families about what are the downsides of using AI,” she said. Shepherd worries about students depending too much on it. That goes for teachers, too, who should avoid creating shortcuts that lessen the quality of their teaching, she said.

Some teachers have decided to avoid AI altogether — and steer their students away from it. And transparency is key. If a teacher allows students to use AI to develop an outline “and then [the student] used it to do the whole paper and I don’t say that, I need to know that I will have consequences that are negative.” The nonprofit organization aiVermont, which promotes AI literacy, has provided teachers with some hands-on guidance, showing them how to use AI tools at its three annual seminars. Cofounder Marc Natanagara suggested that AI can help teachers create lesson plans, rubrics for assessment and chatbots with narrow parameters to aid students outside of class. Natanagara believes students should have some exposure to AI to understand how to use it. He compared it to learning to drive: “We could look at how to read street signs and how to use a vehicle,” he said, but a student shouldn’t get a driver’s license “without having them behind the wheel at some point.” With these resources, but no guardrails, many Vermont districts and schools are forging the way themselves. Here’s how three of them are approaching the AI issue.

HARWOOD UNIFIED UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT The Mad River Valley school district has a committee that’s in the process of creating its own AI policy. “We realized that we needed a unifying philosophy and approach to AI to avoid confusion or inconsistent rules and to make sure that we’re using best practice in our teaching and learning,” Ellen Parent, a committee member and English teacher at Harwood Union High School, wrote in an email to Kids VT.

Though she’s on the committee, Parent doesn’t use AI in her own classes. She said she wants students to focus on the process of writing, rather than the product. She talks often with students about why she steers them away from AI. “I’ve had pretty collaborative discussions with all my classes, starting this year, to just talk through AI with them,” she said. As a group, they discussed potential benefits and harm, Parent said. “We’ve all come to the decision that it is not going to help us with our goals in class.”

CHAMPLAIN VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT A group of educators in one of the state’s largest school districts is trying to figure out how to teach and learn in an AI world. They see the benefits of AI but want to keep humans at the core of student learning, group leader Stan Williams said. CVSD has released an AI policy focused on equitable learning, educator support and ethical use. But Williams expects the policy to change as the group explores more answers. “It’s the starting point,” he said. For the past two years, the district has offered a course for teachers called AI Unpacked, which they can take at their own pace. They learn about AI workbooks to track classroom lessons, AI tools to synthesize materials and ways AI can help in their everyday lives. “The biggest thing was knowing where the tools are and to practice using them,” said Katie Kuntz, a humanities teacher who took the course. Kuntz said she has seen the benefits of using AI for planning and has relied on it mostly to find resources and make them more accessible to students. AI also helped her be more creative with her assignments and try new classroom activities, she said. When she uses AI, she added, she discloses it to her students. Miller, her fellow humanities teacher, agreed that transparency is important. He didn’t disclose AI use consistently during the past school year, he said, but plans to include an honesty statement with all content he makes using AI going forward. “I want kids to see that I’m taking accountability and not pretending.” To address student use of AI for schoolwork, the Champlain Valley Union High School English department has adopted a “red, yellow, green” (stop, caution, go) policy. Students can get AI help to build background knowledge and find

credible sources without permission from a teacher, but they are supposed to avoid other uses unless they ask their teacher beforehand. Charlie MacFadyen, a recently retired Champlain Valley computer science teacher, encouraged limited AI use in his classes. He created Gemini Gems — referring to Google-generated AI programs — specifically tailored to his lessons. As a member of the high school’s technology committee, MacFadyen visited some ninth-grade classes this past school year to talk about AI. “Some really, really wanted nothing to do with it,” he said. “Some were really excited about it.” Not Olivia Searson, who graduated from Champlain Valley Union this spring. She said she doesn’t like teachers using AI. When she tutored other students, she said, she could tell that some of their teachers created worksheets with AI. She noticed mistakes and inconsistencies in those worksheets that she believes wouldn’t have occurred if the educators had done the work themselves.

