Community Health Education
Catamount Health's Community Education Program provides free and low-cost health literacy workshops, chronic disease self-management classes, cooking demonstrations, fitness programs, and wellness seminars to residents of Washington, Orange, and Lamoille counties. All programs are developed by our clinical team and open to the public regardless of patient status.
Monthly Workshop Calendar
Our community education programs run on a recurring monthly schedule at our Montpelier center, partner locations across central Vermont, and via live telehealth. All workshops are led by licensed clinicians, registered dietitians, or certified health educators.
Living Well with Diabetes
A comprehensive diabetes self-management education (DSME) series aligned with American Diabetes Association Standards of Care. Topics rotate monthly and include blood glucose monitoring techniques, carbohydrate counting fundamentals, medication adherence strategies, foot care and neuropathy prevention, and navigating diabetes-related emotional distress. Led by James Okafor, RD, CDE, and includes hands-on meal planning activities with take-home recipe cards. Participants who complete four sessions receive a certificate recognized by most insurance carriers for wellness incentive programs.
Heart Health: Know Your Numbers
An evidence-based cardiovascular wellness program covering blood pressure self-monitoring, understanding cholesterol panels and lipid ratios, the DASH and Mediterranean dietary approaches, sodium reduction strategies, aerobic exercise prescription, and recognizing early warning signs of cardiac events. Each session includes free blood pressure and pulse oximetry checks. Co-led by Dr. Margaret Holloway and our community health nurse. Participants receive a home blood pressure log and personalized goal-setting worksheet.
Mindfulness & Stress Reduction
Based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) framework developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, this workshop series teaches practical techniques for managing chronic stress, anxiety, insomnia, and pain. Sessions include guided body scan meditation, mindful breathing exercises, gentle movement practices, and cognitive reframing discussions. Led by Karen Liu, LICSW, with guest instructors from the Vermont Center for Integrative Therapies. Suitable for complete beginners through experienced practitioners.
Healthy Kitchen Vermont
A hands-on cooking demonstration and nutrition education series focused on preparing affordable, nutrient-dense meals using locally sourced Vermont ingredients. Each session features a seasonal recipe theme, basic knife skills and food safety instruction, grocery budgeting tips, and ingredient substitution strategies for common dietary restrictions including gluten-free, dairy-free, and low-sodium requirements. Participants take home a complete recipe packet and a bag of featured ingredients donated by our partners at the Capital City Farmers Market. Led by James Okafor, RD, CDE.
Prenatal & New Parent Wellness
A supportive group workshop for expectant and new parents covering prenatal nutrition, safe exercise during pregnancy, birth preparation, breastfeeding fundamentals, postpartum mood awareness, and infant developmental milestones. Each session provides time for peer connection and Q&A with our clinical team. Led by Suzanne Moreau, FNP-BC, with guest specialists including lactation consultants and pediatric occupational therapists. Partners and support persons are warmly encouraged to attend.
Steady on Your Feet: Fall Prevention
Designed for adults aged 60 and older, this evidence-based program combines balance assessment, strength training exercises adapted for all mobility levels, home safety modification guidance, medication review for fall-risk side effects, and vision and hearing screening referrals. Based on the CDC STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries) initiative. Each participant receives a personalized fall risk score and a printed home safety checklist. Held in partnership with the Montpelier Senior Activity Center.
Community Partnerships
We extend our reach beyond our clinic walls through active partnerships with schools, senior centers, faith communities, and local organizations throughout central Vermont.
School Health Initiative
We partner with Montpelier Public Schools, U-32 Middle & High School, and Twinfield Union School to deliver annual wellness screenings, mental health first aid training for educators, and age-appropriate health education assemblies on topics including nutrition, physical activity, emotional resilience, and substance use prevention.
Senior Center Outreach
Monthly health education sessions at the Montpelier Senior Activity Center and the Barre Area Senior Center covering chronic disease management, Medicare navigation, fall prevention, cognitive health, and seasonal wellness topics. Free blood pressure and blood glucose screenings available at every session.
Faith Community Health
Collaborative wellness programs with congregations including First Congregational Church, Bethany Church, Christ Episcopal Church, and the Islamic Society of Vermont. Programs focus on health ministry training, grief and bereavement support groups, and community health screening events hosted in accessible faith community spaces.
Move More Vermont
Our award-winning community walking and physical activity program meets every Tuesday and Thursday from 8:00 to 9:00 AM at the Montpelier Recreation Field (summer) or the Montpelier Recreation Department gymnasium (winter). The program is free, requires no registration, and is suitable for all fitness levels. Trained volunteer walk leaders guide participants through warm-up stretches, a 30-to-45-minute moderate-intensity walk, and cool-down exercises. Pedometers and water bottles are provided at no cost to first-time participants.
Since its launch in 2019, Move More Vermont has engaged more than 620 unique participants and logged over 14,000 collective walking miles. In 2022, the program received a Community Health Innovation Award from the Vermont Department of Health for its demonstrated impact on physical activity rates among adults over 50 in Washington County.
Miles Walked Together
Community Participants
Years of Impact
Health Literacy Initiative
Understanding health information is essential to making informed decisions about your care. Our Health Literacy Initiative produces plain-language educational materials, multilingual resources, and accessible digital content for the communities we serve.
Free Printed Resources
- Understanding Your Blood Pressure Numbers (English, Spanish, French)
- A Patient Guide to Type 2 Diabetes Self-Management
- Navigating Vermont Medicaid & Green Mountain Care Enrollment
- Healthy Eating on a Budget: A Vermont Seasonal Guide
- Recognizing Signs of Depression & Anxiety: When to Seek Help
- Prenatal Care Timeline: What to Expect at Each Visit
- Medication Safety for Older Adults: Avoiding Harmful Interactions
All materials are available free of charge in our lobby or by contacting our front desk at (802) 555-0147.
Request a Speaker or Workshop
Catamount Health clinicians and educators are available to present health education workshops at your school, workplace, senior center, faith community, or community organization. Past presentations have covered topics including workplace ergonomics and injury prevention, mental health first aid, diabetes risk reduction, healthy aging strategies, and seasonal flu and respiratory illness prevention.
Presentations are offered at no cost to nonprofits, schools, and community organizations within our service area. For-profit employers may request a customized corporate wellness seminar at a modest facilitation fee.
To schedule a speaker, contact our Community Education Coordinator at [email protected] or call (802) 555-0147, extension 5, at least three weeks in advance of your desired date.
Attend a Workshop
All community education programs are free or low-cost and open to the public. No registration is required for most workshops. Visit us at 238 State Street, Suite 310, or call for details.