In BCL, students work with community partners nearly every day, but as the semester unfolds, the nature of that collaboration shifts. Early in the semester, experiences and activities are focused on building context–deepening students’ understanding of the history, geography, culture, and politics of the place we call home. Over time, context builds confidence, and by the second half of the semester they are ready to apply what they have learned and have a real impact on the city. At this point, they are more than just learners; they have stepped into the role of consultants.

This semester, students have offered their insight to a wide variety of authentic dilemmas, including but not limited to:

• Transportation equity and urban design
• Neighborhood planning
• Public transit
• High school culture
• Community building for queer youth
• Waterfront redesign

and

• Burlington School District procedures that protect vulnerable students and families

The vast majority of substantive city decisions take place without input from students. And yet when youth voices are included, those decisions become more valid, inclusive, and sustainable. Youth-adult partnerships deepen learning; they also remind the community that inclusive processes help a community thrive.

An interesting experience we had at BCL was when we biked down the bike path with Bryan and Eliana… We were trying to figure out how to connect the bike path to North Ave, because it’s not safe, and also isn’t convenient for everyone to get to the Ethan Allen Homestead and garden. I went into this experience thinking about how important safe and accessible routes are for people who walk or bike. I also was thinking about how city planning affects everyone’s ability to get around safely and easily, but I also learned that improving city infrastructure is more complicated than it seems and it takes a lot of perspectives to find a solution that works for everyone. Which got me thinking about how community members need to share their ideas so everyone can move around safely and easily… A question I have from these experiences is how can we meet everyone’s needs when designing community spaces. 

• Anzal

This experience was interesting for me because it took an open mind. This was a dilemma I had not considered and at first I thought that transportation to the Ethan Allen Homestead was not very important. In the morning, I shared my ideas, but I didn’t have a full understanding of why they were important. It wasn’t until the afternoon, when we began to learn about how much of a benefit the Ethan Allen Homestead is to New American families, that I understood how important my ideas were. It allows them to grow cheap food, build community, and find a link back to their country of origin, by planting things they love. Additionally, these communities often have the least amount of access to transportation or a car making this dilemma an important one for equity and justice.

• Mo

It was super interesting working with the Planning team at city hall because I felt like my voice was being heard. I really enjoyed working on this because I was joined by partners who also live in my neighborhood which made it easy to connect with each other. It was very important to think of what my neighborhood and area had and what could make it better. Overall…it has been really good to share out my opinions… I also think it’s important to hear everyone’s voice as we all think differently. I hope something I said was taken seriously and brought into concern and decision making in the future.

• Eamon

It was really interesting to consult with City Planning. I hadn’t really thought that much about the New North End for a long time until then. It was really cool seeing all the different ideas in my group. It also enlightened me to the idea that not only do people need different things for equal lives but places too.

• Skylar

When BCL met with city planners, we got an eye into the process of trying to create a city that balances the needs of different community members and different neighborhoods. We discussed the disparity in tree cover between various Burlington neighborhoods. Mo highlighted the older and larger trees that we have in the South End. It soon became clear that trees are not consistent across the city. This wasn’t anything I had ever thought about before, but it made me consider other disparities and inconsistencies from neighborhood to neighborhood. It made me wonder what caused these differences, and what could be done to solve them. 

• Jesse

In a TED Talk titled, What if the Poor Were Part of City Planning?” Smruti Jukur Johari talks about how cities often overlook the people living on the margins when designing public spaces and systems. She argues that if we truly want thriving, inclusive communities, then the people most affected by the city’s problems need to be part of creating the solutions. This idea of the community being more involved in decision-making connects to our experience on the afternoon that we spent with GMT. Even though we were just a small class, we were able to come up with lots of great ideas that would benefit the community.

A thriving community isn’t something built by policy alone; it’s built by people who care enough to take responsibility wherever they can and do their part. When everyone’s voice is heard and valued, that’s when you begin to create a thriving community.

• Jamo

The moment I remember most when when we met with GMT, because even before BCL, I used public transit to travel with my mom. Growing up in a family with only one parent and two slightly older siblings, only one person owned a vehicle, which was my older brother. For most of my life, I have used the GMT transportation to get around the city. Whether it was cold or hot outside, or I was headed to get food or get groceries, I remember my younger self always waiting for the bus with my mother. 

Now that I am 17 with my own vehicle, I don’t think as much about how much people’s lives depend on a bus schedule. But when there are no other forms of transportation and you build your life around a bus schedule, I can easily imagine the complications you could run into. Society has come to a point where a large percentage of the world consistently depends on the bus for their everyday requirements. Before we went to GMT, I never understood the cost of the routes. Our class got to share our opinions.  I believe funding routes that help people access fun activities would be a power play, and help people get excited about the buses.

• Emanuel

Talking with the BHS Principal seemed really helpful for everyone, because the Principal is not a student, and didn’t really know what to do. She could get students’ opinions, which is really nice since it gives her a better idea what to do. O feel like we should have more meetings like that.

• Jasmine

I thought it was interesting how the Principal wanted to consult a group of mainly Seniors. I liked how she wanted our input of graduation and the transition to the new school. It felt like she valued our ideas and wanted to bring some to life. It was interesting to see some of the Juniors’ ideas vs the Seniors’ ideas.

