Both Cioffredi & Associates and Lucky’s Coffee Garage give generously – in time and money – to local community organizations. However, if there’s one thing that unites these two companies in our first “Business as a Force for Good” segment, it’s the way they care for and invest in their teams of employees. Whatever’s on the menu – whether it’s coffee or physical therapy and wellness – the values and cultures developed within their respective businesses ripple outward, making a positive impact on the communities they serve.

Cioffredi & Associates

When Billy Cioffredi got his start in physical therapy more than four decades ago, the idea of being a “good boss” wasn’t exactly on his radar.

“From the start it was the people element that attracted me,” he says, explaining how he most highly valued the one-on-one connections he was making with the individuals served by his work. But as businesses grow, so do managerial responsibilities. After overcoming some struggles early on in his career, he now recognizes the importance of having someone whose job it is to invest in a team and to empower them to be their best, so they in turn are able to do more good for the community – and that investment is now paying off.

Cioffredi initially worked at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital before forming a small private practice – one that grew quickly. Back then, he wasn’t equipped with the proper training to succeed on his own, and he found himself fulfilling a sort of “negative stereotype” of a businessman, he says. He remembers finding himself “busier and busier,” not working with patients but with the “headaches” inherent in managing his burgeoning workforce. At a certain point, Cioffredi says, he “had to make a decision…to learn to master this stuff or get out of it.” He chose the former and invested time and energy in executive training.

These days, Cioffredi mainly views his job as being a resource to help his team “shine” and to “be the best that they can be.” As gratifying as the one-on-one experience is – and he continues to engage with clients that way – putting in that managerial effort has been worth it: “as a group, we can do more good for more people,” he says.

Part of this commitment toward empowering his team of coworkers can be seen in the amount of professional development that takes place within and around the practice. Central to that development is Kate Leiser, Cioffredi & Associates’ clinical director. With a Doctorate in Physical Therapy and years of teaching in a university setting, what sets Leiser apart is her experience as an educator.

“Whenever we bring somebody on board,” she says – regardless of whether they’re more novice or well-seasoned in the profession – “they’re working with me one-on-one weekly to develop skills and problem solving.” In addition to monthly mentoring and time set aside for building team relationships, the practice also serves as a clinical site for physical therapy doctoral students and a residency site for post-doctorate physical therapists. It even provides internship opportunities for undergraduate students who have interest in joining the field.

From a more cynical perspective, these kinds of investments could be considered a risk: workers have a lot of power in today’s economy, so empowering them even further could lead them to set out on their own, as Cioffredi himself once did. But he and his colleagues don’t see it that way.

Burnout is a problem in the American workforce today, and the field of patient care is no exception, with many practices short-staffed and experiencing the kind of rapid turnover often referred to as “churn.” Rather than being a risk, Leiser sees ongoing education as a kind of antidote: the guided mentorship, professional collaboration, and a sense of shared values are all important aspects of the culture that helps the practice to train and retain its highly-skilled staff. There’s also a sense that even if team members leave the practice, there’s still a benefit being made to a wider community. “The investment in them really helps them to better help our patients and our community,” Leiser says.

These lines of thinking hint at a kind of “virtuous cycle,” where having a business that invests in its team and the surrounding community attracts potential team members with what Matt Goodell – Cioffredi & Associates’ director of marketing and public relations – calls a “base of shared values.” “Everybody goes about things a different way, but if there’s a situation where we don’t necessarily see eye to eye on something, we can come back to those values and, because we have this mutual respect for each other…we can come to some sort of resolution,” Goodell adds.

When it comes to the values that his practice espouses, Billy Cioffredi sums it up well: “For many people,” he says, “‘business’ has got a bit of a negative connotation that, in order to be successful, you have to be doing something a bit underhanded, or short-changing somebody… and it I think it’s quite the opposite. I think that the highly successful organizations are the ones that just really know how to get the most out of the people that they have…people that are thriving on feeling like, ‘I’m really doing good. I’m personally doing good, and I’m helping the whole organization do good.’”

