Project Description:
The BEST project is a Department of Education and CDCI, University of Vermont initiative designed to build the capacity of our schools and communities to meet the needs of children and youth with behavioral and emotional challenges. The project strengthens regional capacity across Vermont through institutes, workshops and in service opportunities. The regional workshops focus on effective strategies, interventions and curriculums that can be used with individual students, classrooms, school-wide or in the community. BEST features training in Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI), Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (CPI), Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI), Skillstreaming (a social skills program), Second Step (a violence and aggression prevention program), and Crisis Prevention and Management (CPM). A train-the-trainer series was offered for LSCI, CPI, TCI, Skillstreaming, and ?A World of Difference?: Anti-Bias and Diversity Awareness Training. Therefore in addition to the BEST team, trainers are available regionally throughout Vermont.
Each summer BEST has a centrally located institute for school teams to develop action plans that address school-wide issues. Plans are developed to address school and classroom discipline, curriculum and instruction, school climate and environment, and social/emotional learning needs of students. A systemic approach to address school-wide change is emphasized by BEST and collaboration by school administrators, teachers, students, their families and the community is encouraged. The Institute offers workshops, mini-skill building courses and keynote presentations by both national and Vermont leaders, opportunities to network, and time for local and/or regional teams to develop local Action Plans. Each year a 3-credit graduate course is created as part of the BEST Summer Institute. This course prepares participants to explore, design and implement a series of activities and action plan objectives relevant to an issue of school professionals, their students, and the school community. Most assignments and readings are due prior to attending the institute and then implemented during the team planning time.
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote
