Personal Growth

In this four-hour workshop over two weeks, participants will learn how to welcome new possibilities by setting their mind toward growth and change. Additionally, they will develop meaningful goals and strategize how to navigate obstacles. Through group discussions and creative activities, participants will develop a vision and plan for making progress in 2027.

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Circle is a supportive, facilitated group experience where people can take time to reflect on peace, hope and healing in a nurturing community with others. Participants find renewal and gain strength as they listen to and talk about their experiences. This program requires registration and begins right at 11:00 AM, but participants can drop in over the semester without attending weekly.

*Note: This program does require registration, but participants are not required to attend every session.

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This course is for artists and crafters who have dreamed of selling their work. In this 13-week vendor training course, participants will apply project management skills to explore how to sell products to the public.
Students will learn how to assess the market for products and determine what makes their work unique. They will also learn how to create a budget, price products, how to work with customers and handle money. The class culminates in a marketplace experience held at Mercy Connections in November.

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Crafters and makers are supported in a co-working environment to develop and create products to sell at craft and art fairs, as well as Mercy Connections’ Mercy Marketplace fair in November.

Participants work one-on-one with instructors to design and create products, hone time and project management skills and set sales goals for vending opportunities that they wish to pursue.

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This course facilitates the process  of self-discovery and is a perfect introduction to personal growth programming at Mercy Connections. Participants will build on their life experiences and reframe the impact on their future through guided activities to support them in reconnecting to inner strengths, gaining confidence, and finding a new sense of belonging and community.

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This 6 session class will explore the basic components of communication. Participants will learn about the different ways that people express themselves and learn ways to communicate more effectively in their personal and professional lives. They will explore practical topics such as active listening, respectful interpersonal communication, self-awareness, and ways to work through personal or cultural communication barriers. Learning will occur through group discussions, interactive activities, and practicing basic communication skills.

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This is an 8-week, skills-based class designed to introduce and teach you skills that help handle stress, strong emotions, and daily challenges with more clarity and choice. Each session includes short, guided mindfulness practice, practical grounding and coping tools, and time to reflect and apply skills to real-life situations. You’ll leave with tools you can use to manage stress and ways to respond in effective ways that support your goals.

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Students will read and discuss “The Book of Hope – A Survival Guide for Trying Times” by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams. In this book, the world’s most famous naturalist focuses on her life view of optimism; she teaches us how to rely on hope during times of political upheaval, pandemics, and environmental challenges. In a dialogue with Abrams, Goodall shares stories from her remarkable career and research, and attempts to answer a vital question: “How do we remain hopeful in a time when we are facing such daunting challenges?”

Students should expect to read approximately 30 pages per week and complete reflection question assignments, as well as participate in class discussion about the text. Students will also be expected to write one piece, based on given prompts, each week. They will have the opportunity to share their writings and give feedback to each other in order to strengthen their writing skills. Consistent attendance is a requirement for ongoing participation in this class.

Note: Books are provided free of charge for participants, thanks to the generosity of Vermont Humanities.

To register contact Melissa Lang at mlang@mercyconnections.org or (802) 846-7084.

Join us for this engaging support group for men and male-identified persons. Learn from each other as you explore your circumstances, your experiences, and your goals over the course of the semester. This program will grow your skills in building supportive relationships with other men as you challenge and sustain each other, work through personal goals and life transitions, and learn how to show up consistently for yourself and others.

To register contact Paul Chapman at pchapman@mercyconnections.org. 

Participants will be guided to identify a key motivating factor in their lives and then combine it with the creation of a personal mission statement. They then explore how to use this vision to move towards their hopes for the future.

Where do you find inspiration in your life? Looking at examples in language, arts, people and writing, participants reimagine what inspires them and brings joy to their lives. They will learn how creativity can expand their potential to adapt, grow and move forward.

Our daily habits shape how we think, act, and succeed. In this course, participants will reflect on the habits they want to change and explore practical ways to replace them with new habits that support long-term success.

This class will explore ways that you can bring mindfulness skills into your relationships with others. We will explore ways to use mindfulness tools to enhance your ability to be authentic and present in your relationships by learning tools for setting boundaries, communicating, leading with your values, and managing your own thoughts and perspectives.

Students in this class will read and discuss excerpts of popular memoirs written by authors such as Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Comedian Trevor Noah, Actor Michael J. Fox, retired politician Gabrielle Giffords, Former First Lady Michele Obama, and more. Using these writers as models, along with a guide to memoir writing, “Write it all Down,” by Cathy Rentzenbrink, we will study and practice critical elements of memoir writing.

Participants can expect to learn the difference between autobiography and memoir, how to narrow down topic choices, the importance of organization and outlining, as well as how to thread a theme across various written memoir pieces. Students will also learn the art of revising. and the mechanics of editing. Students should expect to read one chapter or excerpt per week, and to complete one writing assignment each week.

Participants will learn about “growth mindset” and how to incorporate it into their lives. Through activities and reflections, they will explore how to value their efforts, develop their persistence, embrace challenges and mistakes as opportunities, and grow towards their desired balance of basic needs for love, freedom, power, and fun.

Find inspiration and great discussion at this drop-in community building program.  Participants will watch a brief TED talk or other thought-provoking videos and then engage in a facilitated discussion of the ideas presented.

Register once to attend one or more sessions over the course of the semester.

This course cultivates personal and group reflection of qualities that can be positive forces in our lives and communities. Participants will explore weekly topics such as strength, hope, gratitude, and more, in a peaceful space for learning and sharing. Each week also brings a challenge and an invitation to practice new skills in between classes.

 This one-of-a-kind leadership and civic experience program combines self-designed community-based projects, field trips, and presentations from diverse leaders, as well as leadership and self-awareness activities. The first half of the semester will be focused primarily on exploring qualities of a leader, different leadership styles, and building confidence to develop one’s own style. Then the group will explore application of what they have learned and identify leadership projects in their own lives, which they will present at the end of the semester. A final presentation is a requirement for successful completion of the class.

This program is considered an advanced-level Personal Growth program and therefore has some requirements for participation:

• A brief written application and interview;
• Either:
  • successful completion of other Mercy Connections Personal Growth program(s)
  • OR a recommendation from a teacher, friend, colleague or community member who can speak to your strengths and why they think you’re ready to become more of a leader
• Observable ability to manage time and consistently attend classes, participate actively, be organized and prepared for class, communicate in a thoughtful and respectful manner with diverse groups of people (or this can be addressed in the recommendation letter).

This program aims to empower participants with confidence and basic organizational tools for managing time and money and can support exploration of more in-depth personal finance programs available in the community.

Participants will meet as a group once a week for six weeks to learn about and practice with various planning tools and resources.

In this class, participants will practice public speaking skills in a safe and supportive setting among peers. Participants will learn about basic concepts and tools to help address nerves, organize a talk and more. They will be expected to prepare and give brief presentations to apply what they learn, and will practice giving and receiving respectful feedback.