Using the humanities, we connect with people across Vermont to create just, vibrant, and resilient communities and to inspire a lifelong love of learning.
Dive into our two humanities podcasts to engage and learn about new perspectives.
February 4
Bring a friend or family member to share a short story about finding yourself in new places or situation. Your story will be edited by teens and shared with the wider community as part of our 2023 Vermont Reads Programming about “The Most Costly Journey.” Prompts and easy-to-follow instructions will be available, along with help from a youth librarian.
February 7
The Waterbury Public Library wraps up its Vermont Reads 2022 programming with a movie night “Under the Cloak of Darkness” (2008), a feature-length documentary about Vermont’s migrant Mexican farm worker population that aims to humanize this invisible community and bring to light the issues surrounding migrant labor. The movie will be followed by a discussion and refreshments.
February 8
“Finding Jesse: A Fugitive from Slavery in Vermont” traces Jesse’s life from enslavement in North Carolina to freedom in Vermont. His story is told through letters in the collection at Rokeby Museum and documents at the North Carolina State Archives. The illustrated talk brings the narrative of one slave out of anonymity and explores his life and pursuit of freedom.
February 8
In this special Farmers’ Night presentation at the Vermont State House, Andrew Aydin, co-author of The March Trilogy with civil rights icon John Lewis, describes the creation of the next book in the series, RUN! Aydin also relates becoming an author, how he became involved in politics, and his experiences working with Congressman Lewis.
February 9
In this free live-streamed presentation for Vermont middle and high school students, Andrew Aydin, co-author of The March Trilogy with civil rights icon John Lewis, describes the creation of the next book in the series, RUN! He’ll be joined by a panel of students from Rutland Union High School.
February 9
In this presentation, Andy Kolovos from the Vermont Folklife Center and Julia Grand Doucet from the Open Door Clinic provide an overview of the goals of the El Viaje Más Caro Project.
February 16
Join a discussion with James Sturm at Hartford High School & virtual gathering at the Quechee Library. A multi-generational talk about the art of the graphic novel and how it lends itself to portraying personal stories, difficult issues and historical events.
February 17
Join award-winning cartoonist and educator Marek Bennett as he presents some of the many comics documenting human migrations and struggles throughout the ages, and lead a hands-on demo to show how YOU can cartoon the stories of your own family, neighborhood, and wider world.
February 22
In the film “Who is Dayani Cristal?” an anonymous body in the Arizona desert sparks the beginning of a real-life human drama. The search for identity leads us back across a continent to seek out the people left behind and the meaning of a mysterious tattoo.
February 27
Join fellow community members in Essex Junction and Williston for a discussion of this year’s Vermont Reads book, “The Most Costly Journey.” This discussion is offered as a collaboration between Brownell Library and Dorothy Alling Memorial Library. Attendees may join in person at Dorothy Alling Memorial Library where we will discuss the book over a cup of Mexican Hot Cocoa, or register to receive the virtual link.
February 28
Join us for a read aloud of “Lola Out Loud” and “Dolores Huerta: A Hero to the Migrant Workers” and a discussion about migrant workers. Reading will be followed by a themed activity. For ages 6-10, siblings welcome.
March 1
South America’s Atlantic Forest is one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. Cristian Fretes Ojeda, technical trainer for Peace Corps Paraguay, discusses how civic participation is leading the effort to conserve crucial natural areas like the Atlantic Forest and the Gran Chaco, which span several South American countries.
We recently gave a $5000 project grant to the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction to print and distribute a comic to schools and literacy organizations throughout Vermont.
How We Read, A Graphic Guide To Literacy will help kids experience the joy of reading and overcome the stigma of struggling to read.
Learn more about our Project Grants
Image courtesy Center for Cartoon Studies
Vermont Humanities has developed a broad range of programs that serves Vermonters of all ages and backgrounds. In 2021, 31,365 people took part in 562 activities hosted by us or by our community partners.
The Anne Commire Fund for Women in the Humanities supports projects that focus on women writers. Anne (at far left) is shown with the cast of her play “Melody Sisters” in 1984.
The fund was created through a legacy gift of $125,000 from Anne’s estate, one of the largest individual gifts ever made to Vermont Humanities.
By giving to Vermont Humanities, you support education for people of all ages through early literacy programs, Humanities Camps for middle-school children, and programs held in libraries, community centers, schools, and correctional facilities.
Poet Sarah Audsley joined us at the Taconic Mountains Ramble State Park for Words in the Woods.
Humanities Camps are filled with reading and writing projects, field trips, and outdoor activities.
We won a 2020 Schwartz Prize for best public humanities programming in the U.S. for Vermont Reads 2019: “March: Book One.”
We supported Historic New England’s “More than a Market” project that explored the experiences of new Americans through food markets.
Our free public events help bring the power of the humanities to communities across Vermont.
