E. Vermont Governor’s Institute on the Arts, 1983-1987
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In 1983, I received a phone call from Christine Graham, who told me
about a new program that she was working on with Ellen McCollough
Lovell and Commissioner of Education Steve Kagan that was a summer
residential program in the Arts, called the “The Governor’s Institute on
the Arts”. At this time there were several Governor’s Institutes around
the country in different states. Christine asked if I might be interested
in being the Director of the first one, and to apply for the position. I did
apply. I was interviewed and I received the position. When I met with
the three of them, it was April, and they informed me that the goal was
to have this all organized and in place by June!
The idea was for each school district in Vermont to send two students, both from high school and from middle school. There would be two different sessions for each age group. We had to hire all of the faculty, communicate with all of the Superintendents and Principals, and admit all of the students. It was a monumental task. I remember visiting many Principals’ offices, attending a Vermont State Superintendents meeting, interviewing many professionals from all of the arts: Dance, Music, Drama, Film, Visual Art, Literature, Poetry, and Screenwriting, as well as resident counselors. Since I was on the faculty at Bennington College, I hired many of the students who applied to be resident counselors, and they did a wonderful job. Students at the time like, Chivas Sandage, Hilary Ince, Dina Emerson, Jack Magai, and others from my Castleton Ste. College days like Sean Laughlin and JaJa Laughlin. They really held together the student oversight.
We assembled an amazing group of teachers: Verandah Porche, Randall Neale, Michael Hanish, Keith Jennison, Donny Osman, Geoff Hewitt, Sandra Burton and Don Kelley. We had Chorus every morning for the whole gathering around 150 students, staff and faculty. We had wild evening sessions of music, dance, readings, guests and community events. The structure we developed was so successful that I am told that all of the subsequent Governors’ Institutes of Vermont, (of which there are many now) still follow the same structure. I was the Director for the first 5 years and was responsible for creating much of the day- to-day details of how the Institute worked in collaboration with the teachers and staff. The first year was held at Lyndon State College and then was held at Castleton State College until the present day.
One important thing to note was that due to the fact that myself, Christine Graham and Ellen Lovell had gone to Bennington College, we were greatly influenced by John Dewey’s educational theories of ‘learning by doing’ and ‘teacher/practitioner’. The earliest concepts of the original Governor’s Institute were based on a strong sense of building community, respecting diversity and inclusion of each student, believing the arts are a powerful vehicle of self-expression and growth and that students are capable of shaping their own education, even if it is an immersive experience for two weeks in the summer. This proved to be correct, and now thousands of students in Vermont have had their lives transformed through this program. We had a visit each summer by the current Governors. The first summer, Governor Snelling attended, followed by Governor Madeline Kunin. The students were very excited to meet the Governor of Vermont.
The idea was for each school district in Vermont to send two students, both from high school and from middle school. There would be two different sessions for each age group. We had to hire all of the faculty, communicate with all of the Superintendents and Principals, and admit all of the students. It was a monumental task. I remember visiting many Principals’ offices, attending a Vermont State Superintendents meeting, interviewing many professionals from all of the arts: Dance, Music, Drama, Film, Visual Art, Literature, Poetry, and Screenwriting, as well as resident counselors. Since I was on the faculty at Bennington College, I hired many of the students who applied to be resident counselors, and they did a wonderful job. Students at the time like, Chivas Sandage, Hilary Ince, Dina Emerson, Jack Magai, and others from my Castleton Ste. College days like Sean Laughlin and JaJa Laughlin. They really held together the student oversight.
We assembled an amazing group of teachers: Verandah Porche, Randall Neale, Michael Hanish, Keith Jennison, Donny Osman, Geoff Hewitt, Sandra Burton and Don Kelley. We had Chorus every morning for the whole gathering around 150 students, staff and faculty. We had wild evening sessions of music, dance, readings, guests and community events. The structure we developed was so successful that I am told that all of the subsequent Governors’ Institutes of Vermont, (of which there are many now) still follow the same structure. I was the Director for the first 5 years and was responsible for creating much of the day- to-day details of how the Institute worked in collaboration with the teachers and staff. The first year was held at Lyndon State College and then was held at Castleton State College until the present day.
One important thing to note was that due to the fact that myself, Christine Graham and Ellen Lovell had gone to Bennington College, we were greatly influenced by John Dewey’s educational theories of ‘learning by doing’ and ‘teacher/practitioner’. The earliest concepts of the original Governor’s Institute were based on a strong sense of building community, respecting diversity and inclusion of each student, believing the arts are a powerful vehicle of self-expression and growth and that students are capable of shaping their own education, even if it is an immersive experience for two weeks in the summer. This proved to be correct, and now thousands of students in Vermont have had their lives transformed through this program. We had a visit each summer by the current Governors. The first summer, Governor Snelling attended, followed by Governor Madeline Kunin. The students were very excited to meet the Governor of Vermont.