Lucky’s Coffee Garage

Lucky’s Coffee Garage is a relatively new addition to Lebanon; nevertheless, in the roughly five years since it opened, it’s gathered a devoted following, weathered a global pandemic, and, of course, served plenty of great coffee, all while taking good care of its workers and giving tens of thousands of dollars to community organizations. At the heart of their success is the idea of “showing up” – not just for work, but for each other and for the community.

After returning to the Upper Valley from a decade on the West Coast, owner Deb Shinnlinger noticed a lack of specialty coffee shops that had a “community feeling” – ones that served coffee, but also served as local community hubs. She resolved that if no one else had stepped in by the time her children were in high school, she would take on the task herself. When the time came and no one else had, in her words, “filled the void,” she started looking for a location. The way she tells it, it was as though the stars had aligned: after lucking into a lease on the old Gulf station (the building hadn’t even hit the real estate market yet) and assembling a team of old friends and new experts (their first “coffee expert” walked in as they were renovating the space and almost hired himself into the position), Lucky’s sold its first cup of coffee in December of 2017.

From that moment on, it was clear that Shinnlinger hadn’t been the only one feeling the absence of a community-centered coffee shop, and the business took off almost immediately. “It’s really been a lesson in how to scale up,” she says. They started with four or five people working part-time hours; today, Lucky’s team has fifteen or sixteen members, most of them full-time. That’s despite the pandemic and the widely-reported labor shortages, both of which have been especially difficult challenges for customer-facing businesses.

According to Gavin Fischer, Lucky’s general manager, Shinnlinger’s dedication is why the coffee shop has thrived over the years and through challenging times. One of the reasons Lucky’s has continually been recognized as a center for community in Lebanon is because Shinnlinger consistently puts her team first, Fischer says.

When the Paycheck Protection Program began amidst the pandemic, Shinnlinger applied immediately, and when things got really dire, she personally coached the employees on how to apply for individual financial assistance. “People can tell we’re really well taken care of here,” Fischer says, “and that echoes out.” Shinnlinger herself sees it more as a matter of the culture and values held by the whole team. But, she admits, “we do make a lot of decisions based on what’s best for the crew, more than what’s best for the business.”

And the members of that crew have a lot of say in the day-to-day operations of the business – to the point where Lucky’s could be described as an almost radically team-driven workplace. Christian Berkey, Lucky’s kitchen manager, says that even what’s on the menu can depend on what individual team members want to be making. He remembers a time when the kitchen staff no longer wanted to make a certain kind of sandwich. Rather than overriding the staff, they not only took it off the menu but asked what the staff would rather be cooking. Soup being the resounding answer, Berkey replied: “We’re going to make a soup, and we’ll sell soup.” Almost as an afterthought, he adds, “It didn’t dip the sales.”

Lucky’s care for their employees also travels up the supply chain. They take great care to purchase coffee from roasters who are transparent about where they get their beans and whether they’ve paid a fair price for them. “We don’t have the cheapest cup of coffee around,” Fischer says, “because we’re trying to make the supply chain pay for itself…so that small-scale farmers get a just price for their product.” In an industry that involves a lot of worker exploitation, it’s a small price to pay. “We’re not the cheapest cup of coffee,” Berkey agrees, “but we’re not that far off.”

What seems clear is that, for the people behind Lucky’s Coffee Garage, the care they put into their community is reflected back in the way the wider Lebanon community has embraced the local coffee shop. When it comes down to it, Shinnlinger says, “Our job is to make the most excellent product and show up for the people that we’re serving…It’s this beautiful circle that happens: if you’re here for us, we’re here for you.”

Here in the Upper Valley, we are very lucky to have access to a wide range of resources, especially those that are found in unexpected places. The Lebanon Libraries are of course known for the literary resources that they offer, but now, the library has also become a destination for those who are most in need within our community.

