Education Commons^™

Development And Implementation Of Comprehensive Sexuality Education Programs For Middle School Students, Minta Trivette

College of Nursing and Health Sciences Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Project Publications

Background: Sexual activity in adolescents carries population health risks such as pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection. Comprehensive sexual health education programs can be an effective strategy to help young people delay initiation of sexual intercourse, reduce the number of sexual partners, and increase condom and contraception use. As of the 2018/2019 school year, Burlington School District (BSD) middle schools did not have a comprehensive sexual health and safe relationship education program.

Purpose: Development and dissemination of comprehensive sexual health and safe relationship curricula for Burlington School District (BSD) middle schools.

Methods: This educational intervention was aimed at middle school health …

Master's Project: Maple: A Sap To Syrup Guide, A Manual For Career And Technical Centers Of Vermont, Lynn Michelle Wolfe

Rubenstein School Masters Project Publications

Maple syrup production is a very important aspect of Vermont life and history. Every year in the early spring, people of all ages find their way to the woods to tap trees, collect sap, and participate in the great tradition of producing maple syrup. Maple syrup production is an essential industry from a historical, cultural, agricultural, and economic perspective. As the industry continues to grow, it creates potential employment opportunities for people of all ages, including recent high school graduates.

Through a collaboration between Vermont high school agriculture/natural resources instructors, the UVM Extension Maple Specialist, Shelburne Farms, and the UVM …

The Benefits Of Family And Consumer Science Education: One Educators Quest To Find Meaning Through Self Discovery And Holistic Teaching, Julie Shaw

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

(Teachers) are engaged in work that will influence not just students’ immediate level of knowledge but their entire lives, and thereby they have the potential to contribute to the future of humanity itself. –

Dalai Lama (Spiritual Leader)

The world of public education is much different now than when I was a student not so long ago. In only ten years, the world has opened up and changed in a way that no one imagined, thanks to cell phones and social media. Students can now walk through the halls of school with a device in their pocket that allows them …

Transformative Preparation: Measuring The Intercultural Competence Development Of Higher Education And Student Affairs (Hesa) Students And Exploring The Intercultural Learning Experience Across Assistantship Sites, Rafael A. Rodriguez

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Today’s college student body reflects, among many things, the outcome of policies geared towards increasing access and diversifying the academy, efforts to recruit international students, the vast social, political, and economic disparities among marginalized populations, and the extreme cultural polarization of our times. Students on campuses have broad and individualized perspective, approaches, and values, which are culturally rooted, embedded within our socialization and often times conflict with the experiences of other students or the student affairs professionals tasked with supporting students. Student affairs practitioners must enter the field possessing a degree of intercultural competence, defined as an appropriate skillset and …

Designing A Survey Instrument To Operationalize Faculty Perceptions Of Military-Connected Student-Faculty Interaction At Civilian Colleges And Universities, Jennifer J. Rousseau

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The ways in which faculty navigate the relationship between their personal identity and the identities of their military connected students, especially concerning their approaches to teaching behaviors (Barnard-Brak, Bagby, Jones, & Sulak, 2011) are influenced by normative values that their institution or department supports (Weidman, 1989) as well as by the values that they themselves hold (Barnard-Brak et al., 2011). Given the fraught history of academia and the military (Summerlot, Green, & Parker, 2009; Downs & Murtazashvili, 2012), such variables are especially important to measure as student-faculty interaction impacts student learning outcomes (Cruce, Wolniak, Seifert, & Pascarella, 2006; Ethington, 2000; …

Equity Pedagogies, Hidden Curricula: Social-Emotional Wellbeing Among Students Of Color In Elementary School, Rebecca Haslam

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

ABSTRACT

The shift in the nation’s political climate between 2016-2019 has exacerbated the longstanding pervasive issues of racism and discrimination against People of Color and those marginalized by societal inequity. This has serious implications for teaching and schooling, as it causes children to feel unsafe, question their sense of belonging, and internalize racial oppression. Indicators of inequitable school experiences for Students of Color and students from marginalized identity groups warrant attention to the socially determined facets of public education: specifically a sense of school belonging (SOSB) for Students of Color, the impact of racial trauma, the patterns of social engagement …

Bhutanese Refugee Students: Their Perceptions Of High School And Challenges Of Accessing A Four-Year College Degree In The U.S., Hemant Tamang Ghising

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The recent trend of refugee resettlement in the U.S. has presumably shifted to a new and more hopeful life for refugees. However, refugees experience another phase of challenges once they resettle in the U.S. Their transition from a life of statelessness to that of the citizen in a developed country is a painful experience, yet life has improved economically, especially after years of living in poverty in a refugee camp. The fact that Bhutanese refugee parents choose to resettle in the U.S. is primarily motivated by their hopes for a better education for their children. The following qualitative research study …

