Previous Fellows and Projects

Karen partnered with Have Justice-Will Travel (founded by Schweitzer Fellow Wynona Ward) to help provide legal assistance for victims of domestic violence.

Karl and Holly worked to improve access to health care for the migrant farm worker community employed in the Upper Valley dairy industry. They partnered with dairy farmers in New Hampshire and Vermont and the professional staff at the Little Rivers Clinics in Orange County, VT to provide direct care for these migrant workers and their families.

Katherine provided health education for pregnant and parenting women struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues.

Katherine worked with the Good Neighbor Health Clinic to analyze the microsystems models of health clinics for the underserved and uninsured across Vermont and New Hampshire, including organizations within the Vermont Coalition of Clinics for the Uninsured and the Bi-State Primary Care Association. She identified the current structures and lessons learned at a sampling of these clinics in terms of scheduling technology, communications, and volunteer training.

Katherine strengthened the program which pairs medical students with special needs children and their families.

Katherine helped adolescent girls at the Headrest program in Lebanon, NH, to build self-esteem, communication skills and self-confidence through participation in outdoor activities, art, journal writing and group discussions.

Fletcher Allen Hospital of Burlington discharges over 100 homeless patients to unstable living environments every year. This project worked toward the creation of a facility for short-term stays dedicated to those patients who no longer require hospitalization, but are in need of greater care than is available at the local shelter.

Kate and Charlotte worked in coordination with Hunger Free Vermont, the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program, and New American families to address barriers to food/nutrition security that exist within the Burlington, Vermont refugee population.

Kira and Kathryn created the infrastructure necessary for a long-term, sustainable community program that offers harm reduction services to people who inject drugs, including providing overdose and prevention education, clean needles and connecting them to community support resources. 

Katie taught yoga techniques to children and teenagers through the Randolph Boys and Girls Club and other area organizations that serve youth. he also helped young people to become aware of the long-lasting benefits of calm, focus, energy and fitness in their lives.

Katie fostered a sense of leadership, commitment, and ownership in the youth of our communities, by establishing a relationship between the young people and Habitat for Humanity. She also helped our communities improve not only by building decent, affordable homes for those in need but also by encouraging a younger generation to get out into the world and make a difference.

Katrina expanded mobile syringe services to Franklin County, Vermont via the Vermont CARES mobile outreach van. She provided an accessible space for syringe exchange, harm reduction micro-counseling, and resource referrals.

Brett and Kelley created body maps with pediatric cystic fibrosis patients to create a space for dialogue about the psychosocial components of this chronic disease. The creation of individual body maps, displayed at an art show, worked to lessen the isolation that cystic fibrosis patients experience.

Sarah addressed the health care experiences of people with physical and intellectual disabilities by supplying future health professionals with the skills and knowledge to deliver such experiences effectively. She aimed to develop an elective course focused on caring for special needs populations at Dartmouth Medical School.

Kelly and Nicole improved the physical and emotional health of young mothers facing economic and personal challenges by promoting fitness and healthy lifestyle choices.

Kelly fostered connections between students and seniors through intergenerational programming at the Bugbee Senior Center.

Kevin implemented an education and mentoring program for teens struggling with substance abuse issues.

Kimberly and Nicole helped local seniors to keep healthy and active in body and mind through weekly exercise classes, nutrition workshops, and participation in the Memory Café.

Kimberly and Alex empowered New Hampshire residents to take control of their own health by distributing consumer protection information and resources.

The Everybody Project brings environmental awareness and frequently excluded groups together through green jobs and volunteer opportunities. Kirby compiled information on green opportunities in the region and convey edthat information to those unlikely to have access to it.

Kirsten developed a twelve-week weight management program for cancer survivors. The behaviorally based intervention focused on calorie reduction, an increase in exercise, and behaviors to support diet change

Kirsten and Whitney implemented a health, nutrition, and fitness education program for young mothers and babies. They integrated the 5-2-1-0 Healthy Kids Countdown, a health promotion initiative based on evidence-based messaging emphasizing healthy nutritional choices and behaviors.