A partnership between Dartmouth Health and Lebanon Public Libraries transpired from a direct need that the library staff found themselves facing on three separate occasions, during which a series of drug overdoses occurred outside of the library building. Both libraries – Lebanon Library and Kilton Library – are located near a frequently used Advanced Transit bus stop, so when these incidents arose, library staff didn’t know how to best handle the situation in this public setting.

Lauren Chambers, the senior community health partnership coordinator for Dartmouth Health, stepped in to train library staff firsthand on how to respond to a drug overdose situation. Chambers, who works with community partners to increase awareness of and access to substance use disorder services, puts a focus on care for affected individuals from prevention through recovery.

There were no fatalities during the incidents at the Lebanon Library, and EMTs and Lebanon Police responded quickly to the scene, though one victim suffered a fatal overdose during a later incident. After the incidents, library director Amy Lappin prioritized giving library staff the opportunity to receive firsthand training from Chambers. Training included demonstrations for the administration of a life-saving medication, known as “Narcan”, in the form of a nasal spray. Once administered, Narcan does nothing to further harm the victim of a drug overdose.

The library staff welcomed the training, and Lappin emphasized that the Narcan administration process is surprisingly, “so simple!” Chambers has returned to the library twice for staff training sessions, and now Lebanon Public Libraries will provide regular opioid-overdose response training, available for both new and long-term staff.

Narcan, the brand name for the medication Naloxone, is commonly used to reverse or significantly reduce the effects of opioids on the human body. The effect of Narcan, which helps counter shallow breathing, is felt within roughly two minutes of its administration. The medication blocks the effects of opioids for up to 90 minutes, and multiple doses may be required afterward. Usually, the victim is shocked and they are not thinking rationally when they come back into consciousness.

In one instance that Lappin witnessed, a man who appeared dead and who was administered Narcan by EMTs simply got up from the scene and got on his bus, refusing further medical treatment. Now both libraries offer ‘Naloxboxes’ provided by Dartmouth Health, which provide the medication publicly and discreetly with no questions asked. Basic hygiene kits are also available, provided by UVGEAR – another organization that supplies donation-based items like tents, deodorant, socks, wipes, and sleeping bags at no cost for the growing number of unhoused individuals in need within our community.

“People are hurting…addiction is definitely an issue here,” Lappin said. “We want to help however we can. Libraries are about providing whatever resources our community needs and so we do that. There is just a huge need for a variety of things and we are trying to do our part to help people.” The library is now installing lockers on their facilities for access to essential supplies available 24/7, including access to a porta potty located outside of the building.

This program, with funding from the NH Dept. of Health and Human Services and Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Services (BDAS), provides vital resources for the community, helping to equip at-risk or concerned individuals with critical tools that can save lives. “People can and do recover when they are connected with the appropriate care and resources and have a support network in place,” Chambers said. “By installing Naloxboxes in community spaces – visible to all – it sends the clear message that the community, businesses, or organizations care about its residents and patrons and feel strongly that providing access to this life-saving tool is critically important.”

“The drug epidemic is real, and people need help regardless of what somebody in the community thinks about that,” Lappin said. “Nobody wants to watch somebody die in front of them. The overdoses that the librarians and I had to witness, it’s a horrific thing to watch and it’s even more horrific to feel helpless in it.”

Lebanon Public Libraries and Dartmouth Health make it a point to be present as a resource for the community in ways that are needed the most. Whether checking out a library book, taking the bus, or accessing a life-saving tool such as Narcan, the libraries serve a variety of needs within our community, without a hint of judgement.

It’s easy to imagine a time when silver, streamlined diners speckled the granite landscape – but it seems only a few of these American relics remain open in Vermont and New Hampshire today. It’s one reason why there’s been so much buzz around the “For Sale” sign outside the Four Aces Diner in West Lebanon. The question on everyone’s mind seems to be: will it remain open? And, if so, will it stay the same diner we know and love?

