Bennington College Student Returns to Roots for Annual Field Work Term at Red Fox Community School
MANCHESTER CENTER, VT – Red Fox Community School is pleased to announce it has hosted Sofia Mirenda, a Bennington College student and East Dorset native, for a specialized six-week Field Work Term. Sofia, who is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Visual Arts and Education, has spent her winter immersion exploring the intersection of art and general education within the school’s unique experiential framework.
For Sofia, returning to the Northshire was a deliberate choice. After experiencing the life-changing “Mountain Campus” program at Burr and Burton Academy—which she credits with helping her rediscover her sense of wonder post-pandemic—she sought an environment that mirrored those values of nature, presence, and student agency.
“I’ve never seen a school like this before,” said Sofia. “In a typical elementary school, everything is so structured. At Red Fox, there is a deep level of trust and community. There is room for creative freedom, where the curriculum can shift if a moment of discovery pops up—like the spontaneous ‘Fool’s Gold’ experiment. It allows kids to be open, curious, and respectful.”
During her six weeks at Red Fox, Sofia has integrated herself into the daily rhythms of the classroom, assisting with everything from literacy and math to snack time and art projects. Her primary goal has been to determine her future path: focusing on specialized art education or becoming a general classroom educator.
“Sofia’s presence has been a gift to our community,” said Karen O’Neill Thomson, Head of School at Red Fox Community School. “Having an intern who understands the landscape of Vermont and the value of outdoor, hands-on learning allows our students to see their own educational values reflected in a young professional. She truly understands our mission of fostering inclusive and safe spaces for exploration.”
Reflecting on her time with the students, Sofia noted the importance of the school’s focus on communication and consent. “The kids here really work together to create their environment. I want to help kids keep that natural sense of wonder as they age—to show them that the world isn’t set in stone and that they don’t have to choose just one path forever.”
As Sofia prepares to return to Bennington College on February 17th, she leaves Red Fox with a clearer vision of her future in education and a reinforced belief in the power of “looking up” from the digital world to experience life as it happens.
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About Red Fox Community School
Red Fox Community School is an independent K-5 elementary school in Manchester Center, Vermont, where students learn through outdoor education, project-based learning, and authentic community engagement. The school fosters independent thinking and creative problem-solving while nurturing students to become empowered stewards of intellectual freedom, community mindedness, and environmental consciousness. For more information, visit www.redfoxschool.org.
Contact:
Karen O’Neill Thomson, Head of School
Red Fox Community School
karen@redfoxschool.org
www.redfoxschool.org
About Bennington College
Bennington College is a progressive liberal arts college in Bennington, Vermont. Founded in 1932, it was the first college in the United States to include the visual and performing arts as an equal partner in the liberal arts curriculum. A centerpiece of the Bennington experience is the Field Work Term, an annual six-week period where students move off-campus to work with organizations across the globe. This unique program allows students to apply their classroom learning to professional environments, explore potential career paths, and gain competitive experience before graduation. For more information, visit www.bennington.edu.