Above: Partner of the Year Awardees Anne Doran, Kayla Anthony, & Rhonda Winegarner

Windham County educators were recently honored with the Pipelines and Pathways (P3) Partner of the Year Award for their exceptional support of career education programs. Presented by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC), this award recognizes teachers who are leaders, community builders, and champions for students, demonstrating a steadfast commitment to improving postsecondary outcomes and supporting a thriving local economy. This year’s winners include:

• Kayla Anthony, High School Math Teacher at Leland & Gray
• Anne Doran, Counselor at the Windham Regional Career Center
• Rhonda Winegarner, Dual Enrollment Coordinator at Brattleboro Union High School.  

Kayla, Anne, and Rhonda join past years’ winners Terry Davison Berger, Multiple Pathways Coordinator at Leland & Gray; Mark Gebo, former Dean of Students at Bellows Falls Union High School; Sarah Grasso, High School Counselor at Leland & Gray; Heather Waryas, Work-Based Learning Coordinator at Bellows Falls Union High School; Erin Lovett-Sherman, Business and Entrepreneurship Instructor at Twin Valley Middle/High School; and Linda Alvarez, Business and Entrepreneurship Instructor at the Windham Regional Career Center. All winners serve on the P3 Advisory Board offering boots on the ground insights and advice to support the ongoing development of career education events and experiences for the region’s youth.

These educators actively participate in initiatives such as the Fearless Futures Fair, Reality Fair, worksite tours, employer career panels, job shadows, and professionalism classes throughout the school year. Their efforts are integral to the success of the P3 program, which provides career education within the four southeastern Vermont public high schools, helping students develop personalized learning plans and gain knowledge about career opportunities through hands-on activities and mentorships.

The P3 program, launched as a five-year pilot with support from various foundations and local employers, aims to increase the size and quality of the region’s workforce by engaging students in meaningful career education experiences. The dedication of these Partner of the Year awardees exemplifies the program’s mission to prepare students for successful futures, whether they choose college, the workforce, or other pathways.

About Pipelines & Pathways

BDCC’s Pipelines and Pathways Program (P3) provides career education within the four southeastern Vermont public high schools and the Windham Regional Career Center. P3 helps students develop their personalized learning plans (PLP) by providing work-based learning experiences that increase their knowledge of career opportunities and achieve their postsecondary goals. Students develop soft skills, financial literacy, knowledge about economic sectors and skills that are in-demand through hands-on informational interviews, work-based learning, and mentorships. Pipelines & Pathways is a BDCC Workforce Center of Excellence program based on SeVEDS strategies to increase the size and quality of the region’s workforce. For more information please visit: https://brattleborodevelopment.com/engaging-with-high-school-students/

P3 was originally launched as a five year pilot, thanks to historic investment from the Vermont Community Foundation and McClure Foundation, the Vermont Training Program, WCEDP Vermont Yankee closure funds, and municipal contributions to SeVEDS. In 2023, at the end of that pilot phase, P3 reached a major program milestone by commitments from the private sector. M&T Bank, whose support was matched by local employers G.S. Precision and C&S Wholesale Grocers joins funding partners McClure Foundation, the George W. Mergens Foundation, the Windham Regional Career Center, the West River Education District, and the Windham Southwest Supervisory Union, in supporting P3 across southeastern Vermont. Portions of the program also receive support through the Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities (WORC) program of the Northern Border Regional Commission.