Rowland Foundation

**Our Story** The Rowland Foundation was established with the generous support of Barry & Wendy Rowland in 2008. The Rowland Foundation’s focus on school culture and climate came from our co-founder and first Executive Director Chuck Scranton. Chuck’s vision for teacher-driven, transformational change led to the first cohort of Rowland Fellows in 2009. In every year since then, up to six Vermont schools have received a Rowland Fellowship award, and each year’s cohort has become a close-knit learning community for collaboration and innovation. The Annual Rowland Conference, which first took place in 2011, has grown into Vermont’s largest educational conference and brings together Rowland Fellows, teachers, students, administrators, policymakers, and community members from around the state to share new thinking about making schools more equitable, inclusive, and democratic. The Rowland Foundation is proud to continue its mission to invest in Vermont teachers to positively change the culture and climate of schools. In 2022, we expanded our work to include Fellowship proposals from middle grades educators. With over 100 Rowland Fellows around the state, we are grateful for this vibrant network of educators. As we continue to grow, we look ahead with optimism about the collective impact these amazing educators continue to have on Vermont schools.