Migrant workers and their families often live in geographic, linguistic and cultural isolation, which can create barriers to education, wellness and other public services. UVM Extension provides assistance with a focus on improving access to healthcare and education, food access and security, and overall social wellbeing.
Vermont Migrant Education Program
VMEP provides free educational support services to eligible children and youth who relocate independently or with their families in order to obtain seasonal or temporary employment in agriculture.
Migrant Health Programs
UVM Extension Migrant Health Programs address individual and systemic barriers faced by migrant workers and their families which prevent them from attaining their full potential for health and well-being. Services include Bridges to Health Community Health Worker Program, The Huertas Project, and Vermont Migrant Health Immunization Program.
Contact: Naomi Wolcott-MacCausland, Migrant Health Coordinator
nwolcott@uvm.edu | (802) 656-7626
Farming Across Cultures
For producers, managers, and Latino employees in the areas of work, health and the home.
Farmworker Education Hub
The Hub is a center of educational opportunities for Vermont’s Spanish-speaking farmworker community, with classes focused on dairy technical training, computers and technology, English language learning, and general education. All classes are online and designed to suit the schedules of farmworkers, with ongoing support available from UVM Extension professionals.
Spanish Online Dairy Worker Training
This self-paced Spanish dairy worker training certificate program is designed to develop the workforce skills needed on a modern dairy farm. This program was created as a partnership through Cornell Pro-Dairy and UVM Extension's Farmworker Programming. Each module focuses on common dairy worker areas of responsibility. All materials are presented and written in Spanish. There is no charge for this certification.
For more information, email dairy@uvm.edu or visit the website.
Bridges to Health Staff
Claire Bove, Community Health Worker Program Coordinator
Claire serves as the Community Health Worker Program Coordinator with Bridges to Health. In this role she guides and supports the Community Health Worker team in their statewide efforts to improve health and wellness for migrant workers. Prior to this role, Claire coordinated the High School Equivalency Program, assisting farmworkers in getting their GED. She holds a master's degree in Educational Leadership and has worked and traveled all over the U.S. and the world.
Email: Claire.Bove@uvm.edu
Office Phone: 802-656-7543
Mobile Phone: 802-249-4611
Jahdea Clare, Community Health Worker
Jahdea is a Community Health Worker for who supports migrant workers, especially Jamaican H2A workers, across the state as a part of the Bridges to Health team. She was born and raised in the Blue Mountains of Portland, Jamaica. Jahdea holds a master's degree in International Relations from the University of West Indies.
Email: Jahdea.Clare@uvm.edu
Mobile Phone: 802-656-7635
Joanne Delaney, Program Support
Joanne Delaney is excited to work with Bridges to Health in a programmatic support role at the St. Albans office. When she first moved to Vermont, Joanne remembers thinking “that (Extension) would be a great place for me to work one day.”
Joanne holds a BFA in painting from UMASS Amherst, has been an Administrator at a level III Residential Care Facility for Seniors, has had her own businesses, developed an after- school art program for grade students, and has worked as an Administrative Assistant/Office Manager for 8 years. She enjoys traveling and created the opportunity to travel the USA and western Canada for 14 months with her husband Doug. She has also visited Europe and Argentina. Joanne enjoys horseback riding/bike riding with her husband, and alpine skiing with her son Nathan who will be a freshman at UVM fall of 2022. Her family is completed with their American Eskimo dog Kimba and APA horse Bonnie. Joanne’s passions are art, horses, and spirituality, followed by gardening, hiking, skiing, and enjoying nature. She is currently developing her intuitive art rendering skills as well as training with her horse to compete in Competitive Trail rides.
Email: Joanne.Delaney@uvm.edu
Office Phone: 802-656-7616
Cecilia Hayes, Community Health Worker
As the Northwest Community Health Worker II for Bridges to Health, Cecilia supports migrant workers and their families in Franklin and Grand Isle counties by helping them access health care and social services. Prior to this role, Cecilia worked as a Bilingual Support Counselor for COVID Support VT, offering emotional support, promoting wellness and supporting Vermont’s Spanish-speaking Latinx community. Cecilia is originally from Peru and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Champlain College.