• Vera

Of all the consultancies we did, working with the BHS Principal was the best experience for me for a few reasons. The first being it felt very impactful to actually speak on and help decide a plan for something that we are so involved in. It was also really interesting to hear the principal’s thoughts on all this since she is the one with the final decision. 

• Felix

It really struck me how these people cared so much about outreach. I was thinking about how it would feel to be someone who attended their programming, and it must be great to have a space where you feel welcomed and wanted. I love their organization and how compassionate they are.

• Harper

OutrightVT is clearly big on community. They are a recourse for young teens and pre teens for people that are queer without respect at home.

• Emmanuel

10-12 year olds want to be able to have a place where they can be themselves.

• Leahna

[Working on the Boathouse designs] was interesting because we were dealing with such a cool space. Before we worked with Aaron, I wasn’t even aware that the boathouse was public. It was cool to have a say in what might become of this iconic place, and how we might save it from sinking.

• Cal

I hadn’t really considered the Boathouse as a public building or important to the waterfront. Additionally, I entered the constancy unsure what I would be able to contribute based on my lack of knowledge of engineering and boat infrastructure. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how much fun we had. I also think we came up with a pretty decent idea.   

• Sam

When we met with Glynnis Fawkes, I was given another perspective on the challenges of living in the states as an undocumented immigrant, even if you are not getting deported. In the cartoon we read with her, a woman gets pregnant unexpectedly, but has trouble accessing health care because of fear of deportation. Any small challenge that may come for undocumented individuals can quickly escalate into a massive fear because of their immigration status. Understanding from a more humanistic perspective the ways that ICE and the US immigration status can affect and oppress people was eye-opening for me. I am still thinking about how foreign it feels that so many people can be taken away and with violence, and yet it is happening in my own country.

BCL talked with [an activist] who had, just a few days before, tried to protect the family of a 19 year old man who got arrested out of Texas Roadhouse. This proximity, of both location, and of his age to mine, gave me a new compassion for those targeted by ICE raids. It is truly horrifying to think of someone practically the age of my classmates, working at a restaurant I have been to many times, getting snatched away and arrested. It feels as if it could be anyone. I wrote in my journal, “The idea that someone peacefully working could be taken away so quickly feels terrifying.” 

• Mo

[Recently,] I have thought a lot about how migrant workers are an essential part of this place. Before BCL, I had never really considered how vital these people were to our community. During our reflection time I wrote in my journal, “I guess I never thought about how the milk I drink and the food I eat was farmed by migrant workers.”

[Consulting with BSD leaders about how to protect vulnerable students and families] seemed especially impactful because it dealt with a very serious issue. Consulting with a school district on how to respond to potential raids and abductions is at once scary and empowering. Together we gave feedback and ideas on how to protect our classmates from serious threats. To think that there is a possibility of I.C.E. entering schools and detaining children is terrifying. It is reassuring to know however, that schools are preparing...It feels good to know that even in times of uncertainty and worry, Vermont is a place where these issues are taken seriously. 

• Cal

When different community partners came in to speak to us about the current situation with I.C.E…it was by far the most engaged I have been this semester. It isn’t often that classes teach you about this, or even speak of it. The first station I went to was with Autumn from the BSD Office of Equity. My biggest takeaway from my time with her was hearing that people were scared to even hold multicultural dinners in fear that I.C.E would come and raid them. That kind of put me into the real world and the real intense fear that these people are suffering through. When we met with her again during our consultancy, I really felt that our class and our thoughts were deeply being taken into consideration and being listened to. When she went above and beyond even to say she was going to change some of the draft procedures, that was a truly powerful moment for me. 

• Lucy

After consulting with BSD leaders, I am thinking about how hard it must be to come to school while living in fear of being detained or deported. I’m also thinking about how I have such limited interactions with EL students. [Many of them are] pretty isolated from the rest of the school, and if a student is already feeling isolated because of their immigration status, it’d be even harder when you’re not surrounded by the rest of the school/your peers.

• Harper

Consulting was fun. We got to talk about our community, what’s in it and what we would like in the future. It feels good to be involved and to have a say, because we are the next generation to be living in it. What do we want? If we don’t share what we would like to change or add, then they can’t be any changes. Overall, it’s nice for students voices to be heard.

• Anzal

According to Jill Suttie, “getting kids involved [in city discussions]  increases their commitment to civic participation and helps push cities to create greener, healthier living spaces for all.” Kids made up 17.4 percent of the Burlington population in 2023, according to Datausa. Kids offer important insight into the schooling system, the park system, and many other parts of our city… One step that is clearly beneficial to decision-making is the inclusion of a broader spectrum of residents. 

• Jesse

We need to consider the future of the youth in the city. Cities are run by adults, and often teens and younger ones feel left out or unheard. In Burlington, it would make a difference if city planners, like the ones that came [to work] with us, held actual meetings for teens to come to, or even showed that they actually care by coming to us–like school assemblies or something.

• Leahna

I like getting to do this with our community. I think it is actively giving these students a chance to get a taste of the real world which is a place that many of us will be entering very soon. I think I truely feel like we are helping to create change for the better in the community.

• Lucy