THE SHARON ACADEMY Blake Fabrikant, dean of students at the Sharon Academy, a private school in Windsor County, does not think AI belongs in the classroom. Although he understands why some people use it, Fabrikant said he worries that people “confuse being easier with being better” when relying on AI. In his film class this past year, he required students to write in blue books by hand. “It takes a lot more work” for the teacher, he said, “but you have to be really thoughtful and careful in how you plan.” Ada Breese, a Sharon Academy student, has talked with some of her teachers about AI. At Fabrikant’s urging, she wrote a letter to the editor of VTDigger, stating her position against it. “I’m someone that I think really benefits from learning from someone who enjoys teaching what they’re supposed to be teaching,” Breese said in an interview with Kids VT. She said she feels less motivated when teachers give work generated by AI. “If they don’t care about it, then why should I?” K Karmen F. Wilbur is a first-year student at the University of Vermont. She graduated in June from Champlain Valley Union High School, where she cofounded CVU’s student-run print newspaper, the Hawks’ Nest.

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Scoops in Spanish A teen talks with her ice cream shop boss about making people feel like they matter BY GEORGIA KUNKEL

I travel, and when I go places people put the effort in and help me with the language. RODNEY OLSEN Something else is special about Olsen’s: Laminated sheets, both on the counter where customers order and inside the shop, offer translations of useful phrases into Spanish. We see many Spanish-speaking families at the shop. The counter sheet begins with “Bienvenidos a Olsen’s Helado” — “Welcome to Olsen’s Ice Cream.” Then it provides a few ordering instructions in Spanish: “Elige tu sabor” (“Choose your flavor”); “Tenemos conos de gofre, azúcar y conos regulares” (“We have waffle cones, sugar and regular cones”). Inside, the sheet tells us how to communicate with those customers. I ask, “¿Cuántas cucharadas quieres?” for “How many scoops do you want?” “¿En un cono o un vaso?” means “In a cone or a cup?” And “¿Quieres algo más?” translates to “Do you want anything else?” (The Spanish word for “maple,” incidentally, is arce, and “black raspberry” is frambuesa negra.) 18

KIDS VT BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

COURTESY

n Vergennes, behind an easily identifiable blue-and-white awning on Main Street, I’ve worked for Olsen’s Ice Cream since 2024. Olsen’s is my first job. I’m in my third season at this locally owned business, which Meghan and Rodney Olsen opened in 2020. Besides earning some money, I’ve learned how to support a small community by watching the owners display care and respect for their employees and their customers. Visitors at Olsen’s know it for its long list of hard ice cream flavors and the iconic maple-black raspberry twist creemee, which Olsen’s calls the “Bob.” The outside of the store displays quotes from customers and photos of smiling kids with ice cream all over their faces, families in Halloween costumes and some of the shop’s first employees, as well as the mascot: a Viking holding an ice cream cone.

prepared they are and ready to work. What was it like for you? It was very welcoming. I was nervous because it was my first job, but it was comfortable. One thing we do is, we have people come in and observe. A lot of jobs, people go in on the first day, they get hit with everything. The observation makes a big difference, so people actually know what they’re getting into.

Georgia Kunkel and Rodney Olsen

I learned that this is one of Rodney’s ways of forming relationships with people who frequent his shop. I recently sat down for a conversation with my boss, who worked as a special educator teaching social skills and science at the Patricia A. Hannaford Career Center in Middlebury before he started his ice cream business. We talked about how he connects with customers, why he wants to overcome language barriers and how he mentors young employees.

You can tell people enjoy that and appreciate it. We have one family, when they come in, they would always say, “Como esta?” “How are you?” And I’d always answer, “En la cima del mundo” — “On top of the world.” A while back, the daughter came in, and she brought a painting. It was amazing. It was a Viking on top of an ice cream cone. How does that not make you feel good?

Why did you open Olsen’s? I always wanted an ice cream shop. Ice cream was kind of big at our house. I’d get a half gallon of ice cream, and my dad and I would sit around and just eat it while watching a hockey game or whatever. Then one time, my mom took me to a Stewart’s Shops, and I got an ice cream cone. It was so memorable. It was a double mint chip. I was very young. I was like, “Is this all mine?”

Absolutely. I know there was one customer who was not happy about having Spanish displayed. How do you respond to that? Every now and then, you run into somebody who has something they need to say. That person, they questioned why we have the Spanish translation. He thought it was a disrespect to the English language or Americans or something. I didn’t really know how to handle it except [to] ask him, “Where’d you come from? Where are your parents from?”