Email: Maria.Hayes@uvm.edu
Mobile Phone: 802-656-7815
Monica Pineda Hernandez, Community Health Worker
Monica serves as the Northeast Kingdom Community Health Worker II for Bridges to Health. In this role, she coordinates health care services and health education for Spanish and English-speaking migrant workers and their families. She grew up in Tlaxcala, Mexico and graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from University Benemérita in Puebla, Mexico. She is currently pursuing her master's degree in Mental Health Counseling from Northern Vermont University.
Email: Monica.Pineda@uvm.edu
Mobile phone: 802-656-7603
Jen LeFebre, Community Health Worker
Jen is a Community Health Worker for Bridges to Health in Southern Vermont, and is based at the Rutland office. She earned her MA in Education from Grand Valley State University in Michigan, and was an elementary and middle school Spanish teacher in Vermont for eleven years before switching gears. She is passionate about equity in health access and wellness. She lives in Wallingford and loves hiking with the dog, attending live concerts, traveling, creating fiber art, and playing board games with her family.
Email: Jennifer.LeFebre@uvm.edu
Phone: 802-656-7588
Evaristo Guiterrez Treminio, Community Health Worker
Evaristo Gutierrez Treminio is a Community Health Worker for Bridges to Health in Washington, Lamoille, Orange and northern Windsor counties. He is proud to be from Nicaragua. Before becoming a CHW, he worked as a tour guide and an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher in Nicaragua and as an ESL teacher in Vermont. He also has experience serving as a Spanish/English interpreter for cultural exchanges, ecotourism experiences, and in health care settings. He is super excited to combine education and health on his new journey in this role.
Email: Evaristo.Gutierrez-Treminio@uvm.edu
Mobile Phone: 802-656-4832
Katherine “Julissa” Vesely, Community Health Worker
Julissa serves as the Central West Community Health Worker II for the program, Bridges to Health. In this role, she coordinates health care services for Spanish speaking migrant farmworkers and their families in Chittenden and Addison counties as well as creates statewide programming to address health equity issues. Her expertise lies in navigating financial aid and health insurance for the migrant community and her interests include empowerment through health literacy and participatory action research. Being adopted from Guatemala, she is committed to creating opportunities of independence for the Latinx community. She is currently studying to get her master's degree in Community Development and Applied Economics from UVM.
Email: Julissa.Vesely@uvm.edu
Office phone: 802-656-7642
Mobile Phone: 802-503-2301
Naomi Wolcott-MacCausland, Bridges to Health Program Coordinator
Naomi provides leadership and management oversight for a portfolio of grants and initiatives in support of migrant health access and equity. Naomi designed, implemented, and grew Bridges to Health, Migrant Health Program's flagship program that utilizes Community Health Workers to improve access to health and social services for migrant workers and their families across Vermont. She established and co-directs Huertas, a community-based food security project working to increase access to culturally familiar foods with farmworker households. She holds a Master's Degree in Community Development and Applied Economics from UVM. Naomi speaks Spanish fluently after living for four years in Central America including two years with the Peace Corps in El Salvador.
Email: nwolcott@uvm.edu
Office phone: 802-656-7626
Mobile phone: 802-503-2078
Farmworker Education Staff
Esbey Hamilton, Migrant Education Leader
Esbey Hamilton leads education initiatives for farmworkers, including the Vermont Migrant Education Program and the Farmworker Education Hub. Esbey earned their master’s degree in TESOL from Portland State University. They have broad experience as an educator and administrator working on pragmatic, student-centered learning. Contact them with questions about program development, partnership opportunities, and data.