Although the diner was likely named for the 1950s pop quartet – The Four Aces – its history is summed up by the contemporary singer-songwriter, Martin Sexton. In his song “Diner,” Sexton sings: “They were made back in Worcester, MA, of aluminum, and Bakelite, and glass.” Look up the famed Worcester Lunch Car Co. on Wikipedia and you’ll see “4 Aces Diner” listed as one of at least four lunch wagons that made their way up the East Coast to New Hampshire in the 1940s and ’50s. Although camouflaged by a red clapboard exterior, the Four Aces is – in fact – Worcester diner car #837, dating back to 1952.

“They towed them in next to factories, so the factory workers could go in, have something to eat, and get out in a half hour. That’s what they were designed for,” Four Aces co-owner Steven Shorey says, who provides me with his own brief history of the diner as we sit in a cozy booth with his sister and fellow Four Aces co-owner, Leann Briggs, on a snowy Friday afternoon in January.

“All the cooking was done out front of these diners originally, and it’s hard to find someone who can do that,” Shorey says. “It’s a lot of people, and a lot of mouths to feed.” Hiring and retaining line cooks is something Shorey and Briggs know a thing or two about. Shorey has owned the Four Aces for thirty-four years and has managed the diner alongside Briggs for over fifteen of those years.

The Stewart family – whose name appears on the original diner blueprints before it was built – owned the Four Aces Diner when it first opened on December 6, 1952 at the corner of Main Street and Dana Street in West Lebanon, New Hampshire. It remained at that location for thirty-two years before moving down the hill to its current location in 1986. In celebration of the diner’s 70th birthday this past December, Shorey and Briggs sold hamburgers and hotdogs at their original ’50s price point. Q106 (“The Valley’s Best Rock”) held a live broadcast of the event until noon, and WCAX showed up to gather footage for their evening news.

After its initial run, Dot Gomez, of Lebanon, purchased the diner in 1965 and began her successful twenty-year operation, ending in ’85. Shortly thereafter, Shorey purchased the property in ’89 for around $150,000. He had an interest in the food and beverage industry dating back to 1963, when he was twelve years old and working as a busboy at the former Montshire Restaurant on Route 10 in West Lebanon. Shorey continued to work locally at the Hotel Coolidge and the former Howard Johnson’s restaurant, both in White River Junction. He also spent a brief period of time in Florida running resorts. Other than that, he and Briggs have lived most of their lives in Lebanon.

Briggs became involved with the diner when it reopened on Mother’s Day in 1991. “On my first day here,” she recounts, “I went home crying. I was never coming back to this place.” Briggs explains that they ran out of food and one of the grills caught on fire. “It was just a horrible day,” she says, then adds, “By the time my husband and kids came for lunch, the only thing left to feed my youngest son was a peanut butter and orange marmalade sandwich!” After the unexpectedly busy opening day – having served 50 customers without even advertising – Shorey and Briggs spent the rest of the night baking pies in preparation for the next day’s customers.

After five years, Rick Clark ran the diner from 1998-2007. By the time 2010 rolled around, Shorey was planning to sell the property, but realized the business would be worth more if it remained open, so he and Briggs once again opened its doors without much fanfare, but to great success. “Actually,” says Shorey, “this last time we reopened, we did 130 just unlocking the door!”

I comment that someone could probably make a movie about the Four Aces. “Every day is different,” the pair says. “You never know what to expect.”

That being said, there’s something about ‘the American diner’ that feels predictable in an unpredictable world, holding iconic sway in Americana imagery. From Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks to the famous booth in the popular ’90’s sitcom Seinfeld, diners are as familiar as they are familial, especially in small, close-knit communities like Lebanon. Named one of Yankee Magazine’s “15 Best Diners in New England” in 2022, Four Aces embodies the image of the quintessential American diner, from the way it looks to the comfort food it serves.

