Civic Engagement

The Vermont Historical Records Program (VHRP) uses a participatory model for its civic engagement initiatives and collaborations. Under this model, participants are actively and consciously preserving Vermont’s history through citizen-led documentation strategies.

The VHRP is currently working with a retired teacher who seeks to document every school that ever existed in Vermont, past and present. Other recent projects have included documentation of the impact of COVID-19 on communities in Vermont by two professional photographers and an effort to research and eventually share the stories of the 144 Vermont women identified as “Black” or “Mulatto” in the 1920 census.

If you have an idea for a project and are wondering if it is in scope based on the following criteria, please contact VHRP Director Rachel Onuf.

Criteria for collaboration:

Citizen-led documentation strategies are in scope for possible collaboration with VHRP if the strategies (1) substantially enrich the understanding of Vermont’s history, society, culture, ideas, and people at the level of statewide prominence; and (2) produce documentary evidence of one or more of the following:

• Persistent legal status, rights, and entitlements of individuals, groups, organizations, and public agencies. “Persistent” means legal status, rights, and entitlements do not expire, despite the passage of time.
• Significant government policies and procedures. “Significant” means policies and procedures which have a noticeable, measurable, or critical effect on government development, processes, or activities.
• Government deliberations, decisions, and actions relating to major social, economic, political, and environmental issues. “Major” means issues that affect a greater portion of the population; are greater in scope or effect than other issues; or require greater attention or concern.
• Significant effects of government programs and actions on individuals, communities, and the man-made and natural resources of the State. “Significant” means programs and actions that have a noticeable, measurable, or critical effect on the individuals, communities, and the manmade and natural resources government serves