Vermont author Kerstin Lange considers the 870-mile-long border—now a unique nature preserve called the Green Belt—that divided her native Germany during the Cold War. Over 1200 rare animal and plant species found refuge in the highly militarized border strip.
Join artist and educator Jen Berger for a presentation that places monuments within the broader field of public art, examining how objects in shared space shape memory, belonging, and power, and how monuments, often permanent and officially sanctioned, are mistaken for neutral history.
Join Will Eberle as he helps individuals and communities identify the lingo and phraseology that so often “triggers” people of differing viewpoints and prevents real communication and understanding.
This project will bring together Vermonters from across the state to discuss the founding principles and future of the Vermont National Guard, its relationship to the U.S. Constitution, and criteria for deployment to combat around the world. Veterans, service members, and their family members are particularly encouraged to participate in this discussion.
The U.S. has been at war, in one form or another, for all but about 18 of the past 250 years of the county’s existence. What does this mean if this is a constant in our lives? How do we invite the conservatives and progressives into the room to talk together?
What can ordinary people do when democratic norms feel fragile, federal power expands, and communities most affected by conflict and climate disasters struggle to be heard? This presentation explores a continuum of nonviolent strategies available to communities seeking to protect their families and their voices—from calm, local acts of solidarity to election-related engagement, state-level legislative initiatives, and coordinated multi-state efforts.
In 1969, the Supreme Court affirmed the rights of students to express their political opinions during school. The Tinker decision declared that students and teachers do not “shed their constitutional rights” at the “schoolhouse gate.” In 2024, the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a Massachusetts school could ban a t-shirt that expressed a political opinion on gender identity. Constitutional scholar Meg Mott considers whether students still have the right to free speech.
The First Amendment protects the free exercise of religion. The Fourteenth Amendment affords all persons equal protection under the law. What happens when those two rights collide? Constitutional law scholar Meg Mott considers whether protections for religious liberties must come at the expense of non-discrimination statutes.
Central Vermont endured catastrophic flooding in 2023 and 2024. Now, the horizon looks different. An America with less disaster response support seems likely, while the planet continues to warm and the rain falls hard and fast. This presentation by Shawna Trader from Barre Up! will explore several examples of community building projects which, in turn, are proving to be pathways towards resilience.
Have you ever wondered where electricity comes from, how the internet works, or how there’s (mostly) enough water for everyone all the time? Where did these systems come from, and how do they affect our challenges like inequality and climate change? Join Vermont author and artist Dan Nott for a look at these questions and more as he discusses his new nonfiction graphic novel, “Hidden Systems” for this all-ages talk.
Our seasonal “Words in the Woods” program allows Vermonters and visitors to enjoy our state’s natural beauty while listening to and reading literature in the outdoors.
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 the Chandler Center for the Arts’ Global Connections Youth Outreach program, which highlights artists from around the world.
Our free public events help bring the power of the humanities to communities across Vermont.