Shorey explains that Monday through Friday at the diner tends to beckon more of a blue-collar crowd. “It’s a lot of construction people,” he says. “We have contacts with an electric company, Liberty Facilities, so when the power goes out, we feed ‘em.” Given recent widespread power outages in the Lebanon area back in December, it’s heartening to imagine electric workers stopping in for a warm meal and hot coffee to ease the demands of their profession at such a time.

The diner, which has always held strong ties with Dartmouth College, hosts large numbers of students on the weekends. “They all eat here,” Shorey says. “It’s been that way for 70 years, and now grandfathers who went to Dartmouth bring their grandkids in to feed them, too.”

Indeed, weekends are very popular at Four Aces, bringing in close to 500 people a day. “What’s totally amazing to me,” Shorey explains, “is that we get below-zero weather here and people will wait for an hour outside to get in! Every weekend we have a line around the corner. Every single weekend. Even in the cold.” “It’s a right of passage,” Briggs adds. 

There was a time in the early days when Shorey and Briggs knew their regular customers by name, but since the diner’s popularity continues to grow, it’s not so easy to keep them straight, unless you’re part of the 7 am crowd. “If you come in here at seven in the morning, you’ll see all these stools fill right up with the same people every day,” Briggs says. “In fact, the other day, (our customer) Dave didn’t come down and the girls were all worried about him because he’s been working on his generator…and he’s an 80-year-old guy. The girls were all like, ‘Where’s Dave?!’and when the other guys came in, they’d ask, ‘Have you talked to Dave? Is he okay?’”

I can imagine this scene on an early weekday morning. The interior – worn but familiar – with tiled floors, stainless steel contrasting dark wooden booths, and built-in coat hooks covered in heavy winter coats. The red and white stools along the counter, and kitschy American memorabilia lining the shelves that combine with an unmistakable greasy diner smell mixed with black coffee and the constant, bustling hum of servers and customers interacting. It all plays out over a backdrop of oldies tunes – songs waitresses sing along to. It cradles a person.

It’s easy to understand how significant moments in the lives of Upper Valley residents take place here. As if on cue, a group starts singing “Happy Birthday” during our interview. Briggs smiles and says, “There are a lot of people who say, ‘Oh, we had our first date here!’”

While Shorey has had to make some changes to the diner over the years – like shields that have been installed between the booths since the pandemic – he’s been careful that any alterations remain faithful to its original design. Other than that, not much about its interior has changed in 70 years. “A lot of people have asked to buy the memorabilia, but it’s not for sale. Elvis is popular,” Shorey says, referring to a bust of the famed rock ‘n’ roll icon that sits next to a small, pink Cadillac on a shelf above the booths. I imagine the porcelain bust of Elvis longing for a peanut butter, sliced banana and crisp bacon sandwich, and wonder if “The Elvis” will ever appear on the Four Aces menu. It could serve as a consolation prize for visitors after finding out they can’t take the figure home with them.

According to my own informal poll, popular menu items at the Four Aces include the Eggs Benedict. One friend told me, “I don’t care who buys the place as long as they keep the Florentine on the menu!” Everyone seems to have their favorites, but during my recent visit, I opted for two eggs over easy with wheat toast and potatoes. A classic combo: the only surprise were some sassy spices in the potatoes, which I enjoyed if only because I knew I wouldn’t be able to replicate them in my own kitchen.

For $1.2 million, the Four Aces kitchen could be my own. Shorey asks if I have my checkbook. “I’ve got the keys in the closet!” he says. But, when I ask about potential buyers, Shorey holds his cards slightly close to his vest while sharing that there has been considerable interest from a number of prospects. “But, I don’t know what they’re looking for,” he says. “Are they gonna change it? Get rid of the diner? I hope not. We don’t want it to go away.” Shorey goes on to explain, “Until you put it up for sale, you don’t realize how important you are in the community.” When I ask what would happen if they don’t receive an offer, Shorey replies, “I guess we haven’t thought of that…”

For now, they’re still operating. Shorey explains, “There are repairs and things we need to do. It’s a turnkey operation, so everything goes with it.” This could include fifteen employees, which in today’s job market is a win for any new owner.

