Can you imagine a world
where every young person is seen, heard, and valued— where their voice matters, their purpose is clear, and they have the power to shape their own future?
Let’s create this world–together.
We
believe that every young person should . . .
Be known and valued
Have a sense of purpose
“Youth voice matters because it builds up confidence and empowerment, so students can show up every day knowing that they have a role to play in their schools.”
—Methuen, MA youth participant
“The emphasis on youth-adult partnership and the development of youth leadership opportunities have enabled us to build engaging, transformative and innovative educational experiences for young people.”
—Don Taylor, MSMS educator
Have the opportunity and ability to shape their own lives and the lives of others
“Incorporating youth voice in our civic engagement work is a top priority and working with UP made it easy, fun, and impactful!”
—Sarah Copeland Hanzas, Vermont Secretary of State
Participants in UP's programming share a desire to make their school better, a deep belief that schools should meet the needs of all learners, and a strong recognition that students should be involved in decisions about their schools. Over the course of the year, participants showed significant growth in their ability to use data to advocate for change in their schools.
Change starts with a single drop.
At UP, every transformation starts with a single drop: youth and adults working together to confront complex challenges—like youth mental health—and creating ripples of lasting change in their schools and communities.
According to the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 29% of youth reported that their mental health was “not good” most of the time or always in the 30 days prior to the survey. This includes experiences of stress, anxiety, and depression. In Vermont, the percentage was even higher—34% of young people reported poor mental health during that same period.
UP co-creates data collection and analysis processes with youth and adult partners to better understand the specific needs of their schools or communities—and to take meaningful action toward solutions. One key area of focus has been youth mental health, addressed through two powerful programs:
• The Youth Internship Program (YIP): This program offers youth deeply engaged in UP’s mission the opportunity to build communication, leadership, and facilitation skills, while fostering community and connectedness through peer mentoring.
• Getting to ‘Y’: Youth analyze their school’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey data, lead community conversations, and develop action plans. One Vermont team used this process to advocate for hiring additional mental health professionals, implementing schoolsanctioned mental health days, and strengthening substance-use prevention programs.
Employing research-based models, UP builds collaborative youth-adult teams grounded in shared ownership and responsibility, working together to improve education, social-emotional wellbeing, and overall health for young people and their communities. In the 2023-2024 school year alone, UP worked with 1120 youth and 299 adults in 113 schools in 8 states.
Change that ripples through schools
National Work RACIAL JUSTICE DIALOGUES
Since 2020, UP’s Racial Justice Dialogues (RJD) youth-adult team have facilitated eight monthly sessions each year, co-designing and co-planning each session in partnership. This year’s includes youth from UP for Learning teams in VT, DE, MA, MS, and Cherokee Nation.
Local Work U-32 MIDDLE & HIGH SCHOOL
MONTPELIER, VT
The U-32 Student Council collaborates with UP to achieve its clear and ambitious goals: strengthening team cohesion, reflecting on individual values and leadership styles, and strategizing for impactful actions throughout the year. Read more...
State
VERMONT (SCHOOL
Empowering Safety project who engaged their experiences
Read more...
The Droplet YOUTH INTERNSHIP
The first cohort of the Youth Internship groups: Youth Interns, who co-lead
State Work
GTY STATEWIDE REPLICATION
NEW HAMPSHIRE
UP and Communities for Alcohol- and Drug-Free Youth (CADY) launched of NH’s statewide replication of Getting to ‘Y’ in January. After years of planning, regional trainings began in February. Read more...
Regional Work
LAMOILLE NORTH SUPERVISORY
HYDE PARK, VT
A team of fifth and sixth-grade youth Supervisory Union elementary schools Equity Design Team what it means leader within their schools. This then lead UP’s Personal Power and Connections (P2C2) program in their Read more...
schools & communities…
State Work
VERMONT AGENCY OF EDUCATION (SCHOOL SAFETY)
Empowering Youth Voices: The Elevating Youth in School project amplifies the perspectives of young people engaged in statewide dialogues with UP and shared experiences through our School Safety Survey. more...
PROGRAM
Internship Program (YIP) consists of two co-lead programs and projects within their local communities or schools, and Youth Program Specialists (YPSs), a cohort of part-time employees in their final years of high school or beyond who are more deeply involved in UP’s day-to-day operations. UP supports youth to improve their communities, the metaphorical drop in the water that starts the ripple. Read more...
SUPERVISORY UNION
youth from five Lamoille North schools learned from the District’s means to be a group will and Community their own school.