Mind The Gap: Preparing For The Future Leaders Of Small Private Colleges In New England, Jennifer Ann Sweeney Nicholls

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

At a time when the higher education as a whole is experiencing an incredible leadership turnover and a narrowing pipeline of prepared or willing leaders to step into these important roles, the industry is also experiencing more scrutiny than ever before, creating a challenging time for the leaders of these institutions. Small private colleges in New England, in particular, have their own unique set of complications, which makes finding the right kind of future leaders particularly important. This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of 14 small private college presidents amidst an incredibly unique set of factors which substantially complicate …

The Upsides & Downsides Of College Athletics Within The Ncaa: An Analysis Of The Rules And A Personal Account Of The Power Of Resilience, Cassidy Evelyn Derda

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

ABSTRACT

For the past five years, I have been a Division I Women’s Basketball player under the National Collegiate Athletic Association. I have played at two different schools, I have spoken to numerous investigators and lawyers, and I am now on my third set of college basketball coaches. Most athletes that enter college have one set of four-five coaches during their four-five-year period, I have had thirteen. College basketball has presented countless challenges for me mentally and psychically. For a while I thought that the adversity that I was facing as a young woman playing a high level of athletics …

A Midlife Educator’S Story Of Change: How Learning To Live For Compassion, Meaning And Leadership Transformed Me, Alan Shashok

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

What are a person’s core beliefs? What do they hold dear and to be true? How does one go about examining their ideals and challenging them risking discovering there is a different way of living, thinking, or showing up? These questions and more are what drove me to enroll in the University of Vermont Graduate College and the Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) program. I probably could have attended a few self-help seminars, paid a life coach or seen some type of counselor to help me explore these issues. Doing the exploring via higher education and the IDS program seemed much more …

Identifying College Students’ Course-Taking Patterns In Stem Fields, Fahimeh Bahrami

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

In spite of substantial investments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, low enrollment and high attrition rate among students in these fields remain an unmitigated challenge for higher education institutions. In particular, underrepresentation of women and minority students with STEM-related college degrees replicates itself in the makeup of the workforce, adding another layer to the challenge. While most studies examine the relationship between student characteristics and their outcomes, in this study, I take a new approach to understand academic pathways as a dynamic process of student curricular experiences that influence his/her decision about subsequent course-takings and major field …

Culturally Responsive Adult Education For Non-Western Learners, Asma Ali M. Abunaib

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Although education theory in general includes important insights related to the relationship between multiculturalism and pedagogy, a critical analysis of what are considered culturally responsive western adult education methods, such as Experiential Learning Cycle & Dialogue Education (ELC) suggests significant adaptations should be made when applied in settings with non-western learners. This paper highlights the challenges and opportunities of utilizing adult education methods as a framework in delivering learning opportunities in non-western settings or for non-western, new American communities in western settings. Specifically, the author discusses her experience in one Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Darfur, Sudan, presenting her …

Online First-Generation Students: A Qualitative Study On Retention, David Michael Dearden

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Higher education institutions face several complicated and difficult challenges and one of those challenges, student retention, has been around for many years. Tinto (2006), a major researcher on college retention whose research has spanned over four decades, suggested that one of the most widely studied areas of higher education is student retention. Since the inception of higher education, institutions have explored and researched retention strategies to combat attrition. Many of the strategies and theories that address retention focus solely on the campus-based student. With the growth of technology, online education has become a new avenue toward earning a college degree, …

Examining The Impact Of Undergraduate Study Abroad On Early Career Outcomes: A Mixed Methods Approach, Noah Goldblatt

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

This study examines impact of study abroad on early career outcomes at a professionally-focused northeastern private college. A mixed-methods sequential research design provides a thorough inquiry into the influence of study abroad on early career outcomes at this institution. In the first, quantitative phase of the study, The National Organization of College and Employer’s (NACE) First-Destination Survey data is analyzed to assess whether a study abroad experience has an impact on career outcomes. The quantitative results compare career outcomes for 2014, 2015, and 2016 graduates who have studied abroad (n = 523) and those who did not study abroad (n …

Changing The Narrative: The Educational Power Of Reading Young Adult Literature, Cary Rich Jewkes

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

We are what we read.

People read for many different reasons and outcomes. We may read for information, affirmation, escape, or inspiration. We may read to get in a better mood. Various studies have shown that readers are more apt to be empathetic, to understand that their experience is not the only experience. Through Scholarly Personal Narrative, I trace my own evolution of reading and my curious preference for Young Adult (YA) literature. Contemporary YA literature offers a unique combination of viewpoint, emotion, and transportation which allows for a deeper understanding of diverse backgrounds, and I explore whether a program …

Implementing Proficiency-Based Learning In Vermont High Schools: How Administrators Support Teacher Sensemaking Of Education Reform, Andrew Jones

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

The Vermont Educational Quality Standards, passed in 2014, require students to graduate high school based on proficiency not merely by the accrual of course credits. The deadline to implement this policy is 2020, and thus, high schools across Vermont are feverishly revamping their systems and structures to support this change. Like many reforms, teachers are at the forefront of putting this policy into practice. The purpose of this study is to understand how teachers experience the shift to implement proficiency-based learning practices in their classrooms and how administrators support teachers in making this transition.