We’ve had more Spanish-speaking customers recently, and because of that we have the Spanish and English translations. Why did you decide to include those at the shop? It’s respect. I thought, We gotta put the effort in. I travel, and when I go places, people put the effort in and help me with the language. Plus, when someone comes in and they’re struggling with ordering an ice cream, it’s fun to be able to contribute.

For a lot of your employees, this is their first job and their first time dealing with customers. How do you see yourself as a mentor, guiding young people through their first job? I was a teacher for 24 years. I learned a lot of patience. My dad would say, “It’s not a mistake if you can fix it in a day.” There are very few things that we do in the shop that are a crisis. But it is interesting to see how kids come into the shop and how

I’ve gotten to see the relationships you build with customers, people who come up and ask, “Is Rodney here?” How do you reach customers? I got to know a lot of people just at the window. You have 15 seconds. That’s your opportunity to make an impact. The next time they come in, you know their name. A lot of our employees know what people order when they come in. I’ve been able to memorize people’s regular order. They love that. When you know their order and you smile and you’ve seen them before and you make a connection, it makes people feel like they matter. You asked what I like about having an ice cream shop. It would be all these pictures and quotes. It’s all smiles, happiness, sprinkles. It’s kids jumping up and down. The most fun question, the most important one: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? I’d have to go Southern peach. Really? Used to be mint chocolate chip. What’s yours? Toasted coconut, for sure. K This interview was edited for clarity and length. Olsen’s Ice Cream will close for the season at the end of October. Learn more on Facebook. Georgia Kunkel is a junior at Vergennes Union High School. She has always loved to write, and a Governor’s Institutes of Vermont class recently sparked her interest in journalism.

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JUST FOR KIDS Coloring Contest!

Three winners will each receive a gift card to a local bookstore. Send Kids VT your work of art by October 30. Be sure to include the info at right with your submission. Winners will be chosen in the following categories: (1) ages 5 and younger, (2) ages 6-8 and (3) ages 9-12. Winners will be named in the next issue of Kids VT. Email your highresolution scans to art@kidsvt.com with “Coloring Contest” in the subject line, or mail a copy to Kids VT, PO Box 1164, Burlington, VT 05401.

Title _______________________________________ Artist _____________________________________ Age ______________ Town __________________ Email _____________________________________ Phone _____________________________________

KIDS VT BACK TO SCHOOL 2026

JUST FOR KIDS

9 to 12

COLORING CONTEST WINNERS

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EDEN

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HONORABLE MENTIONS

Endearing deer from the peaks and valleys of Vermont pranced into our office over the past two months. One even rolled in on a skateboard! And there were so many rainbows. The artists ranged from 18 months to 12 years old. Our 17 judges studied each submission, often pausing to admire the artistry on display. These were close decisions — all of the honorable mentions received at least one vote. Congratulations to the winners! We can’t wait to see what you all come up with next.

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Arjun Sirohi, 8, South Burlington

Ila, 5, Essex

Neala, 7, Montpelier

Jack, 5, Jericho

Jackson, 10, Fairfax

Lucy Priester, 8, Burlington

Barkley Thompson, 7, Montpelier Emma Neufeld, 8, Burlington

Oona Raven, 11, Woodbury

Saga, 9, Cornwall

Parker Berg, 7, Shelburne

Parker Fabiano, 10, Winooski

Harper Sorrentino, 8, Williston

Isabelle, 9, Essex

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KIDS VT BACK TO SCHOOL

K3h-downtownwinooski081926 1

8/13/26 4:30 PM

Winner 2026 Daysie Best martial arts Studio

Julio “Foca” Fernandez, Carlson Gracie 7th Degree Coral Belt and Two-Time Champion of the IBJJF World Masters

VERMONT BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU MARTIAL ARTS AND SELF-DEFENSE SCHOOL 55 Leroy Rd, Williston | 802-598-2839 | vermontbjj.com K4t-LakeWaldorfSchool081926 1

8/14/26 11:49 AM

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8/4/26 1:33 PM

ANNUAL SUBSTANCE USE SURVEY

SUBMIT BY OCT. 5 TO WIN ONE OF TEN $30 GIFT CARDS!

Parents of 612th Graders in Central Vermont Take our short, anonymous Survey on Youth Substance Use and tell us: What you think What you need How we can better support young people and families in our community

IT ONLY TAKES 7 MINUTES!