Holistic Restorative Education Symposium Recap

"The moment we choose to love, we begin to move against domination, against oppression. The moment we choose to love, we begin to move toward freedom, to act in ways that liberate ourselves and others."

-bell hooks

The world is mired in uncertainty.  The Left and Right hurl rhetoric across the aisle, misinformation becomes scripture, and crime reports rock small towns.  It has been too easy to get sucked into the chasm of negativity.

Schools are the center points of communities in Vermont; children raised with a wide swath of opinions and values stomp their boots in our hallways, shake off the snow, and sit. Those who work with young people have the unique task of receiving students as they are and trying to turn them out better than they were; it has become increasingly difficult. 

What do we do?

As teen anxiety soared, teachers and leaders fled the profession, suspensions and expulsions increased, and external pressures to “increase scores” pressed in, the idea of the Holistic Restorative Education Symposium was born. 

This thought baby had a few complications.  How does one gather the busiest people on earth together during a budget crisis when schools cannot do without them? How do we pause our lives to come together to celebrate deliberate, personal work that honors dignity and process, but costs money? Who organizes? Who pays? Who will come?

The team at Starling Collaborative put their brains together with me, a Rowland Fellow adoptee, and developed a deliberate, personally dignified, and joyful program that began with Dr. Kathleen Kesson’s call for neohumanism and educational reform that prizes human connection with each other and the world.  

Emcee, Jessica Villeneuve,  guided participants, ranging from principals and teachers to corrections officers, and guidance counselors, through the program highlighted by the work of Up for Learning Youth; they taught a room full of adults how to connect through similarity-sharing and movement. 

Howard Moody, author of The Heart of Play, tapped into everyone’s shared desire for levity and led participants through games that made all feel safely silly and youthful and left us more connected and grounded.  

After a delicious lunch by Viva El Sabor, a collective of Spanish-speaking chefs, participants entered the Unconferencing portion of the Symposium, a model of meeting that allows facilitators to emerge if they have an idea that could generate conversation and participants to choose the conversation that suits them. The ease of choice and transition allowed for freedom of movement. Participants could have been given more notice to prepare their ideas and showcase their wisdom.

The celebration ended with several closing circles. There were laughter, tears, poetry, exchanges of contact information, calls for future gatherings, and hugs.  The Quaker practice of gratitude concluded the event and attendees expressed thanks for the opportunity to reflect with others in thought, laughter, movement, connection, and celebration of commonality.