Upward and Unbound: Summer at LI

The thought of five weeks of summer school would be enough to make most teenagers wince. But this summer, 26 Lyndon Institute students not only spent a good part of their summer vacation enhancing their academic skills, they embraced an even deeper learning experience by living on campus, working in the community, and even creating their own economy. They were the inaugural class of LI’s own Upward Bound summer program, and for this group of “First Gens,” choosing to live and work on the LI campus wasn’t a punishment but rather an opportunity to thrive, forge deep bonds, and set themselves on a path to success.

Upward Bound, the federally funded program designed to help students who would be the first in their family to earn a four-year college degree, has long been a staple in the Northeast Kingdom, serving high school students from around the NEK, an important part of which includes bringing them to Vermont State University’s Lyndon campus for a summer program. 

But two years ago, thanks to a special grant, LI became the first high school in Vermont—and one of the only high schools in the country—to offer its own in-house Upward Bound program. Under the directorship of Lindsay Carpenter, who is both an LI alumna (class of ‘02) and a former Upward Bound student herself, the program now enrolls more than 50 students who work throughout the school year on developing stronger academic and social skills, visit college campuses, and learn about the opportunities that can come through higher education.

“From the beginning, the plan was to have a summer program here at LI,” Carpenter said. “But during the summer of 2023 there were so many building and renovation projects on campus it just wasn’t doable.” So the LI program joined with Rick Willams’s Upward Bound program up the hill at VTSU’s Lyndon campus.

Fortunately, things had quieted down enough on LI’s campus by 2024 that Carpenter and Upward Bound Assistant BryAnna Goslant were able to launch their own homegrown summer session.

Goslant, who was largely responsible for planning the five week session, found the prospect both exciting and a little stressful. “Yeah, a little anxiety there. It was our first Upward Bound summer ever, and we wanted everything to go smoothly. There are so many details that go into planning a program of this scale, and I tend to be a perfectionist.”

Recruiting teachers who are willing to give up part of their own summer vacations, as well as finding dorm staff to live with and supervise the students, are both challenges Goslant and Carpenter faced. But everything came together in time to be ready to welcome the group of students—a mix of boys and girls transitioning to 10th, 11th, and 12th grade—to campus for the better parts of June and July.

Five weeks is a long time, and it’s not always an easy sell convincing students to make such a big commitment, but the pair managed to get nearly two-thirds of the students enrolled in the program (not counting seniors who had just graduated) to attend.

“It’s hard to know early on, but as the program draws closer, it gets a little easier to convince students. Especially if they don’t have a job and are just going to be home alone. We can say, ‘Hey, what are you going to do with your summer? Why not give it a shot?’ The fact that we offer a stipend helps. They are putting in a lot of work, so it’s well-deserved.” 

“When it comes to the summer program, Upward Bound has defined objectives,” said Carpenter. “Our goal is to make progress in core academic subjects in terms of college readiness, while also building their social skills and self-confidence. We actually developed a theme for the summer: ‘Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone.’ We designed much of our program around it. And not just for the kids but for ourselves, too!”

Part of that theme meant starting the summer off with a bang with a four night trip to Boston. “It was an intense experience,” Carpenter said, “But it really forced kids to leave that comfort zone right away. For some students, this was their first trip out of Vermont or their first time in a city. They had to learn to not only navigate the city but each other, as well.”

After spending the first week of the program in Boston—staying in a hotel near Revere Beach, visiting museums and historic sites, riding the T, and attending a Red Sox game—students started their full week on campus, living in Campbell Dorm and falling into a rhythm that would take them through the rest of their summer stay.

“The week really starts Sunday night with students returning to campus. Then we follow a daily schedule, with classes Monday through Thursday, followed by a special morning of events on Friday after which everyone heads home for the weekend,” said Carpenter.

The day begins with breakfast at 7:45 a.m.. As they do for every meal, students walk up to the school cafeteria and drop their phones off on their way in. “We place a lot of importance on being social and developing those interpersonal skills—something that’s harder to do when there is a phone to escape to,” Carpenter explained.

Then it’s off to the library at 8:15 for the morning meeting, a chance for Carpenter and Goslant to review the day’s schedule and address any issues that may have come up the previous day. 

Classes begin at 8:30. The fifty-five minute periods run through the remainder of the morning and offer students a variety of work in core subjects like English and math, along with subjects like civics, Spanish, and college and career studies. Courses are tailored for each grade level and based on helping them prepare for what they are likely to encounter during the upcoming school year. 

Lunch at 12:30 brings an end to morning classes, after which students settle into their afternoon work consisting of service learning, designed to cultivate civic engagement.

“Students did some work out in the broader community, but much of it involved focusing here on various projects around campus,” said Carpenter. “We want our students to see LI as an important community—their community—in its own right.” 

Cleaning out storage spaces in various campus buildings, helping paint crews refresh others, assisting with landscaping projects, and maintaining gardens—students beautify their campus by getting their hands dirty, a nice physical change of pace from the morning’s intellectual efforts.

After a day of work comes a stretch of fun. Students are given a block of free time before dinner from 4:00 to 5:30. An hour of study hall after dinner from 6:00 to 7:00 gives them a chance to catch up on projects or unfinished work from the morning and get extra help if needed. 

One of the highlights of the day takes place between 7:00 and 9:00—the Upward Bound Olympics, in which students are broken into teams and compete against each other in various light games and activities around campus. “We have trivia competitions, games like Pictionary. Predator vs. Prey was a popular game this summer,” Goslant noted.

The day ends with a last block of free time followed by lights out at 11:00 p.m., a full but fun day of learning, community engagement, and bonding. Cliques that might have existed during the school year quickly dissolve, friendships form and deepen.

Friday brings a break from the routine. “Instead of morning classes, students participate in electives, which can range from athletic and weight training to arts and crafts to criminal justice training to theater and creative writing. We draw from the strengths and interests of our faculty in a model similar to LI’s J[anuary] Term,” said Carpenter. “One of our instructors offered knitting and even a party planning course, which was responsible for putting together our end-of-summer banquet.” 

After morning electives, students head home for a weekend with their families, returning Sunday evening to begin another week.

The routine is punctuated by a few highlights. In addition to the Boston trip, students took part of a day to join kids from other Vermont summer Upward Bound programs on the Spirit of Ethan Allen for an evening cruise on Lake Champlain. Another night, a BBQ—complete with slip-n-slide kickball, smores, and faculty guest chefs—offered a different kind of treat. Toward the end of the summer, students put on a variety show, entertaining each other with a range of acts that offered a chance to really embrace the summer’s theme of going outside one’s comfort zone. “We originally called it a talent show,” Carpenter said, “but the running joke over the last few summers in Upward Bound is that ‘variety show’ is probably a more accurate title.” 

Perhaps the biggest highlight came at the end of summer with the final banquet. Faculty member Adrienne D’Olimpio’s Party Planning elective class decorated the cafeteria for both the dinner and the dance afterward. “The kids picked a theme and planned everything around a budget,” said D’Olimpio. “The concept they settled on was ‘The Golden Globes,’ complete with decorated tables and a red carpet event.” Students visited HOPE, the thrift store in Lyndonville, to take advantage of their ‘Princess Project’ collection of prom dresses and tuxes, arriving in formal wear to celebrate the evening in style.

While Carpenter and Goslant’s planning helped ensure the summer went smoothly overall, there are some things in life that can’t be anticipated. A few weeks into the program, a major flood devastated downtown Lyndonville and temporarily cut off the campus from much of the community.

“It was rough,” said Carpenter. “Several students had families who were cut off and stranded. We had a few teachers who couldn’t reach campus. Kids were stressed about pets and family. It really forced the Upward Bound community to come together, and it helped students to know they had a safe place to stay. The day of the flood, we loosened up on our normal structure and did our best to lighten the mood. Adrienne [who lives adjacent to campus] and her son Duncan brought food and made an amazing taco bar dinner for everyone. It was tough but we got through it.”

The aftermath also offered an opportunity to take the students’ service learning experience to a new level. “Students spent time at Lyndonville Redemption helping move things out of the ruined building and helped out at a home in Barnet that had been devastated. We were careful to not expose them to any dangerous situations, but it was good for them to see the aftermath up close and lend a hand.”

For 11th grader Elizabeth LaFleur, who joined Upward Bound toward the end of last school year, this summer was her first chance to experience what the program had to offer.

“It was a really good opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and talk to people,” she said. “It also helped me understand what college is going to be like. Living in a dorm, eating meals in a dining hall—all that stuff makes it feel different than regular high school.”

The trip to Boston was a major highlight for LaFleur. “It was so much fun. I got to do so many things I hadn’t done before. Having a roommate was a really bonding experience, and being in small groups with individual teachers gave me a chance to know a lot of them better.”

The Upward Bound Olympics was another favorite for LaFleur. “We got to make team names and posters. We even made up a song for our group! It was a great chance to practice team building. The whole summer was a huge bonding experience for me. I made new friends, became more comfortable talking to new people, and overall just gained more self-confidence.”

Fellow 11th graders Corrbin Lacaillade and Harper Clark were veterans of the previous summer program when they joined with the broader NEK cohort at VTSU Lyndon, but they both enjoyed getting to spend this summer at LI.

“I really liked being on our own campus this summer,” said Lacaillade. “It felt like home, and it was nice having more freedom.”

Clark agreed. “We could roam around more during our free time,” she said. 

Like LaFleur, the two friends raved about the Boston trip. “It was my first time going to an aquarium,” said Lacaillade. “I got to pet a stingray,” Clark added. “We also managed to get ourselves on the Jumbotron at the Red Sox game, which was pretty cool!”

For Lacaillade, perhaps the biggest highlight was his service learning. “Going out into the community and helping people during the flood was a very memorable experience.”

Both students embraced the summer’s theme. “The experience definitely got me out of my comfort zone. The summer program is important because you can meet more people from school than during the normal school year.”

“You end up being one big family,” Clark added. “We are taught to be kind and helpful to each other and everyone embraces that.”

Both students felt their summer lead to growth. “I feel more prepared academically,” said Clark, while Lacaillade said the experience “made him feel more like an adult. You have to be responsible for yourself and for what you do in your freetime.” For students who are preparing to make the transition to college, understanding and managing the responsibility that comes with independence will be key to their success.

With the summer behind them, Carpenter and Goslant are already planning next summer.

“We will probably push the trip to a little later in the summer,” Carpenter said, with their eyes possibly set on Philadelphia. “We’re also thinking about moving the elective classes to the afternoons and using Friday mornings for career exploration, study skills, and standardized test preparation.”

They also plan on having a bigger group. “Now that so many of our kids are talking about what an incredible experience they had, we anticipate more students will be taking advantage of the opportunity!”