Governors Institutes says Health & Medicine program expands pipeline to Vermont health careers; students describe hands‑on learning
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Summary
The Governors Institutes of Vermont told the committee its Health & Medicine summer program has grown to 140 students, partners with UVM and AHEC, provides sliding‑scale aid to about 90% of participants and connects students to clinical pathways; alumni and students described hands‑on training and improved career confidence.
Elizabeth Frasgoya, executive director of the Governors Institutes of Vermont, told the committee that GIV runs intensive summer programs to introduce high‑school students to career and college pathways and that the Health & Medicine Institute has expanded to 140 students with a move to the University of Vermont campus for a combined session.
"The Governor's Institute's mission is to inspire our Vermont young people to do meaningful things with their lives," Frasgoya said, describing partnerships with the UVM College of Medicine, the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and the AHEC network. She said roughly 90% of students receive some financial aid and that the program leverages state appropriations (about 20% of GIV’s budget, described as just under $400,000) and philanthropic and partner support.
Students attending the committee described concrete impacts. Henry Gogo, a recent GIV alumnus, said hands‑on training and exposure to professionals influenced his plans to attend UVM and pursue health‑related coursework, including EMT training. Eviana Reiter, a senior from Burlington, said GIV gave her technical skills and confidence: "After GIV, I'm confident that if I went back in that situation now, that life would not be lost," she said, referring to CPR and emergency‑response training.
Frasgoya acknowledged the organization’s capacity limits and said they are turning away roughly 100 interested students; she asked committee members to monitor an appropriations request that would modestly increase the state contribution above the current figure (described as just under $400,000). The organization said AHEC tracks post‑program outcomes and that materials provided to the committee include participation and outcome data.
Committee members asked what would keep young people in Vermont; students and presenters pointed to housing affordability, cost of living and aligned job opportunities as the primary retention barriers. Frasgoya said GIV focuses on pathways that connect students with local professionals and employers to improve retention.
Next steps: GIV offered follow‑up materials, data tracked by AHEC and asked committee members to consider their appropriations request during budget deliberations.
