Aziza Malik teaches fifth grade at Champlain Elementary School in Burlington, Vermont. She is a passionate advocate for place-based education, a pedagogical approach that integrates the natural, cultural and social environment into the curriculum. Through this approach, Malik fosters authentic and symbiotic relationships between schools and stakeholders, including government entities, local businesses, nonprofits and community members. These collaborative efforts accomplish shared objectives and interweave student and civic engagement, leadership development and diverse perspectives into our educational system.

The tangible results of Malik’s work can be observed throughout the Champlain Elementary campus. Over the past 14 years, numerous collaborative projects with community partners have transformed the school grounds. These projects allow students to witness the subjects they study come to life and actively participate in creating change in their community. Moreover, these projects serve as models, with many of them expanding beyond Champlain and gaining recognition at local, statewide and even international levels.

Malik holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, and a master’s degree in leadership for sustainability from the University of Vermont (UVM), where her work examined connections between Burlington School District and the local Indigenous population, the Abenaki. She was honored with the 2022 UVM Outstanding Teacher Award. She is a current participant in the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program, focused on creating connections internationally. Malik is dedicated to using place-based education to cultivate a more inclusive and sustainable future, serving as a model for Vermont and regions beyond.