Krista and Kuang improved the maternal and reproductive health of Burlington's Somali-Bantu refugee population by creating a culturally competent mothers-to-mothers network. The network passed on information and advice relating to maternal and reproductive health, especially pre-natal care, options for delivery, family planning, complications, newborn care, lactation, and post-partum depression

Krista and Emily developed a cardiovascular risk screening and education program. They also worked with medical students to support patients in making "heart healthy" lifestyle changes through individualized counseling and ongoing collaboration.

Kristen and Emily worked with underserved, first time mothers in Claremont, NH. They provided health education and information on early childhood development to build mothers' confidence and reduce stress.

Under the auspices of Hospice, VNH, Kristen worked with families of terminally ill patients as they planned for the critical decisions that surround the death of a patient. She held community workshops on establishing advanced directives and designed and implemented an "aftercare" program, providing support to grieving families after the death of a loved one.

Lars and David developed a mentoring program that matched high school boys with 5th/6th grade boys in Lebanon, NH. Designed to develop self-esteem, responsibility and a sense of purpose for the middle schoolers, this program fostered an appreciation for exercise and the environment.

Laura created an educational support group for children with asthma and their families in the Upper Valley region of NH and VT. The focus of the group was on helping children understand and manage their own asthma.

Laura identified needs and specific program resources for physically and mentally challenged adolescents under the auspices of United Developmental Services of Lebanon, NH.

Lebanon Housing Authority: Laura reached out to elderly living within the community of the Upper Valley who were in need of medical and supportive services to help maintain their independence and ability to remain living at home as long as possible before entering a nursing home. She researched a current program more common in urban areas called PACE, Program of All-inclusive Care of the Elderly, and networked with existing community resources to establish a PACE program in the Upper Valley.

Laura worked as a tutor with teen mothers at Hannah House in Lebanon, NH, while researching programs on teen pregnancy prevention that could be implemented in this area.

By providing afterschool cooking and nutrition education for youth whose families are experiencing food insecurity, Laurie taught children about the importance of good nutrition and helped them develop good eating habits that will have lasting effects on their health and wellbeing.

Laxmi provided support to Rett patients and their families in the Burlington area.

Leah and Matthew implemented a confidential SMS texting service to disseminate medically accurate reproductive and sexual health information to LGBTQ youth across Vermont.

At Winooksi Middle School and the Center Point School, Leslie, Laura, and Beth connected medical students with middle school students by teaching a health and wellness curriculum. They also involved students in their own health education to empower them to make well informed, mature decisions about their own health and well-being.

Partnering with Northern Lights, Leslie and Janel created an art curriculum and executed an art program for women transitioning into Chittenden County after incarceration. The art program created a supportive social environment in which the women felt safe expressing themselves through art activities, promoted healthy coping strategies through art, and encouraged self-reflection through the art-making process.

Lina helped recent African immigrant women access healthcare in Manchester, NH. Working with community leaders, she developed a plan to address language barriers and improve communication between doctors and patients in local hospitals.

Lisa and Priti facilitated the interaction between medical students and under-served pregnant women in the Burlington community. They also provided social support and role models to pregnant women who have limited access to care and community resources.

Lisa created Vermont Youth Advisory Council (VYAC), which served as a way for Vermont youth to explore opportunities within the realm of youth advocacy and governance. Lisa aimed to make VYAC a statewide non-profit organization that is dedicated to a mission of promoting statewide youth leadership opportunities for a group of twenty to twenty-five youth, selected each year, between the ages of 13-19 to identify, research, and present their opinions on a Vermont environmental issue to the Vermont State Legislature.

Lisa worked with the Task Force on Eating Disorders in New Hampshire to research resources for individuals with anorexia nervosa and participated in a conference for practitioners on the topic of anorexia nervosa.

Lisa, working with the American Red Cross, Vermont Cares and the Vermont AIDS Education Network, developed S.T.A.T.S. (Students Teaching Aids to Students,) an educational program dedicated to teaching youth about HIV/AIDS/AIDS. With a team of medical students, she presented the program at a variety of setting in the Burlington area, including schools, colleges campuses, and rehabilitation centers.

Lisa improved the oral health of children and adults in the Upper Valley. She assembled a team of volunteer dental auxiliaries, students, and community to provide instruction on basic oral health to those who don't have regular access to dental care.  

