LI Teacher Chris Manges Named Rowland Fellow

Chris Manges, a Lyndon Institute (LI) Spanish teacher, has been awarded a fellowship with the Rowland Foundation for the 2026-27 school year. He is one of 8 teachers in the state to be granted a fellowship to pursue projects aimed at creating positive change in their respective schools. 

Manges says the aim of his project is to make LI a kinder place that welcomes everyone and is accepting of all students. The fellowship award will be used to pay for a year-long substitute, travel for school visits, research, and project implementation. He will lead this project with help from an LI collaborative work group composed of administrators, faculty, students, and counselors.

“The hope is our school becomes a place where students can share perspectives and can have difficult conversations while still respecting each other,” said Manges. “The goal is for students to become kinder citizens, not just in the company of adults when in the classroom, but also in settings when they are unsupervised on campus, like in the halls, cafeteria, while doing extracurricular activities, and all over campus. This initiative would focus on creating a culture of kindness in a variety of ways at our school.”  

There are some initiatives already underway on the LI campus, such as the “Say Hey” & “Kindness” campaigns. Manges’ focus would build on these projects by digging deeper and meeting with clubs, athletic teams, and other extracurricular groups to provide them with strategies to support this effort. It would also strive to find ways to weave kindness and joy into the curriculum.

The plan is also for him to visit schools of a similar demographic that have faced challenges akin to what LI is facing and have made changes to improve their school culture. Manges believes that success would mean more students want to attend LI, and it would have a palpable impact in those public spaces where kids are just being themselves. There would be fewer issues of bullying and harassment, less social anxiety, and a kinder, more welcoming atmosphere throughout campus.  

“I am excited that the Rowland Foundation has recognized the vital importance that kindness plays in the lives of students and adults,” said Head of School Brian Bloomfield. “Whether in how we interact with one another or in teaching the critical skill of civil discourse, kindness is at the heart of what schools need to be modeling and inculcating. Chris is an amazing role model for modeling kindness and I’m thrilled that LI and Rowland get to benefit from his passion and creativity for improving the lives of students.”

Chris has taught Spanish at LI for nearly 20 years. He was also a longtime Nordic ski coach for the school, currently coaches the Biking Vikings, the school's mountain biking club, faculty advisor for the Social Justice (JEDI) club, and serves on a number of committees, which include the Student Travel Committee, Cell Phone Committee, Advisory Committee, National Honor Society, and the LI Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Rowland Foundation provides Vermont secondary school educators with unique professional development, leadership opportunities, and the resources to positively affect student achievement and the culture and climate of their schools. The foundation accepts proposals from visionary educators across the state of Vermont. To learn more about the Rowland Foundation and this year’s fellows, visit www.therowlandfoundation.org.