The Great Turning Team of Vermont

of students who took a gap year returned to college within a year.

of students said their gap year experience set or confirmed either their career path or academic major.

of students cited 'Life Experience' & 'Personal Growth' as their main influence in taking a gap year.

of students said their gap year experience set or confirmed either their career path or academic major.

of students cited 'Life Experience' & 'Personal Growth' as their main influence in taking a gap year.

O U R * W O R K

At The Great Turning Team, we offer a new model of learning that emphasizes care for oneself, one another, and the Earth. We aim to enforce transformational change within ourselves and our societies by working one-one-one with young people who want to make a beneficial difference in their local communities.

Do you want to take time to learn more about yourself?

Are you interested in using practices to intentionally explore your inner landscape?

Take time to pause and discover what makes you thrive?

Are you committed to building personal resiliency to do the “outer” work necessary to rebuild our local communities?

Our work is three-fold:

(1) To help students develop an understanding of their unique interests, passions, and strengths through individualized contemplative practices, (2) To promote resiliency and active hope in the face of change and uncertainty, (3) To engage in community projects and develop a network of mutual support while enhancing nature-based solutions.

Discover our Programs

VISUAL PRACTICES

Volunteering

Marches

Vigils

Bearing witness

CREATIVE PRACTICES

Contemplative arts

Music

Singing

Journaling

GENERATIVE PRACTICES

Visualization

Beholding

Loving-kindness meditation

Nature connection

RELATIONAL PRACTICES

Council circle

Dialogue

Deep listening

Storytelling

MOVEMENT PRACTICES

Walking meditation

Yoga

Dance

Aikido

RITUAL PRACTICES

Establishing a personal and sacred space

Plant medicine ceremonies

Forest bathing

Ritual circles or solo practices

STILLNESS PRACTICES

Meditation

Silence

Centering

Stillness in nature

OUR INSPIRATION

Our inspiration for creating the Great Turning Team comes from the book Active Hope by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone. Macy and Johnstone see the importance of this moment in our human history. We agree that it is time to fully engage ourselves in the “Great Turning” -an epic transition "towards a life-sustaining society committed to the healing and recovery of our world.”

Yet maintaining hope and continued action is not for the faint-hearted.

So, we are here to assist and guide you.

We will introduce and ask you to engage with specifically designed contemplative practices that promote healing, resiliency, and active hope.
We will build community with others along the way.
We will help you discover your personal agency so you can decide how to take action in your local community, whether it be volunteering or developing a specific project that best fits your unique passions and strengths.

We look forward to working with you as we collectively move towards creating a more sane, just, and balanced world.