MANCHESTER, VT — Red Fox Community School is proud to announce that fifth-grader Phoebe Bingham has been officially sworn in as a member of the inaugural Vermont Kid Governor’s Cabinet. The historic inauguration ceremony took place on Monday at the Vermont State House in Montpelier, marking the beginning of a one-year term dedicated to civic engagement and community advocacy.

Bingham was selected as one of only seven finalists from across the state in an election that saw more than 1,000 Vermont fifth-graders cast their ballots. As a Cabinet member, she will serve alongside Vermont’s first-ever Kid Governor, Roslyn Fortin of Highgate, to address critical issues facing the state’s youth.

During the ceremony held in the House Chamber, Bingham and her fellow cabinet members took an official oath of office, pledging to serve with honesty and integrity. Following the swearing-in, the Cabinet held a private meeting with Governor Phil Scott in his office, where they discussed their individual policy platforms.

“We are incredibly proud to have Phoebe representing Red Fox Community School on Vermont’s civic stage,”  said Head of School Karen O’Neill Thomson. “This program brings civics education to life, and Phoebe’s dedication to identifying community issues and researching real-world solutions serves as an inspiration to our entire school. It proves that you are never too young to make a difference.”

While the Cabinet will work collectively to support Kid Governor Fortin’s primary platform of addressing homelessness, each member brings a specialized area of interest to the team to ensure a well-rounded impact on Vermont. As a cohesive leadership body, the Cabinet will collaborate on a shared agenda that integrates Fortin’s mission with their own key priorities, including Phoebe’s focus on children’s mental health, as well as efforts to prevent bullying and improve healthcare access.

“It’s really cool to serve in Vermont’s first-ever Kid Governor Cabinet,” said Bingham. “Meeting Governor Scott inspired me to be a stronger leader, and I’m excited to work with Roslyn on her platform addressing homelessness. At Red Fox, I’ve already gained experience organizing food and clothing drives for our local Community Food Cupboard, so I have a good foundation to build on.”

The Vermont Kid Governor program is a national award-winning civics program created by the Connecticut Democracy Center and administered locally by the Office of Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas. The program is designed to teach students about the three branches of state government, the importance of voting, and the power of leadership.

“The ideas and energy that these students are identifying are so important for Vermont,” said Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas during the ceremony. “This program is preparing kids to be voters when they are adults, and I can’t wait to see what happens when these fifth graders turn 18 and take on the world.”

As part of her term, Bingham will participate in regular Cabinet meetings to help advance the group’s collective goals and will work to implement leadership projects within the Manchester community and beyond.

For more information about the Vermont Kid Governor program and to follow Phoebe’s journey this year, visit VT.KidGovernor.org.