Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Missisquoi Valley School District reports surge in hands-on student events, apprenticeship engagement and esports success
Summary
Board members highlighted recent district events — the All-State Music Festival hosted at MVU, an expanded apprenticeship fair, a new Tech Discovery Day and a state championship for the esports team — and noted sharp increases in tech-center participation that district leaders say merit follow-up.
Co-principal Dan Palmer told the school board that MVU recently hosted the All-State Music Festival, welcoming about 411 students and roughly 50 chaperones from across the state and drawing praise for facility preparations and event management.
Palmer also reported that the district’s apprenticeship fair grew substantially this year, with 51 vendors participating — about 11 more than last year — and strong vendor feedback. Board members said the fair helps students learn about internships, apprenticeships and summer job opportunities and that organizers have already set a date for next year.
The district piloted a Tech Discovery Day for eighth graders with five interactive stations; Palmer said the activity gave students hands-on exposure to technical careers and that the district expects to repeat the event. He credited staff for coordinating the multiple stations and managing a large eighth-grade rotation.
Palmer announced that the MVU esports team won the state championship and is now a two-time state champion; he credited student organizers and staff (Taylor Alicier, Ryan Burns and Nicole Draper) for building the program’s visibility. The event included live play on a theater screen and drew student spectators and participants.
The board discussed a large increase in students opting for regional technical education next year: district staff reported 57 students signed up for morning sessions and 57 for the afternoon (114 total), roughly double typical participation. Members said they will analyze whether increased interest stems from the apprenticeship fair, Tech Discovery Day or other outreach.
The board also heard that seventh graders received hands-only CPR training from an American Heart Association representative and that the recent school musical (Anastasia) was well attended and praised for its sets and production. Administrators said these events illustrate a broadening of extracurricular and career-exploration opportunities beyond traditional athletics.
Board members welcomed the variety of programming and suggested inviting student organizers to a future meeting to describe the esports and apprenticeship initiatives to the board and the community.