I was lucky enough to meet two of the waitresses at the counter, Tina and Kim, and enjoyed talking with them about music, specifically a Billy Joel song we were singing along to. “That your phone, hon?” Kim asks, reminding me not to forget my cell phone. I feel swallowed up by kindness when strangers take care of me in this way. This is the vibe to expect at Four Aces. In fact, when I arrived, I immediately saw friends in one of the first booths I glanced toward. Friends who don’t mind if you scoot in next to them for a quick chat, and of course I should have known that would happen. Even on a slower day amidst snowy weather, the Four Aces is still a popular destination.

Shorey tells me about some customers who left the diner recently because they claimed it was too busy and they were feeling claustrophobic. As the mastermind behind the quotes posted above the counter and sprinkled around the diner, Shorey had the perfect response, “Nobody comes here anymore. It’s too crowded!” He turns to Briggs and asks, “Who am I quoting?” Briggs replies, “Is that Yogi Berra? It sounds like him.”

One quote I notice in particular is by Marilyn Monroe. It’s posted at the end of the diner on the door leading to the kitchen and it goes, “Ever notice that ‘what the hell’ is always the right decision?” I can’t help but wonder if this is the overarching attitude in the whole process of listing the property for sale. “I’m already basically retired,” Shorey says. “And I want to be retired!” Briggs replies. From where I’m sitting, they deserve a rest. It’s been a long, successful run, and while everyone seems to want the place to remain open another 70 years, we might just need to consult one of the many magic 8 balls located throughout the diner and give it a good shake.

When career educators Jennifer and Carl Chambers first met in New York City twenty years ago, they shared a passion for an experiential style of teaching and for life’s great adventures. These mutual interests eventually led to their marriage and a move to the Upper Valley to continue their teaching careers in both public and private school settings – Jennifer in music and Carl in English and administration. Now the couple is dedicating themselves to an exciting new venture – realizing their dream of opening their own school on the mall in Lebanon this fall.

The New England School of the Arts (NESA) will offer an integrated curriculum of science, technology, engineering, math, languages, physical education, and humanities, all with an arts focus. After decades of experience spent refining their educational philosophy, Jennifer and Carl have settled on a collaborative, project-based model of education that offers students a highly successful and meaningful learning experience. By partnering with existing arts organizations and businesses in Lebanon and around the Upper Valley, the pair plan to create a community-based campus and learning lab, where students can receive an arts-focused education and give back to the community as well.

The choice to settle NESA in Lebanon was inspired by the many non-profit arts organizations located in the downtown area which offered the opportunity for collaborative alliances, as well as the welcoming support of the City’s Arts & Culture Commission. “The organizations and the City couldn’t have been more welcoming to us,” says Jennifer. “We’ve felt welcomed by the private school community too, and to have access to visiting artists and other programs will be a wonderful opportunity for the students.” Jennifer also credits John Hochreiter, whose family owns the space above the Women’s Health Resource Center where NESA will be based, for fully supporting the mission and vision of the school and helping with fundraising strategies.

What does project-based learning look like? According to the Buck Institute for Education – a national non-profit providing professional development, research, and conferences – project-based learning offers students real-life experiences such as engaging with local organizations, faculty, and fellow students on personally meaningful projects. Jennifer notes that co-creating the curriculum with students and faculty is a cornerstone of the NESA philosophy, and collaborative projects and experiences rule the day. “When kids are making connections to real-world authentic experiences and are able to connect one subject to another, they come to discover why an area of learning is important to their life,” Carl says. “We want to convey that the arts can bring joy to their lives. We want to provide student choice and student voice.”

