Yestermorrow students are do-ers. Whether they’re professionals, aspiring professionals, changemakers or do-it-yourselfers, they represent a movement of people who actively build the world they want to occupy.

Our new blog series, Beyond the Valley, celebrates the many achievements of the Yestermorrow community and introduces opportunities for furthering what is learned here. Students come to Yestermorrow for many reasons - sometimes they have a grand vision or sometimes a simple desire to learn a new skill. But most everyone leaves transformed. Beyond the Valley tells the story of these transformations  by highlighting the amazing things students go on to do in their own communities and sharing the experience of being here on the Yestermorrow campus.

The collection of stories in this blog show the tapestry of a sustainable design revolution. From setting up makerspaces to building net zero homes, to running permaculture farms, these are stories of people who are making sustainability and resilience tangible, real, and inspirational both here on campus and beyond the Mad River Valley

Yestermorrow people share a few common beliefs. First, we believe that when you are the designer and the builder you integrate imagination (design) with doing (build).This holistic approach is well suited to creating more sustainable, human-centered environments. Second, we believe that design should be democratic - everyone can and should be empowered to create more sustainable, equitable communities. And third, we believe that sustainable environments are also beautiful environments; when you design with beauty in mind you also design for durability.

Stories in the Beyond the Valley blog are a testament to the dedication and creativity of our students, past and present. We hope you find inspiration to pursue your own sustainable design visions.

If you have a story to share or want to be a guest blogger, contact Student Services Coordinator Chrissy Bellmyer at [email protected] or Submit Your Story on our website.