Regional Work MOUNT ABRAHAM UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
BRISTOL, VT
The Mount Abraham Unified School District team made of forty youth and adults is on a multi-phase journey to create a “Portrait of a Learner” that will ultimately guide and inspire a revitalized strategic plan for the district. Read more...
Local Work MONUMENT MOUNTAIN REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
GREAT BARRINGTON,
MA
Monument Mountain Regional High School’s Student-Adult Advisory Board partners with UP to strengthen their facilitation skills in service to their school community. Now in their fifth year with UP, they collaborate in youth-led committees to address key concerns and challenges shared by both students and adults. Read more...
National Work TRAILBLAZERS
VIRTUAL
UP’s youth-led digital magazine offers another way to amplify youth voice. The annual youth-led publication presents written or artistic reflections on current issues. Read more...
The science of ripples
Every ripple our participants create begins with a single drop. Those ripples become waves through a powerful process called the Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) cycle. It begins with relationships—the first drop—and launches youth and adult partners on a shared journey to investigate and address the most pressing issues in their community.
2 DEVELOP CRITICAL AWARENESS
Research current and historical oppression and discrimination. This awareness will help you uncover the root cause of systemic inequities in your community.
1 BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
Take time to build mutual respect, trust and equal partnership through team building, shared traditions and personal relationships.
7 IMPLEMENT ACTION FOR CHANGE
I mplement a plan of action based on your findings.
6 ANALYZE DATA & SHARE WITH COMMUNITY
Analyze your data, share your findings with the community and discuss possible solutions.
ongoing: CELEBRATE VICTORIES (small & large) ongoing: MEASURE IMPACT (when possible) ongoing: REFLECT & REFINE
3 IDENTIFY ISSUES & DEVELOP QUESTIONS
Identify issues important to you and your community and ask important questions.
4 CREATE A RESEARCH DESIGN
Decide what data is necessary to collect and how you will collect it.
5 CONDUCT RESEARCH & ENGAGE COMMUNITY
Use your research design plan to go into the community and collect the data.
Counting the ripples: 2008-2025
UP launched in 2008 with one founder and four school teams —small drops of hope and belief in youth-adult partnership. Those first drops grew into the waves of change we continue to nurture today. As we approach our 18th anniversary, we reflect on the ripples we’ve made—impacting countless young lives through partnerships across the country—and look ahead to the next 18 years with a bold vision: transforming these ripples into powerful waves of change led by young people in communities near and far.
YEAR 1
4 high school teams
YEAR 18
123 teams (19 elementary school teams, 32 middle school teams, and 72 high school teams) — 30x growth
Schools in 4 Vermont counties Served schools in all Vermont counties and in 5 states
Partnered with VT Agency of Education
32 youth facilitators
1 school YPAR program
1 faculty founder
$60,000 operating budget
1 individual and foundation donors
Partnered with VT Agency of Education, Secretary of State, Department of Health, Department of Mental Health, and with state/tribal agencies in DE, IN, MA, NH, and Cherokee Nation
82 youth in the Youth Internship Program and 1,038 youth trained as youth-adult team members – 35x growth
97 YPAR projects — 97x growth
7 adults on staff, 299 adults trained and leading teams - 306x growth
$960,000 operating budget - 16x growth in budget funds growth in all areas as detailed above!
117 donors
Isis Bandele-Asante started as a participant on an UP team and is now a member of the UP faculty as a Program Associate
“Being a part of the UP team has been such an inspiration to me and I am incredibly grateful to have had this opportunity and be a part of this amazing initiative.”
—Wilmington, DE youth participant
Are you ready to make waves?
At UP for Learning, we believe the future of education—and of democracy—depends on youth and adults sharing power, voice, and responsibility.
Yet too often, decisions about young people’s education and futures are made without their input. Research proves young people care deeply about their communities and are eager to make them better. When we exclude them from addressing the issues that affect their lives, we not only stifle their engagement—we hold back our collective potential.
For 18 years, UP and our partners have built meaningful relationships, imagined new possibilities, and taken action to create a better future. We’ve seen countless drops spark ripples of change in communities across the country.
While we receive public support and generate some revenue through our services, this covers only about half the cost of delivering our work. Private philanthropy bridges the gap, allowing us to keep our programs accessible to all communities.
Will you join UP in this movement by making a contribution?
When you give to UP, your gift is more than a drop in the bucket—it ignites ripples that grow into waves of lasting, systemic change.
In partnership,
Lindsey Halman, Executive Director lindsey@upforlearning.org