Lise worked with Mascoma Legal Assistance to verify and clarify the need for lower-income legal aid within the 5 towns of the Mascoma school administrative unit (Canaan, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton, and Orange). Through working both with social service agencies within the area and with legal entities outside of the area, she assessed the possibilities for a cooperative arrangement to create a satellite legal clinic in the Mascoma Valley. 

Nasim and Louisa initiated a harm reduction program at the Claremont Soup Kitchen. They distributed naloxone, sharps containers, and clean syringe kits while educating the community about overdose protocol and prevention of blood-borne disease transmission.

Louisa researched existing legislation and wrote new legislation that created direct markets for family farmers to sell value-added produce. If passed, this legislation will create a significant economic opportunity for small Vermont farmers and would be the first of its kind in the country.

Luke and Chad implemented a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education program that built students' interest in and exposed them to potential career options in STEM. Students participated in hands-on biotechnology-based lab projects, met exciting guest speakers, interacted regularly with potential role models from local graduate schools, and visited nearby STEM facilities.

Lucinda and Leslie addressed the stigma of mental illness in our community by providing direct support to the Good Neighbor Health Clinic's psychiatric health services, and by enhancing DMS students' fluency in communicating about mental health issues. They integrated basic mental health screening into all primary care visits at GNHC, and directly supported patient care by initiating a mental health case management service run by Dartmouth medical students.

Luke facilitated Teen Court, a program created by the American Bar Association and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to train youth volunteers to participate in local youth court programs. The program helps those participating avoid engaging in crimes in the future and gives youth volunteers a better understanding of the judicial system.

Luz implemented a mobile clinic for migrant workers on Vermont's dairy farms. The clinic provided screenings, medical services, referrals to the closest health center, and health education.

Lyndsay and Ashlie worked with Legal Boots on the Ground to help kick-start a veteran legal assistance program.

Lystra developed and implemented an incentive program for opiate–addicted mothers and infants receiving treatment, aimed at increasing awareness about child development. She further mproved the facilities for children and breast-feeding mothers at the Chittenden Center where daily treatment is delivered.

Madeleine and Juergen helped children ages 6 to 9 develop their interest in engineering and science through the junior FIRST Lego League in area elementary schools.

Mae improved future professionals' access to information about transgender and transsexual ("trans") identities. By educating students at various professional schools in New Hampshire and Vermont about trans identities, Dunn empowered emerging professionals to provide compassionate, well-informed care and services to an often misunderstood community.

Malaika and Brian increased student awareness and participation with community health organizations early in their medical school careers through structured direct service activities. They also enhanced both the students' education and overall learning environment of the medical school while also providing much needed assistance to local community agencies.

Mandy created a teaching and training module for both health and legal service providers with information about what issues affect the mental health of refugees, how traditional mental health services may not be sufficient for refugees, and how to address these problems.

Manie and Vasum organized a volunteer program of medical students for the Community Health Center of Burlington, a clinic that provides care for the underserved population of the greater Burlington area, including the homeless and foreign refugees. The program attempted to assist the CHC in serving the community's clinical and health education needs, while strengthening the connection between the CHC and the College of Medicine.

Mara started an "Outdoors Club" as part of the tenth-grade teen health class at Lebanon High School. She introduced students to a variety of wilderness experiences, basic first aid and safety techniques and encouraged discussion of numerous teen health issues and provided an open forum for students to talk about difficult issues they are facing.

Marie worked with the Elizabeth Mine Study Group in their efforts to continue various clean-up projects at the Elizabeth Mine in Strafford, VT. Her work included biological monitoring, educational curriculum development, legal research and historical documentation.

Marie volunteered as an advocate for children caught up in the court system due to divorce/parenting matters, abuse, neglect or unmanageable behaviors through the Guardian ad Litem system.

Marjorie continued the work of previous Schweitzer Fellow, Michael Mercer, at the South Royalton High School to promote a service learning requirement and ethic, which encourages volunteerism as well as an educational opportunity.

Marli and Joyce designed and implemented nutritional education classes for pregnant and parenting young women in the Burlington community. The curriculum focused on the prevention of eating disorders, and provided support for the young women currently battling these disorders.

