In the spirit of community-building, and inspired by open universities developed in the towns of Bethel and Middletown Springs, we are organizing a program we’re calling Wallingford University.
Over the course of three days in April 2026, residents of Wallingford and nearby communities are invited to participate in free classes taught by Wallingford residents on a wide range of topics .
Wallingford University will be held on Friday, April 10 through Sunday, April 12, 2026.
We are connecting with local experts to confirm sessions on subjects ranging from the making of Stone Meadow, basic bike repair, getting started in genealogy, painting a wooden barn quilt, and much more.
Special thanks to our community partners!
We appreciate our volunteer teachers for sharing their knowledge, Wallingford Town Hall, Rotary, Gilbert Hart Library, and The Sparkle Barn for accommodating our classes, and C.J. Sloane for designing the logo.
Meet the 2026 planning committee
Carol Tashie
Most people know Carol from Radical Roots Farm, where she and her partner Dennis grew and sold organic vegetables at the Rutland Farmers Market and to restaurants and schools all around our region. In 2018, Carol and Dennis moved to Wallingford, where they now live and love with their two dogs, Hartley and Crosby.
Growing up in the suburbs of Long Island, Carol always had a longing for the woods and wilds of anywhere but there. She has lived in Rhode Island, Oregon, Washington, and New Hampshire before finding her one true home in Vermont in 2005.
Always a rabble rouser, although more politely called a “community organizer,” Carol devoted her career to changing the ways schools and communities include and celebrate people with labels of significant disabilities. In addition to her paid work, Carol has been an active part of the peace, justice, and whole and healthy communities movement for over 50 years and sees that as her true passion and calling.
Peg Soule
Peg and her family moved to Wallingford on a 10 degree day in January 41 years ago. Having grown up in the Navy, she’d never lived anywhere for more than 4 years, and didn’t live anywhere for two years until she was 12. When she and her family moved into their home here, she declared she never wanted to move again.
In addition to her mental health career in Rutland County, Peg has put her heart into Wallingford. She has volunteered at Gilbert Hart Library and served on their Capital Campaign, was a room mother and taught ELF at the elementary school, taught at the town’s Bible Camp on Elfin Lake, served 13 years on the school board, worked on the ARPA committee, and more. She believes that every person has a role in making our community a good place to live.
Susan Kramer
Susan moved to Wallingford in 2023 from Colorado and loves everything about living in Vermont (except the ticks and mosquitoes). She enjoys gardening, skiing when it is snowing and hiking or bicycling when it’s not! She and her husband feel so lucky to have landed in this wonderful community.
By day, Susan leads the grant writing and communication efforts for a Denver nonprofit that serves children who have developmental and mental health challenges. She has spent her entire career in the nonprofit sector, working as the executive director of a local performing arts organization in Evergreen, Colorado; as the administrator of a membership organization of mental health professionals; as the board chair of Resilience1220, a nonprofit organization that provides mental health support to youth in the mountain areas west of Denver; and as a program officer, consultant, or volunteer for many other nonprofit organizations.