Meet the ACP Staff
The Learning Team at ACP have decades of experience among them. This highly skilled team has educational, behavioral and therapeutic backgrounds that allow them to create individual plans and goals to best serve your student. Keep reading below to learn about each exceptional member of our team.
PRINCIPAL|Gina Fucci MA, LSC
This is our second year as ACP and so far the journey has been a good one! As the Principal I bring a rich background in educational and therapeutic systems. My background includes alternative/therapeutic programs serving K thru 12 students for over 10 years. I also served as a Therapist for a farm based residential program for years which supports adults struggling with mental health and substance issues. My perspective is one which honors the individual and their specific history and needs. This perspective comes through at ACP in our individual approach to learning and small group programming. As journeys go, I am honored to be traveling with the wonderful staff here at ACP. Each person believes strongly in our students and their abilities to succeed.
Favorite ACP memory so far: It was a snowy winter’s day and we were all heading to Sugarbush to preview it for our Ski/Snowboard Program. The roads were tough to pass so we decided to stop at the Sugar BowlSki Area instead. The snowfall was beautiful and fluffy so we did what you do…we laid in the snow and made snow angels. Students jumped into the snow and played and we just had a magical quintessential Vermont snow day.
Behavior Interventionist | Amanda Bliven
Amanda This will be my second year at ACP as a Behavior Interventionist. I have been working in education, and/or with people who have social and emotional needs for over 15 years. I enjoy building connections with students, and helping them become the best versions of themselves. It’s important to me that all of our students have a safe, healthy learning environment, across a multitude of settings.
Favorite ACP memory: I have so many great memories from last year that it is hard to choose just one. I would have to say that I really enjoyed our rowing trips out on Lake Champlain. Rowing the long boats was an exciting new experience for me. Everything about rowing is just wonderful. The views from the boat alone were just breathtaking, especially as the leaves turned their bright autumn colors. The boats themselves were beautiful and built with such great craftsmanship and every boat in the fleet was unique. I had many laughs with the students and staff as we learned how to handle the oars and learned the rowing process. It was a great team building experience as everyone in the boat played an important role in making the boat go. I absolutely cannot wait to get out on the lake again and share this amazing experience with students!
School Social Worker | Claire Ewing, LISCW
I’m so excited to be back for ACP’s second year! As the school social worker, I bring my background in trauma-informed practices and youth mental health in the educational setting to help create a school community that is supportive, individualized, and, most of all, really fun! I received my Master’s in Social Work from the University of Denver in 2019 with a mental health concentration and a certificate in animal-assisted interventions. After moving to the beautiful state of Vermont, I spent three years as an elementary school social worker before coming to ACP and settling in Shelburne. I love watching our students learn and grow and I can’t wait to create new memories this school year.
Favorite ACP Memory (so far): Last May, we launched Charlie B, the longboat our students helped to build with the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. While it was spectacular to see them sail off in a boat of their own creation, my favorite part was watching them prepare and present a speech to a crowd of people about what the experience meant to them. I watched them work through the discomfort of public speaking, and it was such a joy to witness how proud of themselves they were for everything they accomplished.
Special Educator | Rob McCuen
I’m looking forward to embarking on another year at ACP! I'm a special educator, and have been in the education field for over 20 years. I have a passion for bringing nature into the classroom, and I’m excited to bring the classroom out into nature this year in our new outdoor space! I love to incorporate hands-on learning into my teaching, and look forward to embarking on a variety of fun projects with students this year. My perspective on teaching is that we can learn as much from our students as they learn from us if we are willing to listen to their unique voices. I look forward to welcoming new members into our community, and seeing how they lend their voices to our collective journey!
Favorite ACP memory: One of my favorite memories from last year was our trip to the Shelburne Farms. We checked out adorable baby animals, took a bumpy ride on a tractor, enjoyed the fantastic scenery, and spent a solid 15 minutes skipping rocks on the lake! Our arms were tired but our hearts were full!
Behavior Interventionist | Marci LAMBERT
I am excited to be in my second year at ACP. I have been in education for over 20 years from elementary level to adult level. Now, I have found the role of being a Behavioral Interventionist here to be a real reward with my students and colleagues. I love the outdoors and working with my hands. I enjoy building relationships with peers and I learn more everyday from them. This is going to be a great year with new opportunities to explore.
Favorite ACP Memory: So many amazing memories from last year, but I had such a great time playing silly games. It was such a good way to get to break the ice, and get to know each other. We had such laughs, and our bad puns as a group really brought us together. I can’t leave out the amazing ski trips and rowing excursions. Also, the boat building was high on the list; learning to use new tools was confidence building.