John and Marvah served the patients of the Good Neighbor Health Clinic by coordinating the implementation of SBIRT (Screening Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment). They administered patient screens, conducted motivational interviews, and followed–up on referrals.

Hannah and Mary Ann taught classes on infant and child health for pregnant and new mothers in a residential mental health and substance abuse treatment program. Their classes focused on essential topics in infant and child health including infant sleep, infection prevention, immunizations, feeding and food allergies.

With the goals of increasing knowledge, changing attitudes, building skills, and empowerment, Mary and Laura conducted workshops for teen girls in Winooski, VT.

Maryellen and Monica worked with the Vermont Coalition of Clinics for the Uninsured (VCCU) to analyze data regarding healthcare services and patient visits. They evaluated how member clinics serve the health care needs of the uninsured in Vermont.

Matt worked with the Good Neighbor Health Clinic to identify individuals and families with food insecurity throughout the Upper Valley. He addressed the under-utilization of community emergency programs and government programs by this group by raising awareness and facilitating access.

Matthew and Heather worked with students, faculty, administration and community members on the continuing effort to establish an Environmental Law Clinic at the Vermont Law School.

Matt addressed pediatric health and literacy by improving and expanding Bedside Brainiacs, a program established by Schweitzer Fellow Piyush Gupta that offers daily tutoring to pediatric inpatients to help them keep up with their school work while receiving medical treatment. Graf also created and implemented a sustainable project design, increased program awareness at the hospital, and pursued expansion into the geriatric population.

Matthew assisted in the development of competent search and rescue resources in the region by organizing, training and educating individuals to be part of the Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team.

Merrill addressed the mental and physical health needs of at-risk youth by creating an outdoor mentoring program that aims to mitigate "nature deficiency disorder." With the help of volunteer mentors, the youth learned to tie flies, understand ecology, try their hand at fly casting, and participated in flyfishing expeditions.

Mayumi developed a series of patient education materials for homeless, runaway and at-risk youth for Spectrum One Stop (SOS), a youth shelter and drop-in center in Burlington, VT.

Mazin and Samantha provided health education to low-income individuals and families at community dinners.

Megan and Margot implemented a self-care initiative for individuals with substance use disorders participating in the Grafton County Drug Court. Their project addressed topics including: the foundation of sustainable, positive relationships with primary care; exposure to healthy lifestyle practices; access to fresh vegetables; and discussion of mental health.

Meghan integrated locally grown organic food into the South Royalton School's cafeteria menu. She educated students about where their food comes from and how it was grown.

Meghan designed and ran one evening of after school programming for area youth. She also helped the club with program development and community networking to better serve the area's needs.

Melanie provided prenatal and lactation education materials and support services to low-income mothers through several agencies in the Burlington area. She also organized curriculum materials and a lecture series for medical students on topics related to childbirth and lactation.

Adopting principles from the Telling My Story program at Dartmouth College, Sarah and Missy used writing and reflection as mediums for creative processing and empowerment for young woman surrounding their own life stories. They built community as a protective force for mental health and substance use prevention, while helping teens utilize their own tools to unlock whatever future paths they choose

Melissa raised community awareness of hunger and nutrition issues; advocated on a state level for assistance; educated vulnerable populations on the importance of good nutrition; and helped families locate the resources that will provide more secure access to nutritious food.

Melissa mobilized a core of youth volunteers dedicated to improving senior citizens' health and quality of life by assisting them with essential services.

Melissa developed an anti-smoking curriculum called "Tobacco Talk" for use in elementary schools. The curriculum was used at the Mt. Lebanon Elementary School in NH and will be disseminated to other elementary school in the local area in the upcoming year.

Meredith and Kolene expanded SWIM CHAMPS, a program, which seeks to empower children and adolescents who have been diagnosed with asthma to become educated and confident partners in the management of their chronic disease through swimming. Using fun challenges in the pool as well as classroom sessions, they taught the children to know their limits and understand how their disease affects them, but not to be afraid of physical activity.

Mia implemented components of a chronic care management program for patients with diabetes at Burlington's Pine Street Clinic, a facility serving low-income Vermonters. Program components included patient focus groups, compiling community resources, and a performance improvement initiative with the clinic's residents.

