Schweitzer Fellows 2022 - 23

Paulita's project, SaludableMente, aims to address mental health concerns in the migrant farmworker population by building community between the farmworkers and Latinx/immigrant students at Dartmouth. Through cultural events and monthly group conversations, she will facilitate and participate in conversations about the immigrant experience, how to hold space together, and mental health and well-being.  Community Partner: Project Salud

James and Omar are creating an integrated health education and enrichment program for adults with developmental disabilities. They aim to provide a diverse curriculum centered around personal health and recreational activities to inspire people to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. Community Partner: Visions for Creative Housing Solutions

Marisa and Jewelia's project aims to better characterize and address food insecurity that is compounded by transportation barriers. They will work alongside the community to explore methods and pilot no-cost, mobile food delivery/supply services, which they hope may serve as a model for improving long-term food security and access in rural communities in the Upper Valley and beyond. Community Partner: Upper Valley Haven

Eleonore and Sandra will target equity in organ transplantation by increasing access to living kidney donors for under-resourced Upper Valley patients currently waitlisted for transplantation.  Through the development of educational materials and social programming, they aim to increase the success of waitlisted patients finding a suitable kidney, thus greatly improving, and lengthening their quality of life. Community Partner: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Transplantation Surgery Team

 

Allison and Chinmayee seek to improve the availability of gender-based violence advocacy resources to the Upper Valley's foreign-born communities. They will carry out needs assessments, establish culturally competent curriculums for advocates in training, and work with community leaders to address the unique needs of survivors from immigrant and refugee populations. Community Partner: WISE

Hunter and Kae aim to improve transgender youth's understanding of clinical interventions and common health risks, as well as empower transgender and gender diverse youth in the healthcare setting. Using a trans health text line, skill-building workshops, and panels with health professionals, they plan to give youth critical skills to navigate the cis-dominated world around them. Community Partner: Outright VT

Ellen and Kadi will bolster and expand the Spartans Advance program, an initiative to help students at Winooski Middle High School navigate life after graduation. Through the maintenance of the Spartans Advance website and the creation of summer and after-school workshops for both students and their families, Ellen and Kadi will partner with community liaisons to give students the tools they need for success and become the most empowered versions of themselves. Community Partner: Winooski Middle/ High School

Clara and Rachel will work with Burlington's unhoused population helping individuals gain and maintain jobs while alleviating the Vermont labor shortage. Their programming will address a variety of barriers to employment such as professional attire, childcare, and transportation by providing curated resources and holding events. Community Partner: Here to Help

Liz and Tyler are working together with Vermont's Abenaki communities to improve Abenaki health through outreach clinics that focus on screening for chronic health problems. In addition to outreach clinics, Liz and Tyler will be facilitating cultural awareness training sessions at UVM's Larner College of Medicine where Abenaki leaders can talk about their healthcare experiences with doctors and medical students. Community Partners: The Nulhegan Band of the Cooksuk Abenaki Nation and Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi.

Vennela and Shea are developing a program to improve the health literacy of refugees arriving in Vermont. Their goal is to create low-literacy friendly tools that health care providers, laboratory staff, and case managers can use to promote understanding of complex health issues that are particularly relevant to refugees. They hope to facilitate two-way communication resulting in better access to health information and the health care system for refugees. Community Partner: US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants VT

Alyssa and Sam aim to increase food security at Vermont Law School. By building an on-campus garden, they plan to give students in need access to fresh fruits and vegetables while learning about local, sustainable food systems.  Community Partner: VLS Café/Vermont Law School

Jenny is running an after-school program to teach humane education with the goal of harnessing children's fascination with animals to increase pro-social behavior, reduce violence, and teach social and emotional learning. She will also write and try to pass legislation so that humane education is a part of the curriculum in Vermont schools. Community Partner: One Planet Afterschool Program

Lucas's project will support existing community restorative practices by building on participants' conflict resolution skills.  Through a narrative-based conflict coaching process, participants will increase their sense of agency and explore various strategies to help navigate interpersonal conflict. Community Partner: Orange County Restorative Justice Center

Aj and Jess will support people dealing with Title IX incidences with integrative healing opportunities They will host compassionate listening and reconciliation-based events aimed at providing a safe space for healing through collective grief support and somatic movement exercises. Additionally, they will provide individuals with a robust resource center to help navigate Title IX and guide them through their healing journey. Community partner: SafeArts Healing Center