October 7, 2026

This event marked the beginning of Bennington Rising, an 8-week collaborative experience between Mount Anthony Union High School students and Bennington College students designing age-appropriate engaging science lessons for 4th and 5th grade students at Bennington Elementary School. It is organized by Isabella Peng, a VISTA fellow assigned to Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC). 

The Bennington Rising program creates teams of college and high school students who will work together to transform science concepts into lessons designed for elementary-age learners.

Through the process, participants will strengthen their own understanding of science while gaining experience in teamwork, communication, lesson development, and leadership.

Rather than simply learning science themselves, Bennington Rising participants will have the opportunity to become teachers to 4th and 5th graders at Bennington Elementary School.

Fortune Ononiwu is a faculty member in Chemistry at Bennington College and a leader in the College’s First-Year Forum, of which Bennington Rising is a part. He explained during the kick-off event that the elementary school students will not be the only ones learning. The college and high school students will also be learning as they teach.

“We are all basking in the pleasure of learning science,” he said. 

During the program, teams will develop age-appropriate science lessons and activities, then bring those lessons into elementary classrooms. The Bennington Rising model is designed to create benefits at every level: elementary students encounter science through enthusiastic near-peer role models, while the older students deepen their scientific knowledge by learning how to explain scientific concepts clearly and creatively.

The program also brings together local schools and higher education partners around a shared goal of expanding opportunities for youth to prepare for a future that relies on science.

“Mount Anthony Union High School is grateful for our partnership with SVMC, Bennington College, and Bennington Elementary School through Bennington Rising,” said Kelsey Mizell, principal of Mount Anthony Union High School. “Bennington Rising creates a unique opportunity for our high school students to co-facilitate teaching science lessons, while going through the process of designing age appropriate lessons that engage young learners. Additionally, this opportunity continues to be an excellent pathway for our high school students to explore  post-secondary interests.” 

About Bennington Rising

Bennington Rising connects high school students and college freshmen in collaborative teams that develop and deliver science lessons for elementary school students. By putting young people in the role of both learners and educators, the program aims to build science knowledge, communication skills, leadership, and connections among students at different stages of their education.