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What’s New at Linking Learning to Life
May 2008
Our Third Annual Community Partner Recognition Event and 10th Anniversary Celebration!
Linking Learning to Life invites you to attend our 3rd Annual Community Partners Recognition Event and 10th Anniversary Celebration. We would like to recognize our Community Partners for their outstanding service and committment to Linking Learning to Life. A light fare reception and award presentations with Student stories will take place in honor of our Community and Founding Partners. Please join us Thursday, June 5, 2008 at Champlain College-IDX Student Life Center, Burlington, VT. Parking is available in all Champlain College lots except in Reserved spaces. RSVP by May 29, 2008 to Teresa Poquette at tpoquett@bsdvt.org.
Sponsor a Runner and Help Vermont Youth
LLL staff will participate in the Basin Harbor 5K run on June 14th, 2008. Linking Learning to Life (LLL) is racing towards the goal of improving the educational success and career prospects for Vermont youth. The funds raised will go towards enhancing and expanding the programs and services that prepare Vermont youth for a lifetime of success.
Sponsoring a Linking Learning to Life staff member in the Basin Harbor 5K run is a great opportunity to support our programs. Through your support we can continue to create dynamic learning opportunities for Vermont youth that will help them plan and prepare for their future.
Please send us your name, address, phone, email and the Staff member you are supporting. Pledges may be made in the amounts of $10, $25, $50, or other denomination. Payment by personal check may be made to Linking Learning to Life, 52 Institute Rd., Burlington, VT 05408. For Credit cards payments, please click: 
Thank you for your support!
New Youth Leadership Program Visits the Burlington Free Press.
The Burlington Free Press will host 18 high school students for a Panel Discussion on Careers in the Media and Ethics in Reporting on Tues. April 1 (9:30 am – 10:30 am).
This is part of Linking Learning to Life’s new year-long youth leadership program for “latent leaders.” Designed for 11th grade students who have leadership potential, PILOT (The Program to Inspire Leadership, Opportunity, and Thought) helps youth explore community resources and issues, and to explore career path options.
Monthly, day-long seminars focus on different aspects of the community, such as human service organizations, state government, criminal justice, business and the media. The program goal is to encourage career exploration and to motivate and empower young people to make a positive difference in their communities through leadership, creativity, and action.
The program was created in collaboration with the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce and is modeled after its well known Leadership Champlain Program for adult professionals.
LLL Kicks off Statewide Replication of Student Internship Program
Linking Learning to Life has begun to expand and replicate its successful student internship program to new schools and communities across Vermont.
Linking Learning to Life’s TIPS program (Training Interns and Partnering for Success) partners with schools and businesses to help high school youth develop practical job skills, explore career interests and build confidence through classroom training and hands-on learning experiences. For employers, it helps to address concerns about young people entering the workforce lacking the basic skills and motivation to succeed on the job.
“TIPS creates a direct link from school to real jobs for Vermont students,” says Rich Tulikangas, Executive Director of Linking Learning to Life. “At the same time it helps employers to build the skills of young people who are an essential part of the state’s future workforce.”
The TIPS program expanded in Chittenden County this year to serve 35 students in 4 high schools and 2 alternative education programs Now, working through the Workforce Investment Boards in each region, the TIPS program is expanding into Franklin, Rutland and Bennington Counties, the Upper Valley and Bradford regions, and Central Vermont. LLL is providing the training and technical assistance to enable each region to get the program up and running.
New Programs for Refugee and Immigrant Youth
Linking Learning to Life has created two new programs specifically designed to help prepare high school aged English Language Learners for career and college. Refugee and immigrant youth often arrive in the Burlington area with only a few years before they have to enter the world of work or college and must quickly catch up on many aspects of language, culture and academics – often while working to support their families.
One of the programs, “L-Works” prepares youth for employment with classroom instruction on pre-employment and life skills, plus an internship experience with an area employer.
The TOEFL Prep course, in collaboration with St. Micheal’s College, helps students to build their academic language skills in preparation for taking the TOEFL college entrance exam required for English Language Learners. Test scores for students completing this course increased by 45%.
College Courses for High School Drop Outs
Vermonters aged 16-21 who have dropped out of high school can now earn their high school diploma by taking college courses through Linking Learning to Life’s College Connections Program.
With new funding from Vermont’s Act 176, LLL has broadened its dual enrollment program (in which students take college courses while still in high school and get both high school and college credit) to include out of school youth. LLL’s College Connections Program provides intensive support and guidance every step of the way, from exploring options, to enrolling, to successful course completion.
The benefits are far reaching - youth finish their high school diploma, get a jump start on college, and get their lives back on track toward a productive and successful future.
Linking Learning to Life Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary
In just ten short years, Linking Learning to Life has grown to lead the way in Vermont with its scope of programs that help to prepare youth to succeed in life after high school – specifically in career, college and community.
It is unique for its scope of programs that lead students progressively from career and community exploration to paid employment and/or on to college. LLL’s effective program models can be – and are being – replicated in other parts of Vermont.
LLL also plays a unique leadership role as an “intermediary” in convening other organizations and school districts to work together in addressing issues, meeting needs and creating new opportunities for youth.
Founded in 1997 through a 5 year federal school-to-work grant, it began as an informal collaboration between the Burlington School District, the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the University of Vermont. In 2002, as federal school to work funding came to an end, LLL became an independent non-profit organization.
In 10 short years it has grown from serving a single school district, to serving over 4,000 students a year throughout Chittenden County and increasingly in other parts of the state.
It has worked with scores of partner schools, businesses, colleges and community organizations, and it’s funding has grown from a single funding source to more than sixty.
Linking Learning to Life will celebrate its 10 year anniversary on June 5 (3:30 – 5:00 pm) at it’s Annual Community Recognition Event at Champlain College-IDX Student Life Center with student speakers and awards for community partners and volunteers.