Please join us in congratulating Lindsay McQueen, EMS Health Teacher, on being awarded a 2023 Rowland Fellowship. This is a tremendous honor and opportunity! 

Each year the Vermont-based Rowland Foundation awards up to six Rowland Fellowships to Vermont middle grades and secondary school teachers. The Rowland Foundation’s mission is to invest in Vermont teachers to positively change the culture & climate of schools, providing grants of up to $100,000 to each receiving school to support their Rowland Fellow’s change idea to transform an aspect of the school in order to positively impact its culture and climate. A large part of these funds cover substitute costs so that the Rowland Fellow can be released from teaching duties in order to develop their school change Fellowship initiative. Lindsay will be embarking on a sabbatical during the 2023-2024 academic year in order to advance an exciting school change project.

In Lindsay’s words: “I am honored, humbled and excited to receive a Rowland Fellowship. In collaboration with the Edmunds community, I plan to #1) design and implement a two-year framework for Community Time that is sustainable, equitable and flexible; and #2) reimagine a Wednesday schedule to maximize student choice and agency. Having observed students build community in a variety of schools, I appreciate the process of developing a sense of belonging. Some connections occur accidentally and organically, and in many environments intentional design is required to create community. This is especially important in middle school when young people investigate their identities in the greater context of the world while realizing and understanding the societal inequities that impact belonging. At Edmunds, we work hard to create a community of care and, through my project, I look forward to exploring how to develop this further.” 

Congratulations, Lindsay!