Episode 2.
BEYOND WORDS
Collective Efforts Towards Language Justice.
Chapter 2.
This chapter focuses on the organizational efforts toward language justice, addressing collective responsibility.
64
Languages are spoken in Vermont.
Vermont USE Foundation
As our immigrant and migrant
population increases, so does this number.
12
out of 14 Vermont counties have 5 or more languages spoken. Chittenden and Windham have more than 20.
Vermont USE Foundation
30,813
The number of immigrants in
Vermont in 2018 was
(5 percent of the population)
Vermont Housing Finance Agency
5.4%
of Vermonters speak a language other than English at home.
That is more than 34,000 people.
U.S. Census Bureau, 2018-2022
Meet the Vermont Language Justice Project
A project of the Center for Media and Democracy (CCTV)
VLJP creates media for people with language access needs. Through their content, they provide people with the ability to make informed decisions about their health and lives. VLJP creates audio and video content in over 18 languages spoken in the state of Vermont. Every piece of media is co-produced with community members from refugee, migrant, and immigrant communities. As of March 2024, they have over 183,000 views on YouTube.
Meet Bridges to Health
University of Vermont Extension
Bridges to Health is a grant-funded health access program that works with immigrant farmworkers in Vermont. Bridges to Health works towards equal health opportunities through free clinics, health care access information, care coordination, interpretation, and education. In this way, they are helping immigrant farmworkers access health care services.
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Learn more about Bridges to Health.
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ABOUT ALISON
Alison Segar
Vermont Language Justice Project
Director
Alison Segar is the director of the Vermont Language Justice Project, a project of the Center for Media and Democracy. VLJP allows people with language access needs to have the ability to make informed decisions about their health and those of their families. They work with seventeen languages spoken in Vermont, and their content is co-produced with trusted community members from Vermont’s refugee, migrant, and immigrant communities.
ABOUT CECILIA
Cecilia Hayes
Bridges to Health
Community Health Worker
Cecilia supports migrant workers and their families in Franklin and Grand Isle counties by helping them access health care and social services. Before 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.