This winter, SPEAK partnered with the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) to offer a course focused on promoting advocacy skills for area community members. Participants came to the program with varying levels of experience. Beginning with simple introductions and gradually scaling up, by the end of the class each participant was able to stand in front of the group and deliver over five minutes of structured debate. The program culminated in a debate on the motion “Th

We're tremendously proud of all of our instructors for the work that they do in our classrooms, but they're all deeply involved in other important causes that make a difference for some of our most vulnerable neighbors. Tim Heffernan is a junior studying economics and history at the University of Vermont, He served as an assistant instructor at the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility for Women in South Burlington. He also spends about 10 hours a week volunteering with