Email: esbey.hamilton@uvm.edu
Office phone: 802-656-4821
Mobile phone: 802-503-2009
Rebecca Heine, VMEP Educational Services Coordinator for Out-of-School Youth
Becca Heine develops and coordinates educational services and supports for youth farmworkers, including workplace English, GED preparation, life skills, and community-based learning. She holds a master’s degree in social work from UVM.
Email: Rebecca.Heine@uvm.edu
Office phone: 802-656-7636
Mobile phone: 802-503-2375
Sara Stowell, VMEP Identification and Recruitment Coordinator
Stowell grew up in Proctorsville, Vermont. She coordinates the identification, recruitment and enrollment of migratory students and families into VMEP. She and her team annually visit hundreds of farm and forestry employers and schools to enroll eligible children and engage them with available educational and enrichment services. Prior to returning to Vermont, Stowell worked in human rights and rural development in El Salvador. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Latin American studies from Bates College.
Email: Sara.Stowell@uvm.edu
Office phone: 802-656-7592
Mobile phone: 802-503-2114
Danielle Sussmann Turo, VMEP Educational Services Coordinator for In-School Youth
As VMEP's Statewide Educational Services Coordinator, Danielle is in charge of the coordination and implementation of supplemental education and support services of migrant students and their families. She is currently attending a master's degree program in Leadership Studies at the Vermont University. She also holds a bachelor's degree from SUNY in cultural studies with concentration in communication, and an associate's degree in liberal studies from CCV. Her background is in human resources and administration. Please reach out to her with any questions regarding migrant students attending public schools or educational opportunities.
Email: Danielle.Turo@uvm.edu
Office phone: 802-656-7605
Mobile phone: 802-503-2022
Ernest Bove, Northwest Regional Coordinator
As the Northwest Regional Coordinator, Ernie Bove works in the field with families of in-school students as well as out-of-school students in Franklin County, providing supplemental educational support and social service access when necessary. Bove graduated from Colby College with a bachelor's degree in international studies and is pursuing a master’s degree in Community Development and Applied Economics at UVM.
Email: ernest.bove@uvm.edu
Mobile phone: 802-503-2003
Alexander Chojolán, Central East and South Regional Coordinator
Alexander coordinates educational and support services for migratory youth and families throughout Southern and Central Vermont. Alexander is pursuing his Bachelor's degree as a nontraditional student and understands the need to always keep learning and advancing one's career. He is a second semester Junior studying Anthropology with a minor in Spanish. Different cultures and alternative learning structures fascinate him as well. Prior to joining Migrant Education, he interned with Huertas by supporting farmworkers to garden and grow their own foods.
Office phone: 802-656-7589
Mobile phone: 802-598-9534
Email: alexander.chojolan@uvm.edu
Isabel Sanchez Henrriquez, Central West Regional Coordinator
Isabel coordinates educational and support services for migratory youth and families in Addison, Chittenden, and Grand Isle Counties. She is a proud Nicaraguan living in Vermont since 2018. She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from St. Michaels College.
Mobile phone: 802-503-2375
Email: isabel.sanchez@uvm.edu
Sara Riegler, Farmworker Education Hub Coordinator
Sara coordinates the creation, daily operation, and student services of the Farmworker Education Hub. She has a background in organic vegetable production, farmer training and education, and social services and holds a M.S. in International Agricultural Development from UC Davis.
Mobile phone: 802-598-9563
Email: sara.riegler@uvm.edu
Martin Etter, In-School Instructor
Email: Martin.Etter@uvm.edu
Karla Elizalde, Hub Instructor
Email: Karla.Elizalde@uvm.edu
Danarose Weaver, Hub Instructor
Email: Danarose.Weaver@uvm.edu
Meghan Fahey, Instructor
Email: Meghan.Fahey@uvm.edu
Robin Timko, Out-of-School Tutor
Email: Robin.Timko@uvm.edu
Sofia Cintora, Out-of-School Tutor
Email: Sofia.Cintora@uvm.edu
Hesi Correa, Family Liaison and In-School Tutor
Email: Hesi.Correa@uvm.edu
