Mary Schell currently serves as the Community+School Coordinator for White River Valley Supervisory Union. She teaches Community Connections at WRVMS. Mary moved to Vermont in the early 1990's because of the vision of progressive education in Vermont. It was a time of excitement to remove barriers and create systems to empower students to become agents of change in their own learning. Vermont was leading the national dialogue and practice for this revolution in education. Mary sees the current commitment to Community Schools through Act 67 as an evolution of Vermonters seeking to create systems for equity, learner agency as well as establishing reciprocal relationships between our schools and communities. She believes our community schools not only characterize who we are but can mobilize what our schools and communities can be. Mary had the opportunity to serve as a secondary social studies teacher at Windsor High School, Twinfield Union School, and to collaborate with youth and adult leaders as a Rowland Foundation Fellow and the Director of UP for Learning and Youth and Adults Transforming Schools Together.  Mary is grateful for the time she can spend with her family, friends, dog, and horses. You can reach Mary at mschell@wrvsu.org.