Meet our Summer Fellows: What They Learned
This past summer, Shelburne Farms welcomed four fellows – college students from nearby Middlebury College and the University of Vermont – to our campus for learning, a program we’ve run for several years.
While leading children of all ages in our summer camps and living here on the farm, fellows gain a unique, immersive perspective on Education for Sustainability, and lasting lessons about what it means to be transformed by a place. Here, 2022 fellows share their reflections on this experience.
Gemma Diforio, UVM '24
Environmental Studies major and Philosophy minor
Something that changed because of this experience: I feel much more connected to the land around me and have realized how much work and love go into the production of the food we consume. I feel much more aware of how intense the process of food production is and I am so grateful for our dedicated farmers!
A memorable, meaningful moment: Watching a camper eat kale for the first time. He had never had it and assumed that he didn’t like it but ended up loving it, and we went back to the Education Garden each day so he could grab some. At the end of the camp week, he said that he wanted to eat more fresh veggies and maybe even become a farmer! It made my heart so warm to know that I was able to show him something new that he enjoyed.
How a fellowship can enhance college coursework: I strongly believe that hands-on work is the most effective way to learn, especially when it comes to outdoor education. I think I learned multitudes more this summer than I ever could in a classroom. Specifically, I have gained so much knowledge from my coworkers.
A lasting lesson: I always thought outdoor education was interesting, but after this summer, I really believe that it is the best way to teach kids how to exist with our planet and learn very necessary and valuable life lessons while doing so. I watched so many kids experience and do new things everyday in a way that is sustainable for the Earth, and I hope that they grow up and continue using these practices.
Gemma is now a junior at UVM and works with Flynn Elementary School’s afterschool program. Long term, she hopes “to continue to work in jobs that are as impactful and lovely as Shelburne Farms.” Gemma is also a student in the Place-Based Certificate program, a collaboration between UVM and Shelburne Farms.
Jorgelina (Joly) Reyes, Middlebury '25
Environmental Studies and Architecture joint major
A memorable, meaningful experience: Being able to see and experience the attitude change of kids towards insects, animals, and nature in general. A lot of them would come to summer camp with assumptions, fears, or dislikes about spiders, frogs, or manure. After being outdoors and doing the different activities we proposed for each day, they would learn to look at those differently. It was incredibly impactful to realize that my own attitude toward the environment around us had such a big role in shaping the way kids would perceive the outdoors, the farm, and different species.
How this fellowship enhances college coursework: So far, my college coursework has been full of environmental science, feminist and gender studies, and architecture. I haven’t yet taken any education classes, but after my summer in Shelburne Farms, I think I’ll definitely consider it. This fellowship and the conversations I got to have with people outside of my area of work also helped me to see and understand the role that sustainability can play in education, buildings, organizations’ values, and goals, and more.
How this influenced your view of education: Being a Scout [in Argentina] starting at a young age taught me over the years what informal education was about and what hands-on activities could do in a person’s life, but working this summer in Shelburne Farms definitely reinforced that. For me, “meaningful education” happens when you don’t realize you are learning, when you learn by playing. This summer I saw this happen when campers learned about food systems by harvesting, cooking, and eating at the Market Garden; when they understood our impact in the natural world by exploring the forest and the different places around the farm; when they learned to care about the environment, the animals, and the people around them by visiting the dairy, meeting cheesemakers, seeing the people at the Children’s Farmyard do their daily chores; and a lot more.
Joly has entered her sophomore year at Middlebury College. This year, she’ll focus on the environmental side of her major while conducting research for the Geology department. Although an Education minor wasn’t on her radar, “working here this summer made me realize how satisfying it is being able to share a little bit of what I’m passionate about – sustainability and environmental conservation – with kids.” She hopes to find ways to keep engaging as an educator.
Ivy Befeler, UVM '23
Middle Level Education major with Science and Math concentrations and a Place-Based Education Certificate candidate
A favorite moment: My walk to and from work every morning and afternoon--going from the Coach Barn to the Farm Barn--always gave me beautiful moments of peaceful reflection in the outdoors. I was able to observe the world around me, watching the wild grape vines begin to produce fruit, and the sumac seeds ripen as the summer passed day by day.
How the fellowship enhances college coursework: This fellowship has helped me solidify my understanding of Place-Based Education (PBE). I was able to see PBE in practice. It was very refreshing to see real kids experience what I have been learning about in my PBE classes, and how vital that connection to place is in understanding one’s community.
How your view of education has shifted: A theme is the idea of constantly learning. I have always viewed myself as a forever student of the world, and of all the different communities that I choose to be a part of, so when thinking about “meaningful education” my mind jumps to ideas around constant learning and questioning and bettering of oneself and society as a whole.
Ivy is a senior at UVM, president of UVM’s Water Polo team, and will serve as a student teacher in the Winooski School District in a 7th and 8th grade Science and Math class. “I’ve wanted to be a teacher my whole life – and I struggled with math as a kid, which I think makes me a better teacher,” she says.
Cassia Park, Middlebury '24
Environmental Justice major and Education Studies minor
Memorable moments from Shelburne Farms: I moved in with an underlying desire to share in the learning process of the campers, promising myself to investigate specifics of the natural environment at my feet, from clovers to the flowers that brighten the shadowed forest. I’ve found myself profusely smiling as campers gathered pieces of the forest together into intricate nature creations. Daddy Long Legs that on the first encounter aroused whimpering and scurrying are, not even hours later, gently pet and and fondly named “Acorn” and “Marshmallow.” Throughout the span of a week, we walked through tall spiky brush, sat on damp logs, and as we crouched down to spot salamanders, I saw children cultivating their own comfort and enjoyment in adventure. Each moment opened for giving gratitude and giving reverence.
How your view of education evolved or changed: As I contemplated how to establish valuable connections with nature, I noted the importance of exposure and play in early development. I was invited to see my childhood alongside those of the campers, fondly reminded of the thrill of tumbling in the grass as we rolled down Sheep’s Knoll, and I unlocked forgotten moments of little me holding a warm egg, shaking cream into butter, and creating clover wreaths. I was invited to consider my (sub)urban upbringing, considering my differing social and physical access to the natural environment. Embracing the practice of exploration, I noted links existing between my California and Vermont homes and family heritage; the burdock that grew ever so abundantly alongside trodden dirt paths is the very same root my mother buys in the supermarket to make her beloved gobo dishes.
What you’ll take with you: As I enter my junior year at Middlebury, I think about continuity across distances. Back on campus, I notice some of the very same things as were at the farm: people passionate about the future of the Earth, the change in seasons (with the red, orange, yellow, and brown of fallen maple leaves), and pineapple weed to pick and deeply breathe in. I am spirited to build upon my learning from this summer. Thinking about how I can encourage care for the Earth, I see joy at the center. As I invest in my own understanding of my relationship to the planet, I am excited to share in the opportunity to orient curiosity and amazement towards positive action.
Cassia is a junior at Middlebury. They came to Shelburne Farms hoping to familiarize themself with the landscape, and says, “I learned a lot from other counselors” and campers about Vermont.