Micaela developed curriculum and resources for Families Learning Together, a program that helps parents gain the skills to envision, plan for, and achieve goals commensurate with living an independent and fulfilling life with their children, in turn reducing community risk factors associated with teen pregnancy. Entitled "Creating Future Stories" this project documented the existing curriculum, created a resource guide for use by The Family Place staff' coordinated new mentoring, career planning, and legal access components, and directly served participants in the program.

Michael worked with the H.E.A.R.T. program (Health Education and Rescue Training) at Dartmouth to teach monthly community-wide classes on basic CPR techniques and to promote primary prevention of sudden cardiac death. They worked to ensure solid finding and recruit student participants as instructors in the H.E.A.R.T. program.

Michael worked with police, local courts, veteran's organizations and mental health institutions to further develop effective procedures and programs aimed at diverting mentally ill criminals from prison, and ensuring they receive the psychiatric treatment that they need.

Michael worked with the students and faculty at South Royalton High School to introduce the concept of service learning techniques into the curriculum and to involve students in environmental service learning projects.

Michelle and Geoff setablished an environmental Law Clinic at Vermont Law School to serve as a resource and advocate for local communities threatened by public health and environmental problems.

Michelle improved the safety and health of children in Vermont by developing an awareness program with Vermont officials that toured school districts throughout the state. Michelle also developed on-site student committees that aided in leading school initiatives to increase awareness of child abduction, and support efforts to bring home missing children in Vermont and nationwide.

Mimi worked with the staff and inmates at the Chittenden County facility of the Vermont Department of Corrections in an effort to improve the health outcomes of the inmates. She addressed prison health in a bidirectional manner by 1) bringing education and wellness into the lives of the prisons inmates and 2) bringing awareness of prison health to UVM and the local community.

Monica, Lara, and Meredith expanded Project AHEd (Adolescent Health Education), a program that provides health education and outreach to adolescents in underserved communities. They fostered an environment of tolerance among students and facilitated discussions on topics such as puberty, nutrition, mental health and substance use and abuse. The Project AHEd curriculum provided teens with the education they need to make healthy decisions and decrease high-risk behaviors.

Monica and Tammy created a workshop series for women at the Dale Correctional Facility in Waterbury, VT. The workshops were conducted by local practitioners and COM faculty and focused on a list of topics generated by the prisoners themselves: depression, eating disorders, contraception, and domestic violence

Monique worked with physicians and public health experts in the Burlington area to research and develop a plan for legalizing needle exchange in order to help stop the transmission of HIV/AIDS/AIDS and hepatitis as well as help people with addiction get in touch with counselors and treatment programs. The plan was presented to the Governor of Vermont in the spring of 1999, tried as a pilot program later than year, and has since been signed into law by the Vermont legislature.

Partnering with Upper Valley Farm to School and UV HEAL, Zain and Charis implemented a healthy living curriculum at the Romano Circle afterschool program that included creating a community garden, and programming that encouraged the children to appreciate ideas about healthy diet and active living through fun games and tasks.

Nadeem increased uninsured people's access to social services and updated the Good Neighbor Health Clinic's resource guide.

Narath and Gerard worked with patients with sleep issues and who need sleep equipment and support in navigating the health care system. They followed them as they began treatment and developed a Sleep Medicine Resource at the Good Neighbor Clinic.

Natalie helped youth in the South Royalton area stay in school and set high goals for themselves through mentoring and tutoring

Natalie educated high school students in the Upper Valley area about dating violence, with the goal of reducing such instances.

Natasha increased awareness of elderly abuse by working closely with a local nursing home in Vermont. She also implemented a companion program that encouraged young adults to visit elderly residents.

Natasha and Sharon developed Patient Perspectives, a program to promote interaction among local support groups and medical students through a yearlong series of informal forums with topics correlated to the medical curriculum. These forums provided the opportunity for diversified patient groups to share their medical experiences with students who are yearning for more patient interaction.

Nathaniel and Zoe brought speakers and workshops to the New Hampshire State Prison for women, aimed at maintaining and improving personal health. They also promoted a greater sense of well-being and personal empowerment by offering opportunities for creative expression through writing and art classes. Finally, they developed resources for inmates after their release, which addressed issues such as future housing and employment.