Two Vermont high schools were selected …

Drive: My Motivation For Becoming A Holistic And Authentic Leader And Supervisor Of College Students, Alisha Ami Oguri Lewis

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

In sixth grade, I did an art project where I painted a self-portrait. I decided to paint myself looking in a mirror. On the right-hand side of the canvas was the back of my head. On the left-hand side was a reflection of my face looking back at me in the mirror. During one session with my art teacher, she looked at my painting and paused before asking, “what happened?” She paused again before continuing that at one point the painting was on the right track, implying since that point, something had gone terribly wrong. I mean what was looking …

Predicting College Outcomes: A Tool For Assessing Non-Cognitive Traits In Admissions Essays, Caroline Alexandra Weaver

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Across the United States, higher education institutions increasingly employ a holistic review of prospective students’ application materials. In a holistic review process, admissions offices consider a student’s personal and academic context when reviewing applications for admission. A key feature of a holistic review is a student’s application essay, or personal statement. However, admissions offices rarely standardize their essay review process and very little research exists regarding whether student essays predict successful outcomes in college. This paper summarizes a quality improvement study conducted within the University of Vermont Admissions Office. It examines the extent to which non-cognitive student characteristics present in …

Voice Matters: Building Resonance In Education Using Stories About Identity And Belonging, Joseph A. Antonioli Jr.

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

How do we maintain our own authentic voice while still being a productive member of a group? How do we not lose our voice and our meaning to the collective? This thesis is a series of stories that examines one student's experience with the intersection of music, education, technology, and personal life. It is a document of resonance, identifying interdisciplinary events and ideas that amplify each other, helping the student to extract and apply meaning in times of hope and challenge, peace and chaos, and serenity and sorrow, using the Scholarly Personal Narrative (SPN) approach.

The chapters shape the explorations. …

Comprehensive Farm-To-School: A Mixed-Methods Case Study Of The Classroom, Cafeteria, And Community, Suzanna Elkin

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Farm-to-school (FTS) programs are supported at federal, state, and local levels as a cross-sectoral intervention to curb rising levels of obesity, strengthen local food systems, and improve school climate and academic outcomes. Comprehensive FTS programming, according to the “3-C” approach embraced by leaders in the FTS movement, includes interventions in three domains: the cafeteria, classroom, and community. FTS programming in these domains may include procurement of local food; school gardens; and education related to food, agriculture, and nutrition. Existing research supports the comprehensive FTS approach, illustrating that multi-component programs with strategies that are integrated across these environments improve outcomes for …

Finding Faith In The Academy: Religious Exploration As A High-Impact Practice For Quarterlife Students, Angela Erdmann

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

This thesis argues for the inclusion of religious exploration among the commonly accepted list of high impact practices at institutions of higher education. In the last decade, colleges and universities have turned to high impact practices to bolster positive student outcomes in retention, graduation, campus involvement, and deep learning. In its basic forms, religion and spirituality have always been one way that humans have made sense of our most elemental questions: Who am I? What is the purpose of my life? At a time when faith and religion have become wedded to increasingly narrow ideological and political positions, student affairs …

Dead Without Water: Personal Storytelling Of Place As An Education Tool For Interdependent Survival Of Our Earth Home, Lisel Peters-Decourval

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

ABSTRACT

Do you have stories of meaningful places in your life? Are there examples of stories of place(s) you have heard have been powerful influences for you? Why? How have these places been impacted by climate change, and how will they be impacted by climate change? Our shared environment is at a critical juncture. The physical survival of this planet and our collective wellbeing is increasingly dependent on challenging our ways and bettering educating ourselves and others to respect and acknowledge the interconnection we have with the planet home that gives us life. In this research, I examine the power …

Latino College Student Athletes As Nepantleras: Fostering Academic Success And Athletic Identity At Two Ncaa Division Ii Institutions, Carlos Enrique Vega

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Collegiate athletic programs at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

Division II institutions in the United States serve a two-fold purpose. They offer aspiring

student athletes access to college and opportunities to play competitive college sports.

Consequently, student athletes at Division II institutions experience personal and

institutional pressures to compete for championships while achieving academic success.

Increasing demands on today’s college student athletes’ athletic participation and

performance has a multitude of consequences that could influence their academic

performance and success in college. Simultaneously, these institutions and athletic

programs are also witnessing another phenomenon – a transformation in their student

population. Latino …