WtS has been an experience like no other. During this course, I am still constantly inspired by the work I’m doing with my social action team. 70% of the inspiration comes from discovery, that we are in control of. 20% comes from the people that allow our vision to come to life. Such as every single farmer, organization, business, and community member we have talked to (and of course the instructional team). The final 10% is pure happiness, that comes with the ability to make your own “curriculum”. By following your interest.

I am a member of the Farming and Community team. That is focused on showcasing the challenges Vermont farmers face. With the hope of motivating community members to support local farmers. During this process we started out by emailing 70 farms and organizations all across Vermont with simple questions like “What are some challenges you and your farm/organization face?” We heard back from 25 of those farms and organizations. With that information we began to narrow down the focus of our project in conjunction with a better understanding of how the community can support local farmers. After multiple rounds of story development we chose 4 farms and 2 organizations to feature in our film.  One of my favorite parts about WtS is being apart of a team for the entire year. This makes jumping into work at in-person meets so much easier. Mary and I have also gotten to know one another’s strengths and weakness’ which is super helpful when dividing work.

We are also the ones that determine the work that needs to be done (with a few exceptions). We are responsible for our own progress between in person time. When the goal was to have a story pitch created in 30 days. We decided to do a TON of research and contacting. While other teams went about creating a pitch in a different way, we were unsure of what unsure of what we wanted to focus on within farming. The experience is truly catered towards your ability to take educational risks, within a supportive environment. WtS has given me the opportunity to explore, connect, and learn in a different way.