Starting a school from scratch is a lot of work, but rewarding at the same time. “It’s a process and a labor of love, and definitely a grassroots effort,” Jennifer says. “We have learned a lot of things like website design and programming, and we’ve been hosting open houses and parent nights, meeting with different organizations and partners, and speaking at schools.”

NESA board chair Amy Good – a 32-year veteran educator and learning specialist – is excited about supporting the new school. “Jenny Chambers is a force of nature,” she says. “As soon as she made a decision to start NESA, I was right behind her. This is going to offer students an educational experience I wish my kids could have had. I have lots of faith in the other board members and we have support from a number of arts advocates and education philanthropists.”

Jennifer notes, “The number one thing that sets us apart from a public school system is our ability to meet the physical, emotional, and intellectual needs of our students. While I’m a big supporter of public schools, the system has been around for decades, and it’s hard to repair because the system is entrenched. Often, transformative leaders try to impact public school systems but they don’t last long. We can evolve our curriculum and have the capacity to be nimble in responding to student’s needs and interests.”

Another feature of project-based learning is the classroom layout, which will be less conventional with furniture arranged in circles and gathering spaces for collaborative work and less time spent listening to lectures. Local arts organizations will potentially provide performance space and supplemental classrooms.

Carl – who will serve as head of school while Jennifer will serve as associate head of school – says that the curriculum is a living, breathing document within state guidelines, and it will evolve to be aligned with a lab school culture. Amy Good looks forward to the magic that will be created by working together with NESA’s fellow educators and supporters.“When we connect education requirements with the things that make us light up, it’s less stressful and feels more like an opportunity for the students to follow their particular interests,” Good says. “Emerging from the pandemic, we need to find a way to make sure our children’s mental health, happiness and well-being is cared for.”

Carl and Jennifer hope that NESA will add to the growing arts scene in the Upper Valley and expand focused arts education to interested students from as far away as they want to travel.  “We expect to reach students within 30-60 miles, and want to give students who have school choice an opportunity to attend a school like ours,” Carl says. The school will have the capacity for 150 students, but Jennifer and Carl plan to start small and grow slowly to maintain the integrity of the school’s vision, so the current enrollment goal is 30 students. A robust fundraising effort is underway to help students defray tuition costs if needed. Already, the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation has contributed $30,000 outright, and is offering another $50,000 in matching funds.

NESA is currently taking applications for both students and faculty members. Jennifer and Carl emphasize that teachers must have a passion for working with students, embrace a collaborative and experiential learning culture, and be comfortable with making mistakes as a component of a progressive educational model. In studying other arts-focused schools around the country like the Chicago Arts Academy, Interlochen Arts Academy, Art Student League in New York City, and The New School for Social Research, Jenny and Carl have incorporated various elements into their ‘City As School’ vision such as a student centered learning environment and hiring top notch faculty.

Jenny emphasizes that a high quality education is possible within a ‘low stakes’ environment. “Everything doesn’t have to be graded,” she says. “We’re aiming for immersion in the subject and a calm learning environment. Peers working together is more powerful than listening to a lecture.” Class placement will be determined with a portfolio submission. “We’re looking for kind human beings who want to be part of a team, and we’ll also provide opportunities for students who want to explore the ‘high stakes’ world of the arts professions by preparing them for auditions and other real world experiences necessary to succeed in an arts career,” Jennifer says. NESA will operate under the same state guidelines as a public high school and students will attend full-time. Students from other schools may be able to take specific classes as capacity allows.

Jennifer and Carl are both passionate educators, and as artists in their own right, hold the belief that the “arts make life worth living.” From their early days as educators in New York to discovering their mutual love for helping students take risks, grow, and thrive together, the pair  are poised to make the New England School of the Arts a fantastic new addition to Lebanon and its arts scene.