November is a month during which we remember our veterans, so it seems fitting that students in Lyndon Institute’s Learning Services program have spent the last several weeks engaging in a project that not only teaches them about the role the military plays in our nation’s defense but also gives them a way to directly support those currently in uniform and brighten the day of those who once served.

This November, Learning Services students have been working with VT S.U.P.P.O.R.T.S, a non-profit organization based in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, to craft care packages for American troops who have been deployed overseas. 

Each year, VT S.U.P.P.O.R.T.S gathers on the first Saturday of December at the St. Johnsbury Elks Lodge to assemble the care packages, filling them with Vermont products donated by local sponsors, such as Darn Tough Socks, Maple Grove, and Cabot Cheese. The packages are shipped primarily to soldiers abroad who are either from the community or who have ties to local family and friends, giving them a taste of home while serving far away.

This year, the packages will have an extra treat—cards and Christmas ornaments handcrafted by the LI students.

Each year, the Learning Services students focus on a community project. “These projects give our students an opportunity to engage with and integrate into the community,” said Jessica Paul, the director of the Learning Services program. “It gives them a chance to practice all kinds of different skills. 

“To prepare for this particular project, students went on a shopping trip to Dollar Tree. They put together lists of what they would need to buy, worked on their shopping skills using the Dollar Up Method to calculate costs and make purchases. They each had their own budget and wallet to use.”

For the students in this program who need specialized instruction with both applied academic skills and social development, the project offers a chance to practice a range of life skills. 

In addition to the shopping trip, students made another excursion—a trip to the Lyndonville Armory for the Vermont National Guard. There they received a tour of the armory and a knot-tying tutorial from Guard Chaplin (and former LI special educator) Eric Stuepfert.

My own visit to the Learning Services classrooms a week later showed students hard at work on their ornaments and cards. 

“I made that one!” Shawntae Eastman said, proudly displaying her work, then retrieving a whole stack of beautiful cards. “They’re fun to make,” she added.

“Some of the cards will go into the care packages,” explained Kaylynn Pinsonneault, an instructional aid who both works in Learning Services and serves as the board secretary for VT S.U.P.P.O.R.T.S. “Others will be sent to the Vermont Veterans’ Home in Bennington.”

I asked another student, Connor Howard, who he was making his ornaments for. “For the soldiers,” he answered. “They need some holiday cheer!”

Beyond the math, beyond the interactions with clerks, it’s clear Paul’s students are also learning about the joy of giving and the spirit of Christmas.

Before heading out for Thanksgiving vacation, the students will present the giant care package they have assembled, as well as the ornaments and cards, to VT S.U.P.P.O.R.T.S board president Niquelle Timson and board treasurer Shawn Timson. From there, they will be shipped out to brighten the holiday season of both active service members and veterans alike.