UVM's 3rd Annual Public Philosophy Week was first launched in 2017 to bring discussions out of the academy and into the public square. New in 2019, is a series of seven discussions on death and coping with grief, organized by UVM alumnus Alexandria Kerrigan, a recent graduate of the university's End-of-Life Doula Program. 

The Death Talk Philosophy Week series begins on Sunday, March 24 at 2 pm with Krista Beth Atwood, former pastor of the Faith United Methodist Church in South Burlington, leading off with "Is there Life Without Death?" There are seven daily events at various times, covering a diversity of death topics featuring different speakers including Betsy Walkerman, president of Patient Choices Vermont, on Tuesday, March 26 from 6-7 pm leading a discussion on "ACT 39 and Death with Dignity." 

Join us for seven days of Death Talks during Public Philosophy Week at the Wishbone Collective!

• Sunday, March 24 from 2-3 pm
  Kristabeth Atwood
  Is There Life Without Death? Cryogenic Freezing & Fountains of Youth: Can One Truly Live While Trying to Outrun Death?
• Monday, March 25 from 12-1 pm
  Sharon Keegan
  Why Now Matters at the Time of Death
• Tuesday, March 26 from 6-7 pm
  Betsy Walkerman President of Patient Choices Vermont
  Act 39 & Death with Dignity
• Wednesday, March 27 from 4-5 pm
  Howard Hoffman
  Psychedelics at the End of Life
• Thursday, March 28 from 10-11 am
  Judson Browning
  Burial Ethics: From Environmental Integrity to Grief
• Friday, March 29 from 7-8 pm
  Erin Ostreicher
  The Art & Ornamentation of Grief
• Saturday, March 30 from 11 am-12 pm
  Mary Hamilton
  ​How Experiencing Death Changes the Way We Live

​The idea of bringing people together to talk about death was originated by Swiss sociologist and anthropologist Bernard Crettaz who organized the first Café Mortel in 2004. The idea spawned an international Death Cafe movement with more than 6,000 hosted so far by various organizations around the world. 

Death Talks provide a safe place for open dialogue and the philosophical exploration of themes such as mortality, the afterlife, spirituality, cultural practices, history, individual experience, and more. Death Talks is not a personal support group nor a counseling session.

• Location: Wishbone Collective is a second-floor loft overlooking Main Street in Winooski, with entrance at 4 West Center Street.
• Light refreshments will be served.
• Donations to support the shared space are appreciated but not required.

RSVPs are not necessary but you can do so while sharing the event with friends at the Facebook event Page: Death Talks x Public Philosophy Week.
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Wishbone Collective is located at: 4 West Center Street, Winooski, Vermont

Monday, March 25, 2019
Hilton Hotel, Burlington, Vermont

The Gerontology Symposium is a conference designed to enable participants to gain knowledge pertaining to a key areas of caregiving for older adults: End of Life Care and Transitions. The symposium also seeks to strengthen the connections between family caregivers and professionals. This year, topics will include:

• Keys to Navigating Care at the End of Life
• Advance Directives and Advance Care Planning
• Complex decision making when multiple agents are involved
• Grief and Bereavement, as experienced by families and professionals
• End of Life Doulas, an additional resource
• Hospice and Those Living with Dementia
• Hospice and Palliative Care services

Keynote Presenter - Dr. Karen Wyatt, Author of 
What Really Matters: 7 Lessons for Living from the Stories of the Dying 

The Center on Aging at The University of Vermont is pleased to present this program whose goal is to provide current, research-based information on topics relevant to both family and professional caregivers who work with our rapidly growing population of older adults. For the second year, the conference will offer two different tracks:

• Family Caregiver Track
• Professional Track

Registration Fees

Professionals: $35
Family Caregivers: $20 (discounted registration is intended for those caring for family members)
Continuing Education credit: add $20

